Huizar Faces Tough Challenge From Molina In LA's 14th District

BOYLE HEIGHTS (CBSLA.com) — The highest-profile race on the March 3 City Council ballot in Los Angeles pits former County Supervisor Gloria Molina against incumbent 14th District Councilman Jose Huizar.

KCAL9 political reporter Dave Bryan reported Friday that after a bitter debate earlier this week the tone of the campaign hasn't softened.

At Huizar's campaign headquarters in Boyle Heights, there's an air of confidence these days that he'll get the most votes in the race for the 14th District City Council seat on March 3, and may roll up more than 50 percent of the vote, to avoid a runoff in May.

"In my mind, I'm looking at my record, and my record speaks for itself," Huizar told Bryan.

But Molina, his toughest opponent, said Huizar he caters to the downtown big money interests, while neglecting the residential communities, which stretch from Boyle Heights to Eagle Rock.

"What's getting done is a lot of attention to special interests, a lot of the downtown interests, a lot of interests that he has before his committee," she said. "I know his focus is downtown, but the people who live here, and are working here, are very troubled by the status of this district."

"I think my opponent is mistaken if she looks at the record, which she hasn't obviously," Huizar said. "You would see Boyle Heights, $2 (billion) to $3 billion in the last few years. We've brought parks, we've ... brought in new police stations, we have the lowest crime rate that we haven't seen since the 1950s. Things are looking very good in these neighborhoods."

But Huizar has had issues in his personal life that critics charge have cost the taxpayers dearly, including a late night traffic accident in 2012, when he rear-ended another vehicle. Taxpayers coughed up $185,000 as part of the settlement.

There is also a sexual harrassment lawsuit filed by a former staff member with whom Huizar, married with children, claimed he had a consensual sexual relationship while her salary eventually hit six figures. That could cost the taxpayers up to $200,000 for his legal expenses. When you add in his council salary, the total could exceed a half million dollars.

"This man has been costing taxpayers money by his irresponsibility. and very frankly I think that's a legitimate issue," Molina said. "And so very frankly he should be paying attention on the job doing the work that needs to be done. and very frankly he's not been doing that."

But when Bryan asked Huizar about those issues, he repeatedly ducked the question.

"My record speaks for itself, and I think the voters will speak on March 3rd," he said.

"If you look at all the improvements I made, the record speaks for itself," Huizar responded to another question.

"The voters will see what's important to them, and the voters will see that all the work I have been doing is what matters," Huizar later added. "And they are going to vote accordingly.

There are three other candidates in the race: Community organizer Mario Chavez, social worker Nadine Diaz and political consultant John O'Neill, who reportedly entered the race to raise the issue of affordable housing.