An unpopular incumbent gets a sudden boost

As furor surrounds his rival, Councilman Cedillo hopes to draw in frustrated voters.

With the May 16 election approaching, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo looked relaxed as he strode to the lectern at the groundbreaking of a Lincoln Heights park on a recent morning, speaking after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and state Senate leader Kevin de León.

“Rise and shine, everybody,” Cedillo told the crowd, before making a joke about politicians’ long speeches.

Cedillo is having a good couple of weeks. His opponent in the District 1 runoff, Joe Bray-Ali, is under fire over comments he made in an online forum that encourages racism and shaming people for their weight.

Bray-Ali’s campaign took another hit when the candidate — to head off any more damaging revelations — posted on Facebook that he had “slept with several other women” who were not his wife and owes nearly $50,000 in state business taxes and fees.

Still, the incumbent faces widespread criticism from his constituents. Neighborhood leaders across his district say that they never see him and that his staff members are unresponsive and don’t attend community events.

Cedillo, who chairs City Hall’s Housing Committee, also is accused of not doing enough to stop the displacement of renters in his Northeast L.A. district, a charge he denies.

As the 63-year-old councilman campaigns in the final days before the election, Cedillo appears less interested in attacking Bray-Ali than appeasing voters unhappy with his leadership.

During the primary, Cedillo refused a Times reporter’s requests for an interview. (The newspaper’s editorial board endorsed Bray-Ali, then pulled its

backing when his online comments came to light.)

For the runoff, the councilman gave a phone interview last week about the issues in District 1, which includes Chinatown, PicoUnion, Elysian Park and Highland Park.

He didn’t dispute neighborhood leaders’ criticisms that his office has been unresponsive.

“It’s unacceptable,” he said of those complaints, adding that his office has replaced staff members in the last six months and that constituents can expect an “upgrade.”

He also acknowledged that such changes may be too late for some voters. “I say, OK, I understand if you don’t want to vote for me,” Cedillo said.

Bray-Ali, 38, landed in the runoff after hammering the councilman on issues such as bike lanes, gentrification and development.

But since the website LAist last month published comments Bray-Ali made on Voat, a provocative website that touts its uncensored content, the issue hasn’t gone away for the Lincoln Heights resident.

Residents spent most of a recent 90-minute forum, held by the Echo Park Improvement Assn., asking Bray-Ali for explanations.

“If my words online have turned you away from me, I understand,” said Bray-Ali, who also blamed the media and said his comments were taken out of context.

He continued his criticism of the councilman, telling the crowd, “We want someone in office that will listen to us, that will work for us and that will address problems directly, instead of pushing them off.”

In a follow-up email, Bray-Ali wrote that Cedillo’s “campaign has tried every insult and personal attack possible.” (Cedillo said his campaign didn’t give LAist the tip about Bray-Ali’s Voat comments.)

In addition to losing the backing of Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, Bray-Ali saw Bike the Vote — a streetsafety group dedicated to mobilizing voters — rescind its endorsement of him.

“Many of us were disappointed with both his actions but also his lack of contrition,” Michael MacDonald, a member of the steering committee member, said in an interview.

MacDonald said Bray-Ali won the endorsement after Bike the Vote sent all the primary candidates questionnaires about bike safety and street issues.

Cedillo’s office and campaign never replied or filled out the questionnaire, MacDonald said.

The councilman has also been accused of not doing enough to help those affected by rising rents in his district, which has seen a wave of gentrification that is blamed for displacing working-class residents.

A study done last year by the anti-gentrification group Northeast Los Angeles Alliance and other organizations looked at a 10block area in Highland Park.

The study found that 23% of the 1,200 families living in the area have been displaced since 2013 because of real estate sales.

John Urquiza of the Northeast Los Angeles Alliance has marched numerous times with area tenants to Cedillo’s office to complain about evictions, but he says he’s been left frustrated by the councilman.

“He’s on board with luxury development,” Urquiza said. “And that’s going to cause more displacement.”

Cedillo’s office says the majority of the units built or planned during his tenure have been affordable housing units.

Larry Gross, executive director of the Coalition for Economic Survival, praised Cedillo’s record as chair of the council’s Housing Committee.

Cedillo has passed legislation on seismic retrofitting, tenant buyouts and foreclosed properties, Gross said.

“Show me anyone on the council who has done more on the issue of renters’ rights,” Gross said.

Jaime Regalado, a professor emeritus of political science at Cal State L.A., said he doubts that Cedillo will win over voters who backed Bray-Ali but are now disappointed by the grassroots candidate.

Those voters are just as likely to stay home, Regalado said, adding: “Cedillo still needs to work hard. He can’t take anything for granted.”