A woman holds an audience card at a forum for Council District 9 candidates held in mid May. (Photo by Julia Wick/L.A. Material)
THE FRONTRUNNER TO REPRESENT Los Angeles’ Council District 9 was not expecting controversy when he delivered his opening statement in Spanish at a candidate forum on a cloudy Saturday morning in May.
Seated with six other candidates in the yard of a South Central youth center, with palm trees and a rusted check cashing sign looming behind him, Jose Ugarte spoke in his mother tongue — and that of much of the audience — saying he had been born in Oaxaca and spent his youth undocumented after arriving in the United States. He touted his prior service and accomplishments working in the state Legislature and for the current CD 9 council member, Curren D. Price.
It was, as far as these things go, pretty standard campaign fare. Save for the hecklers, and ensuing bout of fury.
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