He has served the 9th City Council District in Los Angeles for years as a council deputy. He has managed political campaigns. And he racked up a ton of endorsements from elected officials. Today I talk with candidate Jose Ugarte.
In this third installment of interviews with candidates to succeed retiring councilmember Curren Price, I speak with Jose Ugarte, A top aide to Price, Ugarte is a visible face at City Hall, in the district and in the media. He has served Price off and on since 2013, handling district projects and constituent services. Prior to that, he worked as a district deputy to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. He has taken several extended leaves of absence from government to work as a consultant for political campaigns, including those of Price, Rendon, Assemblymember Mike Fong and former Assembymember Miguel Santiago.
An immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, Ugarte says he will focus on serving the immigrant and low-income communities of the 9th District, and wants to be the "transportation councilmember” with a vision for more Metro rail lines in the 9th District.
Ugarte was recently the subject of an investigation form the city ethics commission, which found that he failed to disclose outside income from his consulting business. He and I discuss that, as well as his biography, and his vision for the city and distinct, in the interview.
