Councilmember José Huizar

José Huizar was elected to the Los Angeles City Council’s 14th District in 2005 and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2007 and 2011.

Councilmember Huizar has proven himself a staunch advocate for public safety, youth programs and sustainable economic development that provides jobs and services to the residents of his district and the City of Los Angeles.

He has led Citywide efforts to create a graffiti-tracking program to better prosecute chronic taggers, modified a City ordinance to allow rewards to be offered on behalf of off-duty LAPD officers attacked outside of City limits and led the effort to require all City departments to implement a Surplus Food policy to address the growing need for emergency food services.

Councilmember Huizar has been at the forefront of several key improvement projects in his district, including the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, which links East L.A. to Downtown Los Angeles. Another priority for Councilmember Huizar is his Bringing Back Broadway initiative, an ambitious 10-year plan to renovate downtown’s Broadway Corridor, which includes restoring 12 historic theaters and returning the beloved streetcar back to downtown’s historic core.

Councilmember Huizar also utilizes his knowledge and experience in urban planning and transportation as a member of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board of Directors.

Prior to his Council election, Councilmember Huizar served as a member and President of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education. He led the successful effort to reform the district’s high school curriculum by ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, had access to the A-G courses required for admission to California’s public universities. As Board President, Councilmember Huizar also oversaw planning and implementation of the largest construction and modernization public school project in U.S. history.

Councilmember Huizar received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master’s degree in Public Affairs and Urban Planning from Princeton University and a Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. In 2004, he became the first Latino to serve on the Princeton Board of Trustees.

Councilmember Huizar has been awarded numerous awards and distinctions, including profiles by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the 25 figures in the Los Angeles Area that “stand out for their potential to shape lives” and by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the “100 most influential Hispanics” in the United States.

Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, Councilmember Huizar is the first Mexican immigrant elected to the Los Angeles City Council. He resides in Boyle Heights with his wife Richelle Rios, their son Simón Luis and three daughters, Emilia, Isabella and Aviana.