Gardea First Candidate to Qualify for CD1 Race

Council District 1 Candidate Jose Gardea on Thursday become the first to qualify for the March 5 ballot.

The City Clerk's Election Division on Thursday verified 500 of the 912 signatures collected from registered voters in CD 1 supporting Gardea's campaign. Gardea submitted the signatures Wednesday, Nov. 14.

City Council Candidates must submit signatures by Wednesday, Dec. 5.

"I am appreciative of the outpouring of support from people throughout the First District," said Gardea, in a statement released to the press. "I had leaders from every community in the district come out to help me gather signatures. It's an important step, but there's still a lot more work to do."

Gardea, current Councilman Ed Reyes' longtime chief of staff, is tentatively set to square off against three other candidates. Assembly District 45 Representative Gil Cedillo, local businessman Jesse Rosas and former Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council Member William Morrison are all still gathering signatures.

The four candidates will meet in a forum hosted by the Mount Washington Homeowners Alliance at the Carlin G. Smith Recreation Center on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.