LA mayoral race: Kevin de León, Rick Caruso qualify for June primary ballot

Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León and real estate developer Rick Caruso have both officially qualified for the June primary election ballot after filing petitions with a sufficient number of valid signatures, the Los Angeles City Clerk said Wednesday.

De León submitted his petition Tuesday and Caruso submitted his Wednesday, according to the City Clerk. Councilman Joe Buscaino also submitted a petition, but it had not yet been finalized by the City Clerk as of noon Wednesday.

A tentative field of 27 candidates filed paperwork by the Feb. 12 deadline to run for mayor of Los Angeles in the June 7 election.

But not all candidates who filed will automatically end up on the ballot. Over the next couple of weeks, candidates will gather signatures to officially get their names on the ballot. A minimum of 500 valid signatures from voters are required, but candidates who receive at least 1,000 signatures will avoid a $300 filing fee.

In mid-March, the nominating petitions’ signatures will be reviewed and the official candidate lists will be finalized.

Besides de León, Caruso and Buscaino, prominent candidates are Rep. Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, City Attorney Mike Feuer and real estate agent and former Metro board member Mel Wilson. The last three have yet to submit their petitions, but have until next month.

Other candidates who have filed declarations of intent to run are:

• tech entrepreneur Ramit Varma;
• businessman Craig Greiwe.
• social justice advocate and Echo Park Neighborhood Council member Alex Gruenenfelder Smith;
• Chuck Cho, who did not identify with a title;
• self-described business owner John Jsamuel Jackson;
• self-described housing advocate G. Juan Johnson;
• self-described entrepreneur Douglas Paul Nichols;
• William “Rodriguez” Morrison, who was a Republican candidate in 2017 for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 34th District and won about 3% of the vote;
• lawyer Andrew Kim;
• Jesse N. Forte, who identified himself in paperwork as an “astronaut” but whose LinkedIn account indicates that he seasonally participates in simulation tests for a space architecture and engineering firm;
• construction professional Sean Isaac Enright;
• SilentRight CEO Barry “Boenvilla” Boen;
• Army veteran and self-described education advocate Austin Dragon;
• self-described businesswoman Juanita Lopez;
• self-described community activist Vincent “King Spider-D” Willis;
• business administrative consultant Jesseca Harvey;
• homeless advocate Louis De Barraicua, whose website says he teaches filmmaking;
• chiropractor Jemiss Nazar;
• Alycia Tashaunna Lowery, who works in the children’s social work field;
• Chris Gilmore, who identified himself as a business owner, and
• community activist Gina Viola.

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