A long-time Latino activist said last week that he would run to represent San Diego’s new 9th City Council district in this year’s election.
The new district, centered in City Heights, is majority Latino. It was drawn that way during last year’s redistricting process to give Latinos – who make up almost 30 percent of the city’s population – an edge on gaining a second safe seat on the council.
But the candidate, an activist and business owner named Mateo Camarillo, said he decided to run in part out of frustration that no Latino candidate had emerged.
“It’s not right that all this effort went into creating a district, and then there’s no candidate,” said Camarillo, who was also a member of the commission that redrew San Diego’s City Council districts 10 years ago.
At least two Latinas had earlier said they would run in the district this year, but both decided against it. So until now, the only declared candidate was Democratic Councilwoman Marti Emerald, who is white.
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