An already turbulent Los Angeles City Council campaign could be further complicated by the early Friday morning arrest of Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo on charges of driving under the influence.
Carrillo, 43, was arrested by Los Angeles police at 1:30 a.m. and placed into jail at roughly 4 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s online booking records.
Carrillo admitted in a statement that she hit many parked cars before being taken into custody. She assured investigators that no one was hurt and stated she was cooperating with them.
“As a public servant, I am aware that I must adhere to a higher standard that demands personal accountability for my conduct and I accept responsibility for my actions,” Carrillo said. “I sincerely apologize to my family, constituents, colleagues and staff for any actions of mine that have fallen short of that expectation. I intend to seek the necessary help and support. As I do so, I remain dedicated to my family, my constituents and the community that I grew-up in and am proud to represent.”
There is a troubling pattern of California Democrat elected officials driving drunk & endangering the public on the road in addition to in their legislation. Latest: 'Double the legal limit': Assemblymember, L.A. council candidate arrested on suspected DUI https://t.co/5kWyrT9Abl
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) November 3, 2023
She is running as a Democrat alongside a plethora of others who hope to unseat incumbent Councilmember Kevin de León, who faces an uphill reelection battle due to a racially leaked audio incident that rocked his party last year. Carrillo and fellow Democratic Assemblymember Miguel Santiago are two of de León’s former colleagues who are now working to have him removed from office.
With Carrillo’s arrest, an internal Democrat campaign has been transformed for the second time in recent months due to an alleged DUI. Dave Min, a state senator for the Democrats who was arrested for drunk driving earlier this year, is running against Joanna Weiss, a lawyer for the Democrats, to replace Katie Porter in Congress. He has been forced to cope with issues whether the arrest damages his electability in a House district Democrats consider as key to their victory in November.
Carrillo has based her campaign on her ties to the Boyle Heights community and the eastern Los Angeles area as a whole. The Assembly Democratic caucus is split by her rivalry with Santiago, with former Speaker Anthony Rendon supporting Carrillo and current Speaker Robert Rivas endorsing Santiago. Santiago has also gained support from the vast majority of Los Angeles’s business and labor communities.
Tenant’s rights attorney Ysabel Jurado has become the de facto leader of the city’s progressives, who now include current Council member Eunisses Hernandez.
