A battle over who is the true progressive defines LA congressional race
LOS ANGELES — As the recording of a racist conversation between Los Angeles labor and political leaders plunged the city into a political crisis unlike any other, David Kim and Jimmy Gomez took different paths.
Gomez, an incumbent congressman, sat next to mayoral candidate Rep. Karen Bass and former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a room at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, calling for unity.
Kim, an immigration and child dependency attorney running against Gomez, stood in a crowd of protesters in front of City Hall. With profanity, he decried how special interests are corrupting the city and called for continued demonstrations.
"We need a moral revolution in Los Angeles," Kim yelled, holding a microphone. In the leaked conversation, the Latino leaders mocked people in racist terms and plotted to undermine Black political power.
Whether Gomez or Kim prevails in the midterm election, California's 34th Congressional District, which includes Koreatown, downtown L.A., Eagle Rock and Boyle Heights, will have a Democratic congressman.
