Mancillas Quits Eastside Council Race
Jorge Mancillas, considered one of the leading labor candidates for the Eastside City Council seat, bowed out of the race this week, while candidate Yolanda Gonzales decided to stay in the race as a write-in candidate.
Mancillas, the Southern California political director of the Service Employees International Union, and Gonzales were both found to have an insufficient number of voters’ signatures on their nominating petitions, according to the city clerk’s office.
Mancillas said he believes that he would have been successful in fighting the city clerk’s decision in court, but that it would have shifted much-needed campaign funds to legal costs.
Political observers were surprised that Mancillas failed to qualify for the crowded ballot. Without him, other candidates will try to secure union and community endorsements that he would have received.
In all, 13 candidates will appear on the ballot for the 14th District seat held by Councilman Richard Alatorre, who has decided not to seek reelection.
Seven others besides Mancillas and Gonzales were also declared ineligible for the ballot.
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