The political trees of Latino Los Angeles

Richard Alatorre

Assembly member, council member. Along with Art Torres, one of the founding architects of the original Eastside machine.

Elizabeth Alcantar

Cudahy council member. Former field deputy for Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Xavier Becerra

Current secretary of Health and Human Services. Former Assembly member, Congress member and California attorney general. Worked as a district director for state Sen. Art Torres. Former Molinista.

Wendy Carillo

Current Assembly member running for the 14th council district. Former SEIU ULTCW communications manager and staffer for ex-Councilmember Jose Huizar.

Gil Cedillo

Ex-union organizer, state Assembly member, state senator and council member. High school friend of Antonio Villaraigosa.

Kevin de León

Ex-union organizer, state Assembly member and state senator. Current council member. Former campaign manager for Fabian Nuñez, a childhood friend.

Maria Elena Durazo

Current state senator. Longtime head of the Los Angeles Labor Federation. Friends with Antonio Villaraigosa and Gil Cedillo since law school.

Alex P. Garcia

Assembly member and state senator. Former field representative for Rep. Edward R. Roybal.

Mónica Garcia

Former Los Angeles Unified trustee. Worked for Supervisor Molina as a legislative director.

Jimmy Gomez

Congress member. Former state Assembly member and staffer for Hilda Solis when she was in Congress.

Mark Gonzalez

Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. District director for Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, whom he seeks to replace.

Mike Hernandez

Replaced Gloria Molina on the City Council in 1991 with her blessing.

Jose Huizar

Former Los Angeles Unified school board member and L.A. City Council member. Sentenced this January to 13 years in federal prison for corruption and tax evasion.

Gloria Molina

Ex-Assembly member, council member and L.A. County Supervisor. Former assistant to Art Torres and volunteer for Richard Alatorre’s campaigns. Split with them to create a rival Eastside political faction. Worked alongside Esteban Torres in Carter White House.

Fabian Nuñez

Ex-union organizer and speaker of the Assembly. De León’s keeper.

Nick Pacheco

L.A. council member for District 14. His chief of staff was caught up along with the mayoral campaign of Becerra in the infamous “Gloria Marina” phone call scandal during the 2001 mayoral primary that saw a woman pretending to be Supervisor Molina trash the record of longtime ally Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa obliterated Pacheco in the 2003 race for Pacheco’s seat.

John A. Perez

Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of California. Ex-union organizer and speaker of the Assembly who took over Nuñez’s seat. Cousin of Antonio Villaraigosa.

Richard Polanco

Ex-Assembly member and state senator. Longtime chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus. Worked under Esteban Torres in nonprofit sector, and Richard Alatorre as a legislative aide. Mentor to Tony Cárdenas. His 1982 run for Assembly against Gloria Molina was the original Eastside politics pleito.

Ed Reyes

Former council member. Ex-planning director for former Councilmember Mike Hernandez.

Edward R. Roybal

First Latino L.A. council member in the 20th century. First Latino Congress member from California in the 20th century.

Lucille Roybal-Allard

Former Assembly member who went on to Congress and served for 30 years before retiring in 2023. Daughter of Edward R. Roybal.

Miguel Santiago

Assembly member running for City Council. Former Los Angeles Community College District trustee, staffer for Assembly member Cindy Montañez, and district director for Assembly member John A. Perez.

Hilda Solis

L.A. County Supervisor. Ex-U.S. secretary of Labor, Congress member, Assembly member and state senator. Former chief of staff for state Sen. Art Torres, intern for Esteban Torres. Mentored by Gloria Molina going back to the Carter White House.

Art Torres

Former state senator, Assembly member and chair of the California Democratic Party. Co-architect with Richard Alatorre of the original Eastside machine.

Esteban Torres

Ex-Congress member.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Former speaker of the Assembly and L.A. mayor. Best man at Gloria Molina’s wedding.

James Acevedo

Developer and co-founder of the Valley Latino political machine. Former intern for Gloria Molina when she was in the state Assembly.

Richard Alarcon

Aide to former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley. First Latino council member from the San Fernando Valley. Ex-Assembly member and state senator. Convicted in 2014 along with his then-wife on three counts of voter fraud and one count of perjury, which were later overturned.

Marisa Alcaraz

Deputy chief of staff to Councilmember Curren Price. Former aide to Richard Alarcon. Lost to Imelda Padilla in 2023 special City Council election to replace Nury Martinez

Raul Bocanegra

Former chief of staff to Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes. Resigned from the Assembly in 2017 after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced.

Tony Cardenas

Six-term Congress member who’s not running for reelection. Co-founder of the Valley political machine. First Latino elected to the state Assembly from the San Fernando Valley. Ex-council member.

Felipe J. Fuentes

Ex-Assembly member and chief of staff to Councilmember Alex Padilla. Resigned from City Council in 2016 to become a lobbyist.

Kelly Gonez

Los Angeles Unified trustee. Defeated Imelda Padilla for the seat in 2017.

Manny Gonez

Husband of Kelly Gonez. Worked under Cindy Montañez in nonprofit sector. Running to replace Paul Krekorian on the City Council.

Nury Martinez

Ex-aide to Richard Alarcon who became a trusted deputy of Tony Cárdenas and Alex Padilla. Former Los Angeles Unified trustee and City Council president. Resigned in 2022 in the wake of the City Hall tape leak scandal.

Caroline Menjivar

State senator and first LGBTQ+ Latina legislator from the San Fernando Valley. Former field deputy for Nury Martinez.

Cindy Montañez

Former Assembly member and San Fernando council member. Ex-aide to Richard Alarcon.

Ackley Padilla

Brother of Alex. Former chief of staff to Nury Martinez, current chief of staff for Imelda Padilla (no relation).

Alex Padilla

U.S. senator. Former California secretary of state and ex-state senator and council member. Co-founder of the Valley Latino political machine. Campaign manager for Gil Cedillo’s first Assembly race. An earlier version of this description said he was a former assemblymember.

Imelda Padilla

Council member. Former field deputy for Nury Martinez.

Luz Rivas

Assembly member who’s running to replace Tony Cárdenas in Congress. Classmate of Alex Padilla at San Fernando High and MIT.

Monica Rodriguez

Council member. Former aide to Councilmembers Mike Hernandez and Richard Alarcon.

Steven Veres

Los Angeles Community College trustee. Former staffer to Assemblymember Cindy Montañez.