Eunisses Hernandez pulls ahead of Gil Cedillo in tight L.A. Council race

Community activist Eunisses Hernandez pulled ahead of Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo on Tuesday, dealing a major setback to his bid for a third and final term.

Cedillo, 68, was trailing Hernandez by 292 votes, according to the latest count released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Hernandez had 50.65% compared to Cedillo’s 49.35%.

Hernandez, 32, campaigned on stronger renter protections and called for funds to be shifted away from the Los Angeles Police Department and into other services, such as housing and mental health specialists. Cedillo, a former state lawmaker, sought to portray Hernandez as a dangerous extremist, highlighting her work as an abolitionist on policing and prisons.

Hernandez had the backing of a number of grassroots groups, including the L.A. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and Councilman Mike Bonin.

Cedillo is one of two City Council incumbents who find themselves in serious political danger. Councilman Mitch O’Farrell is being forced into a Nov. 8 runoff and is now trailing his opponent, labor organizer Hugo Soto-Martinez, in a district that takes in all or part of Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Atwater Village.

On Tuesday, Soto-Martinez was leading O’Farrell 38% to 34%.