Former Los Angeles City Councilmember and Assemblymember Richard Alatorre, a major player in state and local politics who many say opened the door for other Latino politicians who came after him, has died.
Alatorre passed away around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at age 81, surrounded by family, close friends, and his beloved black Labrador, Reggie, according to a spokesperson for the family.
The former politician had been battling cancer for some time, according to Luisa Acosta, Alatorre’s former deputy chief of staff at City Hall, who fielded questions from reporters on behalf of Alatorre’s family.
A happy California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. with Lt. Gov. Mervyn Dymally, left, gave Assemblyman Richard Alatorre, a pat on the back as he talked to reporters following his signing of a landmark farm labor bill at the Capitol in Sacramento on Thursday, June 6, 1975. The bill takes effect Aug. 28 and will allow state-supervised secret ballot farm labor elections during two key fall agriculture harvests. Alatorre was one of the chief authors of farm labor legislation. (AP Photo)
A statement from the family said the state of California and city of Los Angeles had “lost one of its most impactful and compassionate leaders.”
“Richard’s dedication to public service changed lives and uplifted people both locally and nationally,” the statement read. “He tirelessly fought for Latino empowerment in politics and labor rights and resources for working families. Richard’s legacy is his consummate coalition building that extended beyond the Latino community, also advocating for people of color and disenfranchised communities.”
Alatorre was raised in East Los Angeles. He was an aide to Assemblymember Walter Karabian before being elected to the Assembly himself in 1972, at age 28. He served in the Assembly until 1985 when he won a special election for the L.A. City Council’s 14th District.
His election to the City Council marked the first time since 1962 – more than two decades earlier – that the City Council had a Latino member.
During his time on the council, Alatorre held stints as chair of the powerful Budget and Finance Committee as well as the Public Safety Committee.
He also served on the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission, which later became the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro. He was the first MTA chair, leading the charge to create the Metro Gold Line and its extension into East L.A.
Alatorre developed a reputation for his political prowess and commitment to being a champion for the Latino community and for farmworkers and other laborers. Some thought he would go on to become mayor of the nation’s second largest city one day.
But Alatorre wasn’t perfect.
He battled alcohol and drug addiction and was the subject of federal investigations over his role in awarding contracts, and left office under a dark cloud.
Despite his blemished record, many who knew Alatorre praised the man after learning of his passing on Tuesday.
Former L.A. Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky served alongside Alatorre on the council for nine years and called his former colleague “an extraordinary and consequential politician.”
“Among the colleagues I worked with, I maintained an informal Hall of Fame list. Richard is high on my list,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement. “We were sometimes on opposite sides of some issues, but more often on the same side. I had no more worthy adversary when we were on opposite sides and no better ally when we were on the same side.”
Robin Kramer, a former chief deputy for Alatorre when he was on the City Council, described her former boss as a coalition builder who did not let ideology get in the way of compromise and someone who “showed respect for everyone,” from farm workers and janitors to teachers and top executives.
While displaying a tough and “kinda gruff” exterior, Alatorre had “the heart of a Girl Scout,” Kramer said.
“Richard was a warrior for justice,” she said. “He was a loyal and canny public servant. He remembered always where he came from and how people … struggled for good jobs, good schools, just basic opportunity and fairness.”
Many point to Alatorre’s role in redistricting efforts, as he helped shape electoral maps both at the state and city levels, and gave Latinos better shots at winning elections and being represented.
Veteran Democratic strategist Mike Trujillo also credited Alatorre for teaching younger candidates the art of campaigning – what it meant to knock on doors and how to fundraise.
“He operated in a world where he was the only Mexican in the room. He had to navigate all of that to open doors and windows for all of us,” Trujillo said. “Sometimes he made mistakes and other times he did a great job. He should be remembered for the 1,000 great things he did for the betterment of the Latino community and for all Angelenos. He gave his heart and soul into public service.”
Current L.A. City Councilmember Kevin de León, who represents the same Eastside district that Alatorre did, said Alatorre pushed for the economic revitalization of L.A.’s Eastside, creating jobs and new opportunities for growth, and secured affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.
He noted that Alatorre was the main author of the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, which gave collective bargaining rights to farmworkers and called Alatorre’s work in legislative reapportionment in 1981 “a turning point for Latino political power in California.”
“His contributions to the political empowerment of Latinos in California cannot be overstated,” de León said in a statement.
City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez announced Alatorre’s passing during Tuesday’s council meeting as the news was breaking.
“Sadly, we’ve lost a titan in the Chicano community,” she said.
In a subsequent statement, she spoke of his humble beginnings as student body president at Garfield High School in East L.A.
“Richard never forgot his community or their struggles,” Rodriguez said. “He was one of the most masterful political forces of our time, forging lifelong alliances with some of the most consequential leaders in history.”
While many held Alatorre in high esteem, the elected official left office under a cloud of scandal.
When he announced in January 1999 that he would not seek another term on the City Council, Alatorre was facing a series of investigations into his actions on the MTA board and inquiries as to whether he had benefited financially from other dealings related to his council position. Questions swirled about campaign donations and contracts awarded to many of his friends.
Alatorre pled guilty in 2001, after he had left office, to felony tax evasion for failing to report to the Internal Revenue Service nearly $42,000 in cash he received from people attempting to influence him in his role as an elected official.
During his 1999 announcement that he would not seek reelection to the City Council, Alatorre explained that it was seeing President John F. Kennedy campaign in East L.A. that made him want to get into politics.
He also addressed his leadership style, saying that while critics called it inappropriate, “it is that bare-knuckles style that has helped solve a police strike, a (Department of Water and Power) strike and bring in a new, tough-on-crime police chief,” Alatorre said.
“I say to those who question my style, I am a man of my word,” he continued. “People count on my word and my ability to fight till the end, no matter how unpopular a battle.”
On his last day in office in June 1999, a ceremony in Alatorre’s honor was held at City Hall that lasted more than two hours and featured marching bands and mariachis.
Then-Mayor Richard Riordan, who was close to Alatorre, noted the outgoing councilmember’s penchant for off-color language.
“I have never met anyone who is as creative with four-letter words,” Riordan said at the time. “But this is a sad day and historic day for Los Angeles. We are losing a great leader.”
In addition to the ethics probes that Alatorre faced, he also battled addiction.
On Tuesday, Kramer, Alatorre’s former chief deputy, gave credit to the former elected official for dealing with his personal struggles.
“His personal struggles were real, but he was a workhorse in confronting them,” she said. “You have to admire people who face up to their own frailties. That was Richard.”
Alatorre’s former deputy chief, Acosta, added that he had been sober since 1998.
“Did he have his issues with alcohol and drugs? He certainly did. But he was a fighter. He recovered. … He helped a lot of people get clean and sober, too,” she said.
Some of Alatorre’s former staffers said Tuesday that it was important to look beyond the man’s personal struggles and to recognize all that he did, not only for Latinos but all Angelenos.
Current L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that Alatorre gave her advice and guidance and called him “an icon … who blazed the trail for generations of Latino leaders in Los Angeles and California.”
“His fervent advocacy served as a beacon of hope for millions and his dedicated advocacy has resulted in a legacy that will benefit millions more in the years to come,” she said.
Alatorre is survived by his wife, Angie Alatorre, sons Derrick and Darrell Alatorre, daughter Melinda Ramos-Alatorre and four granddaughters.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the United Farm Workers at ufw.org/sparechange/ or to Centro de Ninos, 4850 E. Cesar Chavez Ave., Los Angeles 90022.
Services are pending.
With reporting from City News Service.
Originally Published: August 14, 2024 at 8:48 a.m.
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Publish date : 2024-08-14 15:24:00
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