Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — City leaders are remembering former Los Angeles City Councilman and Assemblyman Richard Alatorre, who died Aug. 13 at age 81.
Representatives for City Councilman Kevin de León’s office indicated that Alatorre had been battling cancer. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez announced Alatorre’s death during the Aug. 13 City Council meeting.
Alatorre, who was born in Boyle Heights and raised in East Los Angeles, worked as an aide to Assemblyman Walter Karabian before winning election himself in 1972. He served in the Assembly until 1985, when he won a special election to represent the Los Angeles City Council’s 14th District.
His victory in that race was seen as a major boon to Los Angeles’ Latino community, since the council had not had a Latino member since the 1962 departure of Edward Roybal.
“Councilman Alatorre was an icon in Los Angeles who blazed the trail for generations of Latino leaders in Los Angeles and California,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.
“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. I had the honor of knowing the councilman and the great benefit of receiving his counsel and guidance based on his prolific experience. My thoughts are with his family on this sad day and with the so many Angelenos whose lives were made better from his service.”
De León — who now represents the 14th District — also lauded Alatorre.
“Today, Los Angeles mourns the loss of one of its most formidable and influential leaders, Richard Alatorre,” de León said. “Richard was more than just a public servant — he was a friend, a constituent, and a transformative leader whose impact will be felt for generations. His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy will endure in the hearts and lives of countless Angelenos.”
De León went on to say, “Richard’s tenure in the California State Assembly and on the Los Angeles City Council was marked by an unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and opportunity. He was the principal author of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, giving collective bargaining rights to farmworkers who had long been denied a voice. His leadership in the 1981 legislative reapportionment was a turning point for Latino political power in California, ensuring that our community would finally have the representation it deserves.”
Councilman Tim McOsker said in a statement that “Alatorre was already a giant in local and state politics when I first arrived at City Hall years ago. He was decisive, strong, and incredibly direct and honest. I will always value the time he took to sit and discuss issues and dispense advice during my early tenure in the City Attorney’s Office, and then the mayor’s office.
“Councilmember Alatorre balanced the power of the council and the importance of the legislation that he worked to pass with a steadfast focus on how each decision would benefit his constituents. Those were his guiding principles as a true public servant and representative. He understood the power of the offices he held, but he always applied it with a genuine local touch.”
While in the Assembly, Alatorre was a co-founder of what is now known as the California Latino Legislative Caucus. He expanded the political power of Latinos throughout the state in 1981 as head of the committee that redrew the boundaries of the state’s legislative and congressional districts.
Anticipating the growth of the Latino population, he spread Latino voters over many districts instead of focusing them in a few.
After being elected to the City Council in 1985, Alatorre was again put in charge of redistricting for the council. He designed a second Eastside district, paving the way for Gloria Molina to get elected to the City Council in 1987.
He also redrew the three districts held by Black council members in South Los Angeles so they would remain Black-led for decades.
Alatorre remained on the council until 1999, including stints as chairman of the council’s Public Safety and Budget and Finance committees.
He also served on the Los Angeles Regional Transportation Commission, which later evolved into the current county Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He was the first MTA chairman, leading the charge for the creation of the Metro Gold Line and its extension into East Los Angeles.
