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Simi Valley City Council Member Ruth Luevanos announced Monday that she is running in a northern Los Angeles County congressional district that could be key to determining the party that controls Congress.

The 47-year-old Democrat, the first Latina on the city’s council, said she was urged to enter the race by citizens and activists who don’t believe they have had a say in the district, which encompasses parts of Simi Valley, the Antelope Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley.

“We have a lot of disenfranchised communities in CD-25 that haven’t been listened to, that haven’t been heard. They haven’t been represented,” Luevanos said. “And this is an opportunity for me to be that voice for the community.”

Luevanos, elected to the council in November 2018, has been a controversial presence in her conservative community. She received death threats and faced an unsuccessful recall effort after posting an online video with immigration advice for those in the country illegally. Her teenage son drew national attention after sparring with an opponent of sanctuary city policies during a City Council meeting.

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