Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León has joined the race to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti in next year’s municipal election, becoming the latest high-profile Democrat to enter the contest.

De León, who spent 12 years in the state Legislature, made his announcement Tuesdayat the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

De León, 54, is the third elected city official to jump into the race and by far the most prominent Latino running. Fluent in Spanish, he represents a district that takes in the predominantly Latino neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and El Sereno, as well as much of downtown, where a development boom has fueled huge growth over the past decade.

Two other candidates — Councilman Joe Buscaino and City Atty. Mike Feuer — have been campaigning for several months. The race also features two business leaders: Jessica Lall, who heads the downtown-based Central City Assn., and real estate broker Mel Wilson, who has been involved with several San Fernando Valley business groups.

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