José Luis Huizar (born September 10, 1968) is a Mexican-American former politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 2005 to 2020.

He received a master's degree in Public Affairs and Urban Planning from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law.

José Huizar won a seat on the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District on April 10, 2001, as a candidate supported by Mayor Richard Riordan, defeating Ralph Cole with 75% of the vote.

In November 2005 Huizar ran against Nick Pacheco for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council vacated by Antonio Villaraigosa and won.

[6] On March 3, 2015, he defeated former Supervisor Gloria Molina, along with three other candidates, to be re-elected to the Los Angeles City Council for a fourth time.

[9] On November 15, 2018, Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson removed Huizar from all of his committee assignments.

[10] On May 28, 2020, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez called on Huizar to resign.

Under his leadership, the committee pushed forward the single-use plastic bag ban,[14] and worked to expand recycling efforts in commercial and apartment buildings.

[17] He also worked to preserve open space and improve parks, especially in park-poor areas of the City of Los Angeles.

[28] Huizar was criticized for land-use decisions that resulted in the loss of such historic landmarks as the Ambassador Hotel, Parker Center, Sixth Street Bridge and Lytton Savings.

[40] On January 20, 2023, Huizar pleaded guilty to racketeering and tax evasion, as he used Los Angeles's discretionary permit system to extort at least $1.5 million from real estate developers.

Álvarez's suit says she was fired for "voicing discomfort with some of his and the office's practices which she believed violated local, state, and federal law.

"[45] Godoy claims that she was forced to resign because "she complained about using city funds to pay for Huízar's personal expenses, and accused him of giving preferential treatment to another staffer with whom he was having an extramarital affair.

[47] On October 17, 2013, Huizar was sued for sexual harassment, and he subsequently confessed that he had engaged in a "consensual relationship" with a former female staffer, Francine Godoy.

[49] A City of Los Angeles investigation overseen by an independent panel of retired judges and other law experts found no evidence supporting Godoy's harassment claims.