Politics

Eric Garcetti touts LA Times endorsement in new TV spots

Eric Garcetti's mayoral campaign is running two new TV spots, highlighting his endorsement from the Los Angeles Times.
Howard Pasamanick

Alice Walton | February 21, 2013

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times backed Eric Garcetti for mayor and now the words of that endorsement are appearing in two 15-second television ads.

The Garcetti campaign is running two spots – “Potential” and “Leadership.” In the first spot, a voiceover quotes The Times as saying: “He shows the most potential to lead L.A. into a more sustainable and confident feature.” The second ad highlights Garcetti’s work on the budget, pension reform and revitalizing neighborhoods.

But there are a couple of lines in the endorsement that Garcetti's opponents might seize upon, including: "Garcetti, who as a member of the City Council for nearly 12 years and its president for six must bear some responsibility for the city's current fiscal problems." The problem is that among Garcetti's opponents are current council colleague Jan Perry and former colleague Wendy Greuel, who also served when key fiscal decisions were made.

The endorsement also noted Garcetti's "tendency to be glib when he should motivate" and his "desire to be all things to all people."

But the Times' editorial is mostly flattering and comes with less than two weeks until the March 5 primary. A poll released this week by ABC 7 found Garcetti leading the crowded mayoral field with 26 percent. Greuel followed with 23 percent, which was within the survey’s margin of error. Kevin James, an attorney and former talk radio host, came in third with 14 percent and Perry trailed in fourth place with just 12 percent.

According to the Jan. 19 filings with the Ethics Commission, Garcetti nudged out Greuel in fundraising, with $3.68 million to $3.6 million. However, Greuel has benefitted from another $1.2 million in independent expenditures from the city’s unions. The latest fundraising reports are due by the end of today.

The Garcetti camp could see financial help in the runoff when an independent group called “Lots of People Who Support Eric Garcetti for Mayor 2013” starts spending. The PAC is run by Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign and Mary Jane Stevenson, who organized for President Obama in California.