Former Supervisor Endorses Garcetti, Labor Union Members Support Greuel
L.A.'s mayoral candidates racked up last-minute endorsements as they prepared to face off in Thursday night's debate.
Mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti garnered several endorsements, including Former Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke. Burke, former Assemblywoman Gwen Moore and five clergy men publicly endorsed Councilman Garcetti at a church in South Los Angeles.
Burke emphasized the time she spent looking at the two candidates before she made her endorsement. "I have looked at what he has been able to achieve and the communities that he represented. He has represented not affluent areas. Some of those areas that had tremendous need. We need to have the kind of leadership that can make those tough decisions so we don't loose the public services," she said.
Councilwoman Jan Perry and former Councilman Nate Holden, who all endorsed Garcetti recently, were present when the endorsements were announced.
Garcetti noted the importance of the diversity of people that were present at the endorsement. "For me it means that this is a representation of how I would govern to see all faces at the table," he said.
Labor union members, including from IBEW and SEIU held a rally in Central L.A. Wednesday to show their support of City Controller Greuel. The event included a phone bank and "la Wendy" t-shirt making.
Thursday's endorsements come a day after Greuel called a debate between herself and Garcetti at the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. She apparently gave Garcetti two hours notice before the debate and then accused him of being a no show. Garcetti, who was at a news conference during the impromptu debate, called the incident a "politial stunt."
The candidates have ramped up their mutual attacks, most recently accusing each other of being beholden to labor unions. Mayor Villaraigosa has both criticized Greuel and Garcetti for not focusing on education.
Thursday night's debate will be held at American Jewish University in the Sepulveda Pass.
