Garcetti edges ahead of Greuel in mayoral fundraising
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti has edged ahead of opponent Wendy Greuel in fund-raising for the May 21 runoff contest, raising $1.27 million during the 4 1/2 weeks that followed the March 5 primary election.
The haul means that Garcetti has more than $2 million on hand for his campaign, according to reports filed Thursday. Greuel took in $1.12 million during the same fund-raising period, which ended Saturday, and has nearly $1.5 million available for the campaign.
Greuel called the pace of her fund-raising “explosive” and portrayed it as a sign that voters are frustrated with the status quo. Her campaign strategist, John Shallman, struck a similar theme, describing Greuel’s take as evidence that residents want someone to “break the gridlock at City Hall.”
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Garcetti contrasted his contributors with the employee union at the Department of Water and Power, which has provided more than $1 million to a separate campaign promoting Greuel. Although Greuel had $500,000 less on hand for her own campaign, the union provided $500,000 this week to the other Greuel committee.
“While the DWP union will spend millions to buy this election for my opponent, my people-powered campaign relies on everyday Angelenos who want an independent mayor who will create jobs and solve problems,” Garcetti said in a statement.
Garcetti’s money included $4,400 from executives with American Communities, an affordable-housing developer that has secured the city’s financial help for its projects; a combined $2,600 from entrepreneurs Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, known for their legal clashes with Facebook; $1,300 from the California Federation of Teachers; and $1,300 from former state Sen. Richard Polanco.
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Greuel’s new money included $1,300 from Raman Raj, a former DWP executive who was closely aligned with the utility’s union; $1,300 from DWP board member Jonathan Parfrey; and $1,300 from homemaker Denise Modrzejewski, wife of DWP union lobbyist Chris Modrzejewski. Another $1,300 came from crisis management consultant Mark Fabiani, who, like Greuel, worked in the administration of former Mayor Tom Bradley.
The fund-raising numbers reported by Greuel and Garcetti don’t count the unlimited sums being provided to independent expenditure committees for Greuel and Garcetti, which can take in donations of any size. Those groups have spent $3 million to help Greuel so far and more than $116,000 on Garcetti.
Reports also have come in for the race for city attorney. Former Assemblyman Mike Feuer reported earlier this week that he had collected nearly $309,000 in contributions for the runoff. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich, who is seeking a second term and trailed Feuer in the March 5 primary, took in two-thirds that amount.
Trutanich received $1,300 from Sheriff Lee Baca; $2,600 from members of the Delijani family, which owns historic theaters in downtown; and $1,300 from the political action committee that represents the Valero Energy Corp.
Feuer’s donations included $3,900 from the Delijanis and $1,300 from County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.
In the contest to replace Greuel as city controller, Councilman Dennis Zine took in nearly $121,000 in contributions for the runoff. His opponent, attorney and businessman Ron Galperin, raised more than $107,000 and loaned himself $26,000.
Galperin has another $37,000 worth of loans left over from the primary, according to his spokesman.
Zine, who has been a councilman for nearly 12 years, narrowly trailed Galperin in the March 5 primary. He picked up a combined $7,800 from six labor unions – including those that represent police officers, firefighters and Department of Water and Power employees. He also received $5,600 from the family of Bert Boeckmann of the Galpin Motors auto dealership.
Galperin took in $4,400 from unions, including those that represent city clerks and managers and longshore workers. He also received $1,300 apiece from Assembly Speaker John Perez and from former City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, one of Zine’s former colleagues.
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david.zahniser@latimes.com
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