Women to headline Los Angeles fund-raiser to nudge Hillary Clinton

As Hillary Rodham Clinton weighs whether to try again to become the nation’s first female president, notable women politicians from Los Angeles will headline a fund-raiser Wednesday for a group urging her to run.

Councilwoman Nury Martinez, the lone elected woman at City Hall, and former controller Wendy Greuel, who unsuccessfully sought to be the first female mayor of Los Angeles this year, are among the speakers at a Ready for Hillary fund-raiser at a downtown Los Angeles nightclub.

The event, which is expected to raise thousands for the super PAC, takes place two days before Clinton visits California for a series of speeches and awards. Rep. Janice Hahn and City Controller Ron Galperin are also expected to speak at the fundraiser. Several hundred people are expected to attend, having contributed at least $20.16 each.

On Friday, Clinton will accept an award for her work on behalf of women and children from the International Medical Corps in Beverly Hills. The following day, she will be honored at a brunch at USC by the Mexican American Leadership Initiative, before heading to the Bay Area for additional events.

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The former secretary of State is spending a significant amount of time in California, most recently visiting last week for a fund-raiser for Virginia gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe and an environmental group’s benefit dinner.

The state will be critical if she decides to run for president. California’s deep-pocketed donor community would be key to funding her campaign as well as independent efforts to boost her. The state’s Democrats strongly supported her during her unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid and were instrumental to the two presidential elections of her husband, Bill Clinton.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

Twitter: @latseema