Politics - latimes.com

Eric Garcetti faces tough tests when he takes office as mayor

By David Zahniser and Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:03:00 PDT

L.A.'s mayor-elect offered voters lofty visions. But he faces battles over employee salaries, police overtime pay and how to reverse cuts in numerous city services.

In the campaign for mayor, Eric Garcetti spoke grandly about a city with plentiful summer jobs for low-income teens, a tunnel under the traffic-clogged Sepulveda Pass and even an end to homelessness.

The road to Eric Garcetti's election romp

By Michael Finnegan and Ben Welsh, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:57:00 PDT

Eric Garcetti's winning strategy in the mayor's race robbed Wendy Greuel of key strongholds in L.A.

Eric Garcetti defeated Wendy Greuel in the Los Angeles mayor's race by running up huge margins across a vast stretch of the central city, from the Eastside to Pacific Palisades, while denying his rival the San Fernando Valley stronghold that was essential to her candidacy.

The bottom line: It's time to restore dental care for the poor

George Skelton — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:45:00 PDT

Whoever's budget projection is right, state politicians should bring back the coverage cut from Medi-Cal in 2009. It would be unconscionable not to.

SACRAMENTO — State Capitol politicians may have an extra $3.2 billion to play with. Or they may not.

New L.A. law on medical marijuana shops faces hazy future

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:05:00 PDT

Voters approved a measure that would keep only 135 dispensaries — those operating before a failed moratorium in 2007 — open. But challenges await the law.

Los Angeles voters took regulation of the city's medical marijuana shops into their own hands Tuesday, embracing a ballot measure to sharply reduce the number of dispensaries in the city.

Two veteran Sacramento lawmakers win L.A. City Council seats

By Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:36:00 PDT

State Sen. Curren Price and ex-Assemblyman Gil Cedillo both defeated foes with more local experience as council aides. A third council race is up in the air.

Two newly elected members of the Los Angeles City Council are veteran Sacramento lawmakers whose campaigns got large boosts from special interest contributions.

Democrats win California Assembly seat as GOP gains in Senate

By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:49:00 PDT

Lorena Gonzalez wins a special election for the 80th Assembly District in the San Diego area, while GOP farmer Andy Vidak wins a Central Valley Senate seat.

SACRAMENTO — Democrats took another seat in the state Assembly this week, but a conservative Republican won a Central Valley state Senate district in an upset victory.

Garcetti, Greuel locked in tight battle for L.A. mayor's post

By James Rainey, Maeve Reston and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:23:00 PDT

The race was too close to call in early returns. They could face the prospect of waiting for a full count of vote-by-mail ballots.

Eric Garcetti held a narrow lead over Wendy Greuel late Tuesday as the two longtime city officials battled each other — and voter apathy — in the race to become the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles.

Price, Cedillo leading in council races

By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:46:00 PDT

Ex-Assemblywoman Cindy Montañez opens a wide margin over Nury Martinez while Mitch O'Farrell is ahead of John Choi.

Three veterans from Sacramento were making strong showings Tuesday in the Los Angeles City Council election, with two pulling ahead of their opponents and a third headed to a possible runoff in the San Fernando Valley, according to partial returns.

Measure to limit medicinal pot shops in L.A. is leading

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:00 PDT

Voters faced three competing measures that featured similar language but would have benefited different groups of pot businesses. Proposition D took the early lead.

After years of futile attempts by lawmakers to regulate the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles, a ballot measure to sharply limit the number of pot dispensaries in the city was leading in early returns Tuesday.

L.A. elections may be decided by older, white voters, poll shows

By Michael Finnegan, Doug Smith and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:21:00 PDT

The survey of likely voters finds that non-Latino whites make up 32% of the city's population but are likely to total 51% of the vote. Latinos make up 44% of the population, but many are ineligible to vote.

Tuesday's elections will sweep in new leadership for Los Angeles' 3.8 million residents, but the races are likely to be decided by an older, whiter and more educated fraction of the city's population.