Challenger Lynch Fires Salvo in Runoff for District Attorney

Challenger John Lynch kicked off the fall campaign for Los Angeles County district attorney on Wednesday, declaring at a news conference that the office is “in chaos” and that incumbent Gil Garcetti is to blame.

Lynch, who heads the district attorney’s Norwalk branch, said Garcetti has lost the “trust of his own deputies, the respect of the legal community and the confidence of the general public.”

Lynch made it clear that the failed murder prosecution of O.J. Simpson will be a key issue in the November election--just as it was in the March 26 primary, in which Garcetti received 37% of the vote and Lynch 21% in a six-man field. No candidate garnered over 50%, prompting the November runoff.

Lynch, who has lagged far behind Garcetti in fund-raising, said he does not intend to match the incumbent dollar for dollar. He said he hopes to raise $400,000 by November, enough to “establish a presence.”

Garcetti spokesman Matt Middlebrook declined to respond directly to Lynch’s comments.