Ex-Opponent Endorses Greuel

James Cordaro, who finished third in last week’s voting for the Los Angeles City Council, endorsed Wendy Greuel on Tuesday in the runoff election for the 2nd District seat.

Cordaro received 9.68% of the vote in the Dec. 11 election, behind DreamWorks SKG executive Greuel, who received 42.56%, and Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Panorama City), with 47.76%. Cardenas faces Greuel in the March 5 runoff for the East Valley seat.

“I thought she was more sincere,” Cordaro said of Greuel. “She doesn’t come with the extra baggage from Sacramento that Cardenas has. His ethics during the campaign were shoddy at best.”

Cordaro, a Van Nuys electrical contractor and the only Republican who ran in the nonpartisan race, said he was still angry about an incident in which he says he caught some of Cardenas’ volunteers taking down Cordaro campaign signs. Cardenas denies the allegation.

“I’m disappointed,” Cardenas spokesman Josh Pulliam said of Cordaro’s decision. “Tony is a much better choice for Republicans than Wendy Greuel is. She is a lot more liberal than Tony.”

Greuel sent mailers during the campaign claiming she was the choice for Republicans. “Jamie and I obviously agree on the importance of having someone on the council who is a new voice, someone who is independent, someone who will fight for the Valley’s fair share,” Greuel said.