Garcetti ahead of Greuel in fund-raising for L.A. mayoral contest

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.”

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 independent 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 received $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; and $1,300 from the California Federation of Teachers.

Greuel took in $1,300 apiece from Raman Raj, a former DWP executive who was closely aligned with the utility’s union; DWP board member Jonathan Parfrey; and homemaker Denise Modrzejewski, wife of DWP union lobbyist Chris Modrzejewski.

The fund-raising numbers reported by Greuel and Garcetti don’t count the unlimited sums being provided to independent expenditure committees for the two candidates. Those groups have spent $3 million to help Greuel so far and $116,000 on Garcetti.

An independent committee that favors Garcetti has collected $350,000 from private sector unions that represent supermarket clerks, longshore workers, airport skycaps and others.

In the race for city attorney, former Assemblyman Mike Feuer reported collecting nearly $309,000 in contributions for the runoff, compared with roughly $206,000 for City Atty. Carmen Trutanich.

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 lent himself $26,000.

Galperin has another $37,000 worth of loans left over from the primary, according to his spokesman.

david.zahniser@latimes.com