City Councilman Eric Garcetti with supporters on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES — City Councilman Eric Garcetti took the lead in early returns in his bid to become the mayor of Los Angeles on Tuesday, hoping to bring to close a nearly two-year race that pitted him against another moderate Democrat with years of experience at City Hall. But his opponent, City Controller Wendy Greuel, refused to concede defeat.
[h=6]Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images[/h]City Controller Wendy Greuel, with her family, spoke to supporters on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
Although low turnout had been widely expected — the results took hours to tally – by the time Mr. Garcetti took the stage at his campaign’s party, just a quarter of the city’s precincts were reporting. Still, Mr. Garcetti delivered what sounded like a victory speech, confidently telling hundreds of supporters gathered at a Hollywood nightclub that the city had entrusted him with the leadership of Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is ready to put the recession in the rear-view mirror and become the city of opportunity that I grew up in once again,” he said. “It’s time for Los Angeles not just to be a big city, but a great city once again. Whether you’re down and out, or whether you’re at the top, we all believe one thing, that L.A. is worth fighting for.”
Ms. Greuel, the city controller who was vying to become the first female mayor of the city, told her supporters just after 11 p.m. that the race was far from over. As of 1 a.m., she had not conceded to Mr. Garcetti.
“When you’re playing in the championship of L.A. politics, sometimes the game goes into overtime,” she said to cheers from her supporters.
With 56 percent of precincts reporting this morning, Mr. Garcetti led with 54 percent of the vote, compared to Ms. Greuel’s 47 percent.
Should his lead hold up, Mr. Garcetti will take over a city that is facing large budget gaps, looming pension problems and complaints from voters over tattered sidewalks and gaping potholes across the city.
Ms. Greuel spent part of her speech defending her support from labor unions, something Mr. Garcetti tried to turn into a liability throughout the campaign. “You know, a lot of people were telling me I needed to throw working people under the bus to win this race, but that was never going to happen under my watch.”
Mr. Garcetti is seeking to become the first Jewish mayor of the city. He is the son of Gil Garcetti, a former district attorney who became famous for prosecuting the football star O.J. Simpson. The grandson of Mexican immigrants who trace their roots to Italy, Mr. Garcetti speaks Spanish and used it frequently during the campaign.
Throughout the nearly two-year campaign, Mr. Garcetti did little to differentiate himself from Ms. Greuel, who is also a moderate Democrat. While the city race is nonpartisan, a survey from Loyola Marymount University of voters leaving the polls showed that Mr. Garcetti received far more support from Republicans than Ms. Greuel, who also had the backing of the Chamber of Commerce.
The race drew record outside spending from political action committees, most significantly from the union that represents workers from the Department of Water and Power, which backed Ms. Greuel.
A ballot measure limiting the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city also appeared to pass.
Ian Lovett and Amy Silverstein contributed reporting.
