Obama Endorses L.A. Mayor For His Re-Election Bid
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti picked up an endorsement from President Barack Obama for his re-election bid, the mayor announced Tuesday morning.
"As mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti has delivered by raising the minimum wage, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunity," Obama said in a statement. "Eric led the campaign to pass the largest transportation infrastructure measure in our nation's history. Eric is my friend, a loyal ally and a great and visionary mayor of Los Angeles. I strongly endorse Eric Garcetti for a second term as mayor of Los Angeles."
The former president and the mayor have known each other for ten years. It started in 2007 when Garcetti endorsed Obama for his presidential bid.
"Thank you, President Obama, for your service to this country," Garcetti said. "Thank you for your support of me in this campaign and thank you for setting the bar for what public service is about for all of us."
Garcetti worked closely with the Obama Administration to secure billions of dollars in funding for Los Angeles infrastructure, anti-poverty Promise Zones and aerospace manufacturing.
They also joined forces in ending homelessness, community policing and raising the minimum wage, the statement said.
Garcetti is on the March 7 primary ballot.
One of his opponents is expected to be Mitchell Schwartz, who directed Obama's 2008 presidential campaign in California and served as communications director for the State Department under President Bill Clinton.