'Mayor Pete' Buttigieg Rallies For LAUSD Funding In LA; Biden Jokes About '300' Dems Running
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Democrat Pete Buttigieg -- the South Bend, Ind., mayor vying to become the youngest president in U.S history -- was in Los Angeles Thursday to drum up support - and cash - for his 2020 presidential campaign.
Buttigieg joined Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and various union leaders at a late-morning rally in support of a parcel tax on the June 4
ballot to increasing funding for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
"I'm really inspired by what I saw today," Buttigieg told reporters after the rally. "I'll be watching this closely and (am) excited to do
anything else I can to lend my voice to this effort."
There were several fundraisers planned for Buttigieg in L.A. Thursday, including an event at the home of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and a more low-cost -- $25 per person -- event at the Abbey in West Hollywood.
This comes one day after former Vice President Joe Biden stopped in L.A. for his own series of fundraisers for his presidential campaign. Biden Wednesday also met with Garcetti over tacos at King Taco in Pico-Union.
He joined about 70 people Thursday morning at the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles for an event hosted by attorney Tom Girardi and his
wife, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" personality Erika Jayne.
Poking fun at the seemingly ever-growing number of Democratic candidates hoping to replace President Donald Trump, Biden said, "I think it's one heck of a field, although I never anticipated there'd be 300 people running."
On Wednesday, Biden did not directly answer a question of whether he would consider Garcetti as a possible running mate, but heaped praise on the mayor, who had pondered a 2020 presidential run before announcing earlier this year he would not be pursuing such a bid.
"I just want to tell you, when he decided not to run I called him and I said I really have mixed emotions about this," Biden said Wednesday. "The reason is, number one, I think he's one of the most qualified people in this country, one of the best mayors in this country."
Following his time in L.A., Buttigieg will head up to San Francisco for campaign events on Friday.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)