LA Mayoral Candidates Make Final Push Before Primary Election
CRENSHAW (CBSLA.com) — The five major Los Angeles mayoral candidates were out campaigning across Los Angeles Monday in a final push for votes before the primary election.
LA MAYORAL ELECTION: Get To Know The Candidates
Former City Council President Eric Garcetti woke up early to ride the 5:45 a.m. Metro from San Pedro to North Hollywood in an effort to meet and chat with commuters.
"I think we have a really good shot of making the runoff," Garcetti told KCAL9's Bobby Kaple. "The voters have really responded to our campaign. It's proven track record, but the independence…not to have millions of dollars of special interest money from the DWP."
City Controller Wendy Greuel also spent her day traveling across the city to schmooze with voters.
One of her pit stops was at the Los Angeles Jewish Home, a senior services facility in Reseda.
"The most important endorsement is the voter. The voter that goes out tomorrow and says, 'I'm gonna vote for someone who is gonna fight for us.' I've been the taxpayer's watchdog as the city controller and they know I'm gonna look out for them," said Greuel.
WATCH: KCAL9's Mayoral Roundtable
The lone Republican candidate, Kevin James, was at a Farmers Market in the Fairfax District where he was joined by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
"I've been through 42 of the debates. I look forward to debating whoever my opponent is one-on-one," said James.
James said he believes voters have had plenty of time to make up their minds about the incumbent candidates, so the undecided votes will go to the outsiders.
"My opponents have been in office for 12 years each. If the undecided (voters) can't make up their minds about them now, that means we'll get the vast majority of those voters when they go into the booth tomorrow," he said.
Councilwoman Jan Perry spent the final hours of the campaign at a rally opposing Measure A, which would create a new half-cent sales tax in Los Angeles.
"We've been monitoring turnout from the areas where I know I'm the strongest. It looks like folks are turning out and they've already voted," said Perry.
Former technology executive, Emanuel Pleitez, has literally been running around the city to meet as many voters as he can.
"I'm tired of what our politicians have caused us. I want to make sure that voters have a choice so that we can take our city in a new direction, realize our potential, because we deserve better," he said.
Kaple reported that if a candidate doesn't get more than 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff in May.
