A growing list of Latino leaders is endorsing Wendy Greuel to become the next mayor of Los Angeles.
The list of the current city controller’s supporters now include City Councilman and Congressman-elect Tony Cardenas, State Senator Alex Padilla, Councilman José Huizar, Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, LAUSD board member Nury Martinez and Assemblyman-elect Raul Bocenegra.
Huizar, whose district includes downtown, Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park and Eagle Rock, served with Greuel on the City Council. He says that whether it is making L.A. more business-friendly or fixing city streets, Greuel has shown “she knows how to get Los Angeles back on track.”
Councilman Eric Garcetti, one of the other leading candidates for mayor and a Latino, released a similar list of his supporters a few months back. They include former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno and Rigoberto Arrechiga, president of the Mexican American Bar Association.
Next month, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters will co-host a debate among candidates for mayor, the first of this election to be broadcast live by a local news station.
The four candidates leading in fundraising will participate in the debate: Garcetti, Greuel, Councilwoman Jan Perry and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin James.
Emanuel Pleitez, a technology company executive and former assistant to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, was not included.
The debate will be co-hosted by the Los Angeles League of Women Voters on Dec. 15, broadcast on ABC7. News anchor Marc Brown will moderate.
Comunidades Unidas de Boyle Heights, along with other local nonprofits, will also host its third town hall meeting in January, featuring a forum for mayoral candidates and residents. The event is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 29.
