Eric Garcetti | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| 26thUnited States Ambassador to India | |
| In office May 11, 2023 – January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Kenneth I. Juster |
| Succeeded by | Sergio Gor |
| 42ndMayor of Los Angeles | |
| In office July 1, 2013 – December 12, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio Villaraigosa |
| Succeeded by | Karen Bass |
| 22ndPresident of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office January 1, 2006 – January 2, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Alex Padilla |
| Succeeded by | Herb Wesson |
| President pro tempore of theLos Angeles City Council | |
| In office July 1, 2003 – June 30, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Cindy Miscikowski |
| Succeeded by | Tony Cardenas |
| Member of theLos Angeles City Council from the13th district | |
| In office July 1, 2001 – July 1, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Jackie Goldberg |
| Succeeded by | Mitch O'Farrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eric Michael Garcetti (1971-02-04)February 4, 1971 (age 55) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Gil Garcetti (father) |
| Education | Columbia University (BA,MIA) The Queen's College, Oxford London School of Economics |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2005–2013 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Information Dominance Corps U.S. Navy Reserve |
Garcetti's opening statement at his confirmation hearing to beUnited States ambassador to India Recorded December 14, 2021 | |
Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician and diplomat who served as theUnited States ambassador to India from 2023 to 2025. He was the 42ndmayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of theDemocratic Party, he was first elected in the2013 election, and re-elected in2017. A former member of theLos Angeles City Council, Garcetti served asCity Council president from 2006 to 2012. He was the city's first electedJewish mayor, and its second consecutiveMexican-American mayor. He was elected as the youngest mayor in over 100 years, having been 42 at the time of his inauguration.[1][2] Upon nomination by PresidentJoe Biden after a previously failed nomination the year before, Garcetti was eventually confirmed as Ambassador to India by the Senate on a 52–42 vote on March 15, 2023.[3][4]
Eric Michael Garcetti was born on February 4, 1971, in Los Angeles, and was raised inEncino in theSan Fernando Valley.[5][6] He is the son of Sukey (née Roth) andGil Garcetti, the formerLos Angeles County District Attorney.[7]
Garcetti's paternal grandfather, Salvador, was born inParral, Chihuahua, Mexico. Salvador was brought by his family to the United States as a child after his father, Massimo "Max" Garcetti, was murdered by hanging during theMexican Revolution.[8] Max hadimmigrated to Mexico from Italy. He married a Mexican woman and became a judge.[9][10][11] His paternal grandmother, Juanita Iberri, was born inArizona, one of 19 children born to an immigrant father fromSonora, Mexico, and an Arizona-born mother whose father and mother were both Mexican.[5][failed verification]
Garcetti's maternal grandparents wereRussian Jewish immigrants.[12][5][9][10][11] His maternal grandfather, Harry Roth, founded and ran the clothing brand Louis Roth Clothes.[5] Garcetti's family celebratedPassover andChanukah, and he attended a Jewish camp.[13]
Garcetti attended elementary school atUCLA Lab School, formerly University Elementary School; and middle and high school atHarvard-Westlake School.[5] While in high school, he was a member of theJunior State of America, a national civic engagement and political debate organization for students.[14]
Garcetti majored inpolitical science andurban planning, and received a Bachelor of Arts fromColumbia University in 1992 as aJohn Jay Scholar.[15] During that time, he lived inCarman Hall andFurnald Hall,[16][17] served on the student council, was president of theSt. Anthony Hall fraternity and literary society, founded the Columbia Urban Experience, and co-wrote and performed in three years of theVarsity Show, a student-written musical. He received aMasters of International Affairs from theSchool of International and Public Affairs atColumbia University, graduating in 1993.[15]
He met his future wife while they were both studying asRhodes Scholars atthe University of Oxford, he atthe Queen's College, Oxford and she atWadham College, Oxford.[18][19][20][21] While at Oxford, he was a member of theOxford University L'Chaim Society founded by RabbiShmuley Boteach, along with future U.S. senatorCory Booker.[22][23][24][25]
He later began studying for a Ph.D. in ethnicity and Eritrean nationalism at theLondon School of Economics but as of 2024 does not appear to have ever completed the degree.[6][26]
Prior to his election to theLos Angeles City Council, Garcetti was a visiting instructor of international affairs at theUniversity of Southern California, and an assistant professor of diplomacy and world affairs atOccidental College.[6] His academic work focused onethnic conflict andnationalism in Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa. During this time, he published articles and chapters of books on post-conflict societies, Eritrean nationalism, andnon-violentaction.[27] He has served on the California board ofHuman Rights Watch,[28] and currently serves on theadvisory board forYoung Storytellers, an arts education nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles.[29] Garcetti is a member of theInter-American Dialogue.
City Council District 13 was left vacant after incumbentJackie Goldberg was elected to theState Assembly in 2000. Garcetti ran for the open seat and was elected in 2001, narrowly defeating former city council memberMichael Woo 52 to 48 percent.[30] He was re-elected again in 2005 (unopposed) and 2009 (with 72% of the vote).[31]
Garcetti served as council president from January 1, 2006, to January 12, 2012. He was elected by his colleagues to succeedAlex Padilla, who resigned after being elected to theCalifornia State Senate.[32] He was one of the first elected officials in Los Angeles to hold "office hours" each month, where constituents could meet with him face-to-face. He implemented a "Constituent Bill of Rights" that ensured that constituents' phone calls were returned within a single workday, that constituents are included in all land-use decisions in their neighborhood, and that all constituent concerns are tracked on a computer system that details all actions taken on that particular case.[33] He ensured that the meetings started on time,[34] and all past meetings were made available online. He has also helped more than 1,500 local constituents learn about the governmental process by hosting Government and Planning 101 courses throughout the city.[35]
In 2004, Garcetti authored Proposition O,[36][37] a city stormwater bond which sought to clean the city's waterways. Voters approved the bond with just over 76% of the vote, making it the largest clean water bond in the United States.[36]
In 2005, Garcetti helped found the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. He authored two of the nation's most far-reaching municipal green building ordinances: the first requires all city buildings to be built to theLEED-certified standard, and the second mandates that allcommercial buildings of more than 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) in Los Angeles be built to a LEED standard. He supported changes in the city's landscape ordinance and plumbing codes to promote water conservation.[38]
In July 2010, Garcetti, then council president, weakened a 2009 lawn watering ordinance, allowing watering three days per week instead of two. The ordinance restricting watering to two days a week had been passed 13 months earlier by MayorAntonio Villaraigosa. While it helped the city cut its water use and cope with ongoingdrought, the measure was unpopular and was accused of causing pressure fluctuations and water main breaks. ALos Angeles Times editorial said that the city council's changes to the watering ordinance was a "death knell for one of the best collective environmental efforts made by the citizens of Los Angeles".[39]
Garcetti worked to haveHistoric Filipinotown designated aPreserve AmericaCommunity.[40] He has also faced public scrutiny for developments that unexpectedly demolished and built over cultural and historic landmarks.[41] One example is three small buildings at historicSunset Junction that were demolished to make way for a large condominium development, but which in fact remained vacant land for more than a decade. A spokesperson for Garcetti expressed disappointment that the developer took action without first notifying the city council, which had discussed community concerns.[42]
In his district, Garcetti helped create the Neighborhood Leadership Institute, which trains constituents to be active citizens,[43] as well as the Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti (UNTAG) program, which has reduced graffiti in his district over 78% in its first four years.[15]
During his first term, as chair and member of the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee, he helped create a $100 millionhousing trust fund. He has also worked to revitalize theHollywood area[44] and reform the city business tax.[45]
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With incumbent mayorAntonio Villaraigosa ineligible to run again because ofterm limits, Garcetti declared his candidacy on September 8, 2011.[46] The election was held on March 5, 2013. As no candidate received a majority of the primary votes to be elected outright, the top two finishers (Garcetti andCity ControllerWendy Greuel) advanced to arunoff. Bolstered by theLos Angeles Teachers Union's endorsement,[47] Garcetti was elected on May 21 with 53.9% of the vote, defeating Greuel.[48] The next day, he met with Villaraigosa, who worked with him over the rest of his own tenure to better the transition. Garcetti's term began on July 1, 2013.[49]
Garcetti was re-elected with 81.4% of the vote on March 7, 2017. Although he avoided a runoff election this time,voter turnout was relatively low at 20%.[50] Due to a change in the city's election calendar to align mayoral elections with statewide elections, his second term was to be for five years and six months instead of the usual four years.[51]
Garcetti's tenure as mayor has been described by some authors as bothprogressive and pragmatic.[52][53] He cites his method as striking a balance on delivering onliberal goals for the city, while simultaneously taking a morelibertarian approach to government reform.[54]
In a memo in October 2013, Garcetti instructed department heads to develop a "starting point" budget based on the 5% cut from the previous year.[55] In April 2014, he unveiled a "hold-the-line" budget for the coming fiscal year, which proposed modest increases in a number of city services and zero reduction in the business tax. His financial proposal of $8.1 billion required approval from the city council and closed the $242 million gap "in part by relying on increased tax revenue projections and reductions in vacant positions".[56] That August, he announced he would begin his annual review of every city general manager as part of his commitment to improve accountability among Los Angeles officials.[57]
The financial plan assumed the city's workforce, which included police officers and firefighters, would not receive raises in the coming year. One of the proposed changes was to merge the city's police and fire dispatch centers to streamline and improve response time to911 calls for emergencies and fires. Mayoral aides said such a change would take multiple years to complete.[56] Garcetti said he hoped to increase funding for theLos Angeles Police Department, the department making up nearly 44% of the fund already and most of the increase would go towards new technology for officers.[58] The plan was scheduled to go into effect on July 1, adding eight hours per week to the city's branch library operations. The number of code enforcement officers assigned to look for unpermitted construction and other neighborhood issues, would increase from 25 to 38. He also announced other changes, such as creating a $1.4 million innovation fund to transform city services, breaking the command structure at theLos Angeles Fire Department into four geographic regions, and hiring 140 firefighters to cope with attrition.[56]
In 2014, Garcetti pushedCalifornia GovernorJerry Brown to expand the current film productiontax credit (which awarded $100 million annually).[59] He later reported that Brown had agreed to support expanding the tax credit, though it was unclear how large the expansion would be. He wanted $420 million, equal toNew York's credit.[60]
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In 2014, Garcetti called for aminimum wage in Los Angeles that could reach $13.25 after three years. He received support from several members of the city council, who would have to approve of the increase. He released an economic analysis, which was prepared by academics atUniversity of California, Berkeley, that stated an "L.A. wage of $13.25—$4.25 more than the state minimum of $9—would significantly improve the lot of low-income workers and impose minimal burdens on business."[61] Business leaders warned that boosting pay too quickly could stifle the slowly rebounding local economy (California's minimum wage then was $9, having increased from $8 on July 1). His proposed ordinance would require businesses to increase workers' pay from the state minimum to at least $10.25 in 2015, $11.75 in 2016 and $13.25 in 2017. Beginning in 2018, additional adjustments in Los Angeles would be automatically tied to an inflation index.[62] Later that month, he expressed his support for the city council to vote on a new citywide law requiring large hotels to pay $15.37 an hour, adding that it would not conflict with his drive to raise the city's minimum wage.[63] He aligned himself with theFight for 15 movement when he signed legislation in 2015 to gradually raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles to $15 per hour.[64]
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In June 2014, while calling the long wait times at theVA's Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System unacceptable,[65] Garcetti pledged to secure 10,000 jobs for veterans by 2017.[66] He also embraced theObama administration's challenge to end veteranhomelessness in Los Angeles within 17 months, stating that he would not accept that "veterans live in our city without a place of their own."[67]
Results from the initiatives have been mixed. On the one hand, the jobs initiative, which offers tax credits to employers who hire veterans, has been generally successful, even surpassing Garcetti's original goal.[68] But the housing initiative has been more complicated to achieve.[69] In a 2017 interview with theLos Angeles Times, Garcetti said that he deserved credit for housing 8,000 veterans, as well as persuading voters to pass Proposition HHH in 2016, which sought to drastically expand the number of apartment units built in the city.[70][71] However, while the measure was approved overwhelmingly, the funding appropriated by Proposition HHH could potentially fall short of the 10,000 apartment units it was intended to build.[72]
A study released in June 2019 by the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) found that homelessness compared to the previous year surged by 16 percent to nearly 60,000 homeless on the streets of Los Angeles.[73][74] Garcetti responded to the report by saying "Skyrocketing rents statewide and federaldisinvestment in affordable housing, combined with an epidemic of untreated trauma and mental illness, is pushing people into homelessness faster than they can be lifted out".[73]
In July 2014, Garcetti announced theLos Angeles Police Department would stop honoring most federal requests for detaining arrestees so they can be investigated for deportation. He stated that Los Angeles was joining with other jurisdictions to end the practice of detaining people for being in the United States illegally with no judicial review, and said that the detainment policy was expensive to local government and erodes public trust in the police department. "The federal government has the luxury of waiting to act," he said. "Here at the local level, we are carrying out what the federal government should be doing."[75] Later that month, he confirmed Los Angeles would help shelter immigrant children who have been detained after crossing the border and had begun talks with a federal agency about doing so.[76]
Garcetti worked together withLos Angeles County SupervisorHilda Solis to create the $10 million L.A. Justice Fund, which provides legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation.[77] In April 2019, Garcetti opposed PresidentDonald Trump on his plan to release immigrant detainees into sanctuary cities calling his strategy "hateful" and a "waste of time".[78]
In 2013, Garcetti pledged that 5% of theLos Angeles Fire Department's firefighters would be women by 2020. As of 2018, 3.1% of the department's firefighters were women.[79]
On March 20, 2014, Garcetti responded to criticism of the department's hiring system that eliminated thousands of qualified applicants by announcing he was canceling the process. He said he had "determined that the Fire Department's recruiting process is fatally flawed".[80] The mayor's office announced that the next scheduled Fire Academy class of 70 cadets would not be held, and that no further hiring would be made from the current civil service list[81] (nearly 25% of the 70 recruits eventually hired were related to LAFD firefighters).[82] It later stated that theRAND Corporation had been asked to help in reforming the recruiting process.[83] The decision was met with a mixed reception.[84]
In July 2016, Garcetti was part of a 25-person contingent from Los Angeles toRio de Janeiro to promote their city's bid for the2024 Summer Olympics.[85] That November, he led a presentation with six-time gold medalist sprinterAllyson Felix to an array of Olympic leaders and sports officials at a general assembly for the Association ofNational Olympic Committees inDoha, Qatar.[86]
Ultimately, theInternational Olympic Committee decided to make Paris the host of the 2024 games, while awarding Los Angeles the2028 Summer Olympics.[87] In preparation for hosting the games, Garcetti launched theTwenty-eight by '28 initiative, which gives accelerated priority to the city's most crucial transit infrastructure projects.[88] He also appointed former ambassadorNina Hachigian as Deputy Mayor for International Affairs to help coordinate the Olympics as well as broadening the city's global relations in general.[89]
In July 2014, theLos Angeles Police Protective League stated its plans to file an unfair labor practices complaint with the city's Employee Relations Board to block Garcetti andpolice chiefCharlie Beck from discussing directly with officers the proposed a one-year contract that had been previously rejected. The proposal provided $70 million in overtime for that year and $50 million to buy back some of the $120 million in banked overtime while containing no cost-of-living increase.
Protective League President Tyler Izen said that while the union understood the mayor's intentions, he believed speaking directly to the officers could violate fair bargaining rules.[90]
Garcetti found a way around the legal threats by posting a video on YouTube on July 24, noting that under the proposed contract, salaries for officers hired during the recession would be increased and overtime would no longer be given as time off, instead paid in cash. "The sacrifices you made on overtime were emergency measures—never intended to be permanent. And I understand the toll these emergency measures have taken. Not just on your pocketbook but on the LAPD as a whole", Garcetti said.[91][92][93]
Other major changes made to the department during Garcetti's tenure include purchasing 7,000body-worn cameras for the city's patrol officers[94] as well as adding more than 200 officers to theLAPD Metropolitan Division to control the crime rate, which had increased in 2014.[95]
In June 2020, following a campaign by a coalition of community groups includingBlack Lives Matter, Garcetti announcedLos Angeles Police Department budget cuts of $150 million (LAPD was set to receive a large increase in its annual budget from $1.189 billion in 2019 to $1.86 billion in 2020, with most of it going for new police bonuses).[96][97] Garcetti announced the funds would be redirected to community initiatives.[98][99]
Garcetti nominated four new appointees to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners: Jill Banks Barad, Michael F. Fleming, William W. Funderburk Jr., and formercongressmanMel Levine. The four commissioners were confirmed by the city council on September 11, 2013,[100] joining Villaraigosa appointee Christina E. Noonan on the panel.[101]
In August 2013, Garcetti said he would sign off on a proposed four-year contract withLos Angeles Department of Water and Power workers. Officials estimated the contract would save $6.1 billion over 30 years.[102] In large part, the deal was expected to save money by cutting the pension benefits of new hires and workers going without raises in pay for three years.[103] The deal was largely worked out before Garcetti took office the previous month; he initially balked at the contract before coming around when negotiators tweaked the proposal to allow for further talks on the issue.[104]
Garcetti accepted the agreement due to provisions, which included a labor-management council to review work rules that add to LADWP workers' salaries, a modified health care system and an added pension tier for new workers and a broadened effort to reduce the disparity in pay with other city workers.[102] In January 2014, he nominated Marcie Edwards to head the Department of Water and Power,[105] who was confirmed on February 21.[106]
In July 2013, Garcetti called for "calm in the streets" after the acquittal ofGeorge Zimmerman three days earlier. While acknowledging the similarities between theZimmerman case and the 1992Rodney King riots, he insisted the city had come a long way.[107]
In April 2014, the mayor was joined by current and formerNBA players to praise the disciplinary actions taken by the league againstL.A. Clippers ownerDonald Sterling for his publicized racist remarks, saying that the remarks "do not represent Los Angeles".[108] He stated during an interview that the Sterling controversy was "a defining issue" for the city and required a strong response from elected leaders.[109] He stated that he expected Sterling to put up a "long, protracted fight" and that his continued ownership could prove harmful to the franchise.[110][111][112][113]
In May 2014,LAPD officer Shaun Hillmann received a 65-day suspension after recorded remarks of him referring to an African-American man as a "monkey" were aired on television. The next day, Garcetti said Hillmann's statements were "reprehensible" and that the officer should have received a "stiffer" punishment.[114]
In May 2020, Mayor Garcetti joined Rep.Ted Lieu,CNN hostVan Jones, and other leaders in civil rights and public service to speak out against racism — includingAnti-Asian hate — during theCOVID-19 pandemic at an Asia Society forum.[115]
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In June 2021, Garcetti formedMayors Organized for Reparations and Equity (MORE), a coalition of 11 U.S. mayors dedicated to starting pilotreparations programs in their cities.[116] In conjunction with the formation of MORE, Garcetti formed an advisory commission to develop a pilot reparations program for Black Angelenos.[117]
On his first full day as mayor, Garcetti proclaimed that Los Angeles was beginning to leave behind its culture ofcar ownership and to focus on "walkability and transit".[118] He encouraged developing plans to make several dozen boulevards more hospitable to pedestrians, cyclists and small businesses.[119]
In April 2014, Garcetti signed into law a new waste franchise agreement, which was planned to expanded recycling to businesses and apartments. He stated his goal was to have 90% of all trash recycled by 2025.[120] That same year, Garcetti co-foundedMayors National Climate Action Agenda, along withHouston mayorAnnise Parker andPhiladelphia mayorMichael Nutter. The association is composed of 379 United States mayors with the stated goal of reducinggreenhouse gas emissions.[121] It is committed to upholding the emissions goals of theParis Agreement on climate change, and opposed thefirst Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the pact.[122]
In April 2015, Garcetti released a long-range plan for making the city more economically and environmentally sustainable.[123][124]
In February 2019, Garcetti signed an ordinance supported byenvironmental andanimal rights activists banning the sale and manufacture of newfur products in Los Angeles. At the time, Los Angeles was the largest city in the United States to ban fur sales.[125] In October 2019, the law was codified by a statewide ban on new fur sales in California.[126]
In April 2019, Garcetti introduced theLos Angeles Green New Deal to address climate change.[127]
From 2019 to 2021, Garcetti chaired theC40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.[128]
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In January 2014, Garcetti announced a new plan to tackle earthquake safety, marking the 20th anniversary of the destructiveNorthridge earthquake.[129]
In June 2014, Garcetti picked Seleta Reynolds to run theLos Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT).[130] Later that year, the mayor's office and LADOT released a strategic plan with aVision Zero goal to eliminate all traffic deaths by the year 2025. Vision Zero is a multi-nationalroad traffic safety project that aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries involving road traffic.[131][132]
Garcetti publicly encouraged the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation's collaboration with architectFrank Gehry on theRiver LA project.[133][134][135] River LA is a nonprofit organization working to revitalize theLos Angeles River.[133][136][137]
In 2016, Garcetti championedMeasure M, a half-cent sales tax measure to fund the expansion of the region's Metro rail network. Measure M passed with 70.15% of the vote, clearing the two-thirds majority required.[138]
Garcetti opposedMeasure S (originally known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative), a NIMBY referendum to block housing development.[139] The referendum would have imposed a two-yearmoratorium ondevelopment projects seekingvariances from some aspects of the city'szoning code, made changes to theenvironmental impact statement requirements in the code, and required the city to update itscomprehensive plan during the moratorium. On March 7, 2017, the measure failed with over two-thirds of voters rejecting it.[140]
In 2022, Garcetti opposed California state legislation that would eliminate parking requirements for housing developments near public transit stations.[141]
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Garcetti endorsedBarack Obama in early spring 2007 and was the southern California chairman and one of six state co-chairs for theObama campaign. He traveled toIowa,Nevada, and six other states, and was a frequent surrogate (in English and Spanish) for the campaign. He served as asuperdelegate during the2008 Democratic National Convention and was elected to serve as the Chair of Democratic Municipal Officials,[142] an organization affiliated with theDemocratic National Committee that represents all local elected Democrats in the United States.
Garcetti is a vocal opponent of theYes Californiasecessionist movement, saying, "I love this country too much to even consider an exit. I want to be a part of an America that continues to stand up for all of us, not bail on all our friends across the country."[143]
As early as 2017, speculation had swirled around Garcetti's potentialpresidential run in 2020. In 2018, rumors continued about his political ambitions as he made visits to early primary states. In April, he spent two days attending political events acrossIowa.[144] In May, he delivered the commencement address atSouthern New Hampshire University inManchester, New Hampshire.[145] Garcetti came under wide scrutiny from Los Angeles residents, including the local chapter of theDemocratic Socialists of America, for supposedly focusing on his presidential ambitions over his mayoral duties.[146] However, on January 29, 2019, Garcetti announced he would not run for president in 2020, opting to finish his term as mayor.[147][148][149]
On September 22, 2019, Garcetti attended the rally ofArmenia's prime ministerNikol Pashinyan at theGrand Park.[150] He stated, "With this prime minister, a new day of sunshine has come to Armenia, a day of democracy, a day of openness, a day of no more corruption, a day where we can say in Los Angeles, it is time for us to pick up to visit, invest, to support, to help the new Armenia rise, and rise, and rise under the leadership of this prime minister."[151] In October 2020, Garcetti expressed support for Armenia in theNagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying: "I urge our leaders in Washington to conduct the sustained and rigorous diplomacy necessary to bring peace to theArtsakh region.Turkey must disengage."[152]
On January 9, 2020, Garcetti publicly endorsedJoe Biden for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.[153] At the end of April 2020, Garcetti was named a member of the vetting committee for theselection ofpresumptive Democratic Party presidential nomineeJoe Biden's running mate.[154] In November, Garcetti was named a candidate forSecretary of Transportation in theBiden Administration, but faced widespread protests in Los Angeles against the nomination. Garcetti would claim to have turned down a position offered by President-elect Biden, though he refused to be specific on any details.[155]
In May 2021, it was reported that President Biden was considering Garcetti as theAmbassador to India.[156][157] On July 9, 2021, Biden officially announced his nomination of Garcetti to the post,[158] with his nomination being sent to the Senate a few days later on July 13, 2021. Hearings on his nominations were held before theSenate Foreign Relations Committee on December 14, 2021. His nomination was approved by theSenate Foreign Relations Committee on January 12, 2022.[159][160][161]
On March 10, 2022, SenatorChuck Grassley placed a hold on Garcetti's nomination, citing allegations that Garcetti knew about thesexual misconduct committed by his top advisor, Rick Jacobs, and did not take proper action.[162] On March 23, 2022, SenatorJoni Ernst announced she would also place a hold on Garcetti's nomination while investigations were conducted as some depositions suggest Garcetti knew of Jacobs' egregious conduct.[163]
On May 22, 2022, CBS News cited reports from U.S. Senate Majority LeaderChuck Schumer acknowledging he did not have enough votes to get Garcetti's nomination passed by the Senate.[164] On January 3, 2023, the Senate returned Garcetti's nomination to the White House as it had expired.
President Biden renominated Garcetti the same day.[165][166] On February 24, 2023, SenatorMarco Rubio placed another hold on Garcetti's nomination due to the sexual misconduct scandal.[167] On March 8, 2023, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced his nomination by a 13–8 vote, with SenatorsTodd Young andBill Hagerty supporting his nomination.[168][169] On March 15, 2023, theUnited States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–42 vote.[170][171][172] His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 52–42 vote.[173][174]Garcetti presented his credentials toIndian PresidentDroupadi Murmu on May 11, 2023.[175]
On January 14, 2014, Garcetti was in the passenger seat of an LAPD vehicle which struck a pedestrian. The mayor's office said that the mayor was on his phone, did not see the crash, and had been interviewed by investigators.[176] Battalion Chief Stephen J. Ruda of the LAFD reported the female pedestrian "was stable and alert, responding to our paramedics" before she was rushed toLos Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Hospital spokesperson Rosa Saca said the woman was stable and had been admitted overnight.[177] Garcetti visited the woman in the hospital the next day and stated "We had a nice conversation and I am very pleased that she is in good spirits. I wish her a speedy recovery."[178]
On June 16, 2014, while speaking at the championship celebration for theLos Angeles Kings hockey team, Garcetti cautioned: "There are two rules in politics – never be pictured with a drink in your hand, and never swear." He then held up an empty beer bottle and said, "But this is a big fucking day", prompting a standing ovation from Kings players and the crowd.[179] The incident attracted some controversy. When he appeared onJimmy Kimmel Live! later that evening, Garcetti told the late night TV host, "It was hockey; it wasn't a match of lawn bowls." The following day, speaking at a luncheon at theBaldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, he apologized to those who found his statement offensive and suggested they lighten up. He argued that it was "something that plenty of people have heard in their lives for sure".[180]
On November 5, 2015, Garcetti's office issued a statement endorsingHillary Clinton in the2016 presidential election. The situation was quickly acknowledged as an improper use of government resources to distribute a campaign-related proclamation.[181]
In February 2016, local CBS affiliateKCBS-TV reported that in the month before Garcetti'sState of the City address, where he praised landscaping company Turf Terminators, the company's employees, friends, and relatives donated $45,000 to his re-election campaign and his nonprofit Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles. Garcetti told KCBS-TV that the donations were legal and the sequence of events was a coincidence.[182][183]
A 2019Los Angeles County report on missteps in the government's handling of the 2018Woolsey Fire cited the unavailability of firefighting units during critical times of the fire, which was the most destructive in county history. During this time, Garcetti personally requested fire officials check the status of a private residence inBell Canyon. The report states: "a significant number of requests by political figures to check on specific addresses of homes to ensure their protection distracted from Department leadership to accomplish priority objectives."[184][185]
On August 5, 2020, Garcetti announced that he was authorizing the city to shut off water and power service to houses hosting parties or violating public health orders during COVID-19.[186]
On October 19, 2020, journalistYashar Ali reported allegations that Garcetti was aware of sexual misconduct committed by his senior advisor Rick Jacobs and did not take proper action.[187]
On January 30, 2022, Garcetti sparked controversy when he posed for a photo withMagic Johnson at the2022 NFC Championship Game while not wearing a mask, in defiance of city, county, and stadium mask mandates. Garcetti justified the photo by saying he only removed his mask during the photo and held his breath during the photo op. His statement generated widespread ridicule.[188]
Garcetti is a photographer, jazz pianist, and composer.[189] He served as a lieutenant in theUnited States Navy ReserveInformation Dominance Corps from 2005 to 2013.[190][191] On January 4, 2009, he married his longtime girlfriend Amy Elaine Wakeland.[15][192] A Rhodes Scholar herself, the couple first met while studying at Oxford.[193] They have one daughter, Maya Juanita, who was adopted.[194][195] Her godfather is actorEvan Arnold, who has been a friend of Garcetti's since junior high school.[196] Garcetti and his wife have alsofostered seven children.[195] Before being elected mayor, he and his family lived inEcho Park.[28]
He attends services atIKAR, apost-denominational Jewish congregation founded by RabbiSharon Brous and studies Talmud with her twice a week.[197] He has a daily call with her for religious guidance.[198][199] Garcetti has said, "My parents aren't practicing (Judaism), either of them... we celebratedPassover andChanukah. I went to Jewish camp. I think I have become more of a practicing Jew or observant later in life. I came to my faith in college."[200] His sister, Dana Garcetti-Boldt, is a former Los Angeles Countydeputy district attorney;[201] she later became anacupuncturist.[202] She currently works as an advisor toLos Angeles County SupervisorJanice Hahn.[203]
Garcetti has been the recipient of theGreen Cross Millennium Award for Local Environmental Leadership in 2003,[204] the New Frontier Award presented by theJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in 2006,[205] theNAACP "Person of the Year" in 2014,[206] and the honoraryDoctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) fromWhittier College in 2015.[207]
From 2010 to 2012, then City Councilman Garcetti appeared as "Ramon Quintero", the mayor of Los Angeles, on the fictionalTNT television showThe Closer and its spin-offMajor Crimes. His first appearance after becoming mayor was a 2016 episode ofMajor Crimes.[208] His father,Gil Garcetti, is a consulting producer on both series. Eric Garcetti also made a cameo appearance as a desk security guard working in the mayor's office, in the pilot episode of theTBS seriesAngie Tribeca.
In 2016, Garcetti briefly appeared in a segment onThe Late Late Show with James Corden called "Take a Break", where hostJames Corden pretended to take over his position for a few hours.[209] At the end of the segment, Garcetti takes back control from Corden having him escorted away by some security officers.[210]
| Year | Office | Party | Primary | General | Result | Swing | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Total | % | P. | |||||||||
| 2001 | Los Angeles City Council | 13th | Nonpartisan | 6,341 | 24.76% | 1st | 15,253 | 51.78% | 1st | Won | N/A | [211][212] | ||
| 2005 | Nonpartisan | 14,697 | 100.00% | 1st | Runoff cancelled | Won | N/A | [213] | ||||||
| 2009 | Nonpartisan | 7,210 | 71.91% | 1st | Runoff cancelled | Won | N/A | [214] | ||||||
| 2013 | Mayor of Los Angeles | Nonpartisan | 121,930 | 33.14% | 1st | 222,300 | 54.23% | 1st | Won | N/A | [215][216] | |||
| 2017 | Nonpartisan | 331,310 | 81.37% | 1st | Runoff cancelled | Won | N/A | [217] | ||||||
Garcetti will be the first elected Jewish mayor of the city. At 42, he will also be the youngest in more than a century.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Eric's grandfather, Salvador Garcetti, was born in Mexico and grew up in Boyle Heights. Salvador was brought to the United States as a baby after his father, Massimo Garcetti, a judge who had immigrated to Mexico from Italy, was hanged during the Mexican Revolution that began in 1910. Eric's grandmother, Juanita Iberri, was one of 19 children in a family that migrated from Sonora, Mexico, and was born in Arizona. ... Garcetti's maternal grandfather, Harry Roth, turned the family's Los Angeles clothing business, Louis Roth & Co., into a major national brand of high-end suits for men. ... Garcetti, 41, was raised in Encino and attended a public elementary school at UCLA. From 7th to 12th grade, he went to Harvard-Westlake, a private boys' school in Studio City.
A fourth-generation Angeleno, Garcetti was born at Good Samaritan Hospital and was raised in the San Fernando Valley. ... He also studied as a Rhodes Scholar atQueen's College, Oxford and the London School of Economics and was a Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellow. He taught public policy, diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College and the University of Southern California before being elected to the City Council.
Garcetti is the product of an Italian–Mexican marriage on his paternal side, while his maternal Russian Jewish grandparents founded Louis Roth Clothing, the first union shop in L.A.'s garment industry.
His father, Gil Garcetti, the former district attorney, is of Mexican and Italian descent. His mother, the former Sukey Roth, is Jewish, whose parents immigrated from Russia.
His father, Gil Garcetti, who as district attorney in the 1990s prosecuted O. J. Simpson, is the son of Mexican immigrants who trace their roots to Italy. Mayor Garcetti's mother's family came from Russia in the early 20th century.
'I'm just your average Mexican-American Jewish Italian', Garcetti said. A Rhodes scholar who speaks fluent Spanish, he liberally sprinkled his address with Spanish phrases.
Garcetti will be the first elected Jewish mayor of the city. At 42, he will also be the youngest in more than a century.
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