Garcetti Joins Race for Mayor of L.A.

LA Councilman Eric Garcetti (myFOXla.com)

Los Angeles – City Council President Eric Garcetti is joining a pack of at least eight candidates in the 2013 campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.

He joins two other city officials in the race, City Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilwoman Jan Perry. Former Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner also is a candidate.

"I'm running for mayor to get L.A. and our economy back on track," Garcetti said in a statement after filing the required papers earlier this morning.

The fourth-generation Angeleno promised "focused leadership based on experience, practical know-how, and a willingness to embrace innovation."

Garcetti was first elected to the City Council in 2001. He represents a district that includes Hollywood, Los Feliz, Echo Park and Glassell Park.

He cannot run for his seat again because of term limits.

City politics watchers had long suspected Garcetti would enter the race. That attention is likely to focus now on two other possible candidates, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and billionaire mall developer Rick Caruso.

Councilwoman Jan Perry, who joined the City Council at the same time as Garcetti, said his entrance means nothing for her campaign. "I'm still running, and I'll stay focused on that," she said.

Garcetti was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He taught public policy and diplomacy at Occidental College and the University of Southern California before being elected to the City Council.

He is a jazz pianist and composer, according to a statement released today by his campaign.

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