Eric Garcetti, a three-time city councilman, won Tuesday's mayoral election over Wendy Gruel with 54 percent of the vote. The decisiveness of the vote comes as a surprise as there had been speculation that the election would be so close that a winner might not be known for weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Los Angeles is ready to put the recession in the rear view mirror and become the city of opportunity that I grew up in once again," Garcetti told supporters last night. "It's time for Los Angeles to not just be a big city, but a great city once again. Whether you're down and out, or whether you're at the top, we all believe one thing, that L.A. is worth fighting for."
Shortly before 3 a.m. Garcetti used Twitter to thank his supporters.
Thank you Los Angeles--the hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years. Let's make this a great city again.
— Eric Garcetti (@ericgarcetti) May 22, 2013
Wendy Gruel called Garcetti sometime around 2 a.m. to concede, according to LA Weekly. Gruel was attempting to become the first female mayor in the history of America's second largest city. In victory Garcetti became the first Jewish mayor in the city's history, according to The New York Times.
Together Garcetti and Gruel spent over $33 million on their campaigns, making their race the most expensive mayoral election in Los Angeles' history. 41 percent of the money raised was coming from super PACs that do not have to follow the city's campaign contribution limits, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Voter turnout for the election was 19 percent higher than it was in the March primary but still managed to be one of the lowest turnouts on record with roughly 345,000 votes cast, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Garcetti will replace outgoing mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on July 1. The outgoing mayor said that the two sides will work together to ensure a "seamless" transition, according to the Los Angeles Times. Villaraigosa, who never officially supported a candidate in the race, released a statement praising the mayor to be.
"Eric is a true leader who I trust to guide our city into its bright future," the statement read. "I know I am leaving Los Angeles in good hands."
