Chamber Endorsed Candidates for March 7 election

by Gary Toebben

Four weeks from today, City of Los Angeles residents will head to the polls to vote for city-wide elected offices and odd-numbered Council Districts. If you vote by mail, please keep an eye out for the ballots that will be mailed this week.

The L.A. Jobs PAC, sponsored by the Chamber, interviewed candidates in selected races over the last few months and is proud to present this list of candidate endorsements for the March 7 election. As you can see, the Jobs PAC did not endorse in all races.

Mayor
Eric Garcetti - the Mayor has successfully partnered with the Chamber on a number of priorities, including the passage of Measure M and Measure HHH in November and aligning the County and City on solutions to address our homelessness crisis. He led the way on a three-year plan to reduce the City’s Gross Receipts Tax and has been a champion of Hire LA’s Youth in partnership with the Chamber. On the March 7 ballot, he is aligned with the Chamber in opposition to Measure S and in support of Measure H. 

Controller  
Ron Galperin - Controller Galperin has made government transparency a priority in his first term and partnered with the Chamber on the launch of EconomyPanel LA. This dashboard on the Controller’s web site gives businesses and residents a deeper look at important economic information and demographic trends in the City of L.A. 

City Council

• Gil Cedillo, District 1 - Gil has worked with the Chamber on policies to address our housing shortage and create more affordable housing.
• Bob Blumenfield, District 3 - Bob has been a strong advocate for digitally upgrading the city and has brought a laser focus on economic development to the different communities he represents.
• Mike Bonin, District 11 - Mike has worked with the Chamber on transportation and homelessness efforts, and helped to broker a settlement with the Westchester community that will allow LAX to move forward on essential projects.
• Mitch O’Farrell, District 13 - Mitch has been a champion for housing in his district, as well as an advocate for helping small businesses engage more efficiently with the City.
• Joe Buscaino, District 15 - Joe has been a close partner with the Chamber on numerous issues that have helped to create economic opportunities in the City, especially policies that benefit the Port of Los Angeles and the San Pedro waterfront.

Our local elected officials make daily decisions that influence the ability of businesses to grow and prosper. The winners of this election will serve five and one half year term as the City consolidates our local elections with state and federal election dates in the future. For the economic well-being of our region, we encourage the business community to vote for these candidates on March 7. 

And that's The Business Perspective.