Friday Mixer: The gloves are coming off in the mayor’s race

It’s just over a week away: the March 5 primary election for the Los Angeles mayor’s race. And the gloves are off. The five-leading candidates have come out swinging, with more negative ads, hard-hitting mailers (pictured left and below) and personal attacks.

Will the candidates showing their bare knuckles finally draw some attention to this important race? Will attack ads help voters decide who the best man or woman is for the job? Or will it add to voter apathy?

Joining Steve Chiotakis for our weekly mixer to talk about the week’s events are Gene Maddaus of the LA Weekly and Dakota Smith of the LA Daily News. Maddaus and Smith have been covering the race from the start.

Some of the issues that came up today:

* Eric Garcetti stepped up his attack at a debate on Monday, focusing on the IBEW Local 18’s donations to Wendy Greuel’s campaign.

* Emanuel Pleitez is attacking Garcetti for owning Clear Channel stock when he voted on giving Clear Channel rights to put up electronic billboards in LA. Pleitez even filed a complaint with the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

* Greuel is being questioned for opposing a Home Depot in her district, but her family owns a housing supply store nearby.

* Greuel went after Garcetti for supporting a Hollywood development plan.

* None of the candidates are backing the Measure A sales tax increase, but lack concrete proposals for funding police and fire services.

* City Council President Herb Wesson says he wishes he made Measure A a temporary tax hike, not a permanent one.

Listen here:

Along with the mailer pictured up top, here are a few of the campaign ads being sent by mayoral candidates: