Election’s eve. Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel will be criss-crossing the city today in a last-dash effort to sway undecided voters. After two years of campaigning, the hard fought and expensive campaign for mayor of L.A. comes to an end tomorrow.
A new USC-L.A. Times poll gives Garcetti a seven-point lead over Greuel – 48 percent to 41 percent – with 11 percent of likely voters still undecided. Greuel’s campaign says the poll was flawed and she says that she expects to win tomorrow. Garcetti is similarly confident. He says voters are tuning out the noise and focusing on which candidate can best improve the L.A. economy.
The polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. tomorrow. If you’re not sure where your polling place is, the L.A. City Clerk can help.
Controller and city attorney. The USC-L.A. Times poll says incumbent Carmen Trutanich trails former Assemblyman and City Councilman Mike Feuer by a large margin in the city attorney’s race, 42 percent to 24 percent. The city controller’s race is tighter, with City Councilman Dennis Zine leading lawyer and businessman Ron Galperin 31 percent to 28 percent. L.A. Times
Campaign cash. More than $33 million has been spent on this year’s mayor’s race. That’s a record. Garcetti and Greuel account for more than $25 million of that spending with the rest being raised on behalf of candidates who didn’t make the run-off. More than 40 percent of the money in the race came from outside groups. The single biggest contributor is a pro-Greuel PAC funded largely by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the union that represents DWP workers. L.A. Times
Villaraigosa Pavilion. It doesn’t exactly roll off your tongue but the Board of Airport Commissioners is expected to name the great hall of the international terminal at LAX after L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The official name would be the Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion at Tom Bradley International Terminal. A vote is scheduled tomorrow. Meanwhile, the estimated cost of rebuilding the Bradley terminal has risen by $200 million and now stands at $1.7 billion. L.A. Daily News
U.C. strike. Lawyers for the University of California will be in court today in an attempt to limit the number of medical workers permitted to walk off the job in a planned two-day strike. The strike is scheduled to begin tomorrow at UCLA and other U.C. hospitals. The university is seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent workers from striking who are considered essential for patient care. The union representing the workers – including nursing assistants and techs – says it will continue to staff critical care departments during the strike. KABC
Foreclosures. Three of the largest mortgage-holders in the state temporarily halted nearly all foreclosure sales after federal regulators revised instructions on the treatment of troubled borrowers during the 60 days before they lose their homes. Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup say they paused foreclosure sales on May 6 to make sure that their procedures met new guidelines. Wall Street Journal