Former Mayoral Candidate Kevin James Endorses City Councilman Eric Garcetti for Mayor

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City Councilman Eric Garcetti gained another endorsement in the race for mayor Tuesday. Former mayoral candidate and Republican Kevin James announced at a news conference in Van Nuys that he will be voting for Democrat Eric Garcetti for mayor.

“I endorse Eric Garcetti in this campaign,” James said. “There are two people on the ballot May 21st and I will be voting for Eric.”

James originally said he would not publicly endorse either of the two remaining Democratic candidates. He explained at the news conference why he changed his decision.

“I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines and I was sitting on the sidelines for a little while,” James said. “And I was getting pressure in every direction that you could imagine.”

Now all three of the former mayoral candidates, Jan Perry, Emanuel Pleitez, and Kevin James support Garcetti.

“I couldn’t be prouder to be standing here to receive the endorsement of Kevin James,” Garcetti said at the news conference.

Garcetti hopes that James’ support will help him get more votes in the San Fernando Valley, an area where his opponent Wendy Greuel has an advantage. Greuel already has endorsements from business groups and from former Mayor Richard Riordan, a Republican.

Raphe Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State L.A., believes that Republican vote could go to either Greuel or Garcetti.

“I think what he needs to do with Republicans is blunt what would have been Wendy Greuel’s initial edge among republicans and I think that this certainly helps him do that,” Sonenshein said.  “He doesn’t need to sweep Republicans, he needs to keep Wendy Greuel, whose base started there, from getting a large majority of Republicans.”

However, Sonenshein says he thinks Garcetti’s real focus will be on getting the younger voters out to the polls to vote for him.

Greuel and Garcetti are set to face off for Mayor in the May 21st election.