Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry, in a statement released Tuesday, thanked those who backed her mayoral campaign.
In the March 5 primary, Perry finished in fourth place. She represented the 9th Council District, which included Little Tokyo before redistricting, for more than a decade and is termed out.
“Thank you so much for all you did for my campaign,” she said. “While my candidacy has come to an end, the issues we fought for in the campaign live on.
“I will continue to be a voice for transparency and fiscal responsibility and advocate for the people that need our help the most.
“I will always be inspired by the stories and aspirations of the Angelenos I met during this campaign. If residents from all parts of Los Angeles come together and find a common purpose with the support of good governance, our future will show the greatness that is Los Angeles.
“I am deeply grateful for the support you have given me. It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of Los Angeles.”
In other election news, Perry has endorsed City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, who is in the May 21 mayoral runoff with City Controller Wendy Greuel. She joins fifth-place finisher Emanuel Pleitez in supporting her former rival.
“I spent the last two years seeing the candidates up close. It’s clear that the best choice for mayor is Eric Garcetti,” Perry said Thursday at the historic 28th Street YMCA, which under her leadership was repurposed into a supportive housing complex for emancipated foster youth and special-needs adults. “Eric has the independence we need to balance the budget. Eric will bring opportunity to South L.A. and across Los Angeles just like he has in neighborhoods like Hollywood and Echo Park, which have been dramatically revitalized through his leadership.”
“I am honored to have the endorsement of my friend Jan Perry,” Garcetti said. “Jan brought an important, independent voice to the mayor’s race and I am proud her voice is joining with mine in calling for an efficient city government that’s focused on creating jobs and solving problems for L.A. residents in every community. Together, we wrote the nation’s largest clean water initiative and created the independent DWP ratepayer advocate, and now we are going to win this election to get our city back to work, balance our budget and expand opportunity here in South L.A. and across Los Angeles.”
City News Service reports that Kevin James, who finished third, has met with Garcetti and Greuel but said he was dissatisfied with both of them, while Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is remaining neutral, saying that either candidate would “make an excellent mayor.”