Election Results: Garcetti Wins; Measure S Defeated

Mayor Eric Garcetti handily defeated his ten opponents yesterday, winning an easy second term but with very low voter turnout – only 11.45% voted in the county, according to news reports. Measure S, the anti-development measure strongly opposed by Garcetti, was also defeated by a large margin – 68.85% voted no, compared to 31.5% yes.

“There was a lot of money that came in at the last minute,” said Jack Humphreville, Windsor Square resident and budget activist, who spoke for Measure S at numerous city forums.  But “the margin of victory really amazed me.”

“People are going to have to be very vigilant about [development in] their own neighborhood now, because the downtown guys are going to be as arrogant as hell with a margin of victory like this,” warned Humphreville. He’s also worried about how Measure JJJ, which passed last fall, will play out.

“The impact of JJJ is a horror show,” said Humphreville. “According to Beacon Economics, the firm hired by the Chamber to look at the economic impact of the measure, JJJ could drive up construction costs by 46 percent because it requires paying the prevailing union wage for construction workers. That’s going to make it impossible to build affordable housing.”

Fortunately, our neighborhoods are relatively protected, noted Humphreville, “Thanks to the Park Mile Plan and the HPOZs. But what happens in Hollywood?” he said. “There will be more residential gentrification, and commercial gentrification that drives the local merchants out of business; it changes the whole neighborhood. Heck, I’m still mad about the hardware store leaving Larchmont!”

In the final tally, Garcetti won a decisive 80.9%, with local Windsor Square resident Mitchell Schwartz attracting only 8.2% of the vote, too small to get to a runoff, but more than twice the votes of his closest competitor. Schwartz spoke to supporters and friends last night at Morell’s Steakhouse at The Grove as he waited for returns.

“The best part of campaigns are the people you meet and the friends you make,” said Schwartz. Clearly fatigued and relieved to have finished the effort, Schwartz told supporters he was “glad it’s over, I’ve been at it for a year and that’s a lot of time.”

In the CD 5 race , Paul Koretz easily defeated opponents Jesse Creed and Mark Herd. Koretz won 66.7% of the vote, with Creed at 30.6% and Herd at 3.7%. Due to the low turnout, Koretz won with just over 15,000 votes.

Mitch O’Farrell was also re-elected in CD13, winning 50.4%, with this two closest opponents Sylvie Shain and Jessica Salans each getting just over 13% of the vote. O’Farrell won 10,950 votes.

County Measure H, the sales tax for homelessness services, narrowly passed, gaining just over 67.4% needed for passage.  Measure M, a City plan that would regulate marijuana sales, won an overwhelming 79.4% of the votes…and Measure N, a rival plan proposed but then abandoned by the industry, lost by a similarly large margin, with 63% voting no. And, Measure P won with 67.2% of the vote, allowing the City to extend port leases.

For complete election results visit LAVote.net