Eric Garcetti Is Not Endorsing A Candidate For His Council Seat, But The Candidates Are Endorsing Him

By Gene Maddaus Wed., Feb. 6 2013 at 1:12 PM

Matt Szabo

Councilman Eric Garcetti is leaving the 13th council district after three terms, and from the looks of things, he's quite popular there.

Garcetti has not endorsed a successor, but all the candidates seem eager to tout their affiliation with him. The latest example of this is a mailer from Matt Szabo (posted after the jump) which lauds Garcetti and argues that Szabo is best suited to follow in his footsteps.

The mailer prompted outrage from John Choi, one of the dozen contenders. Choi's campaign argued that Szabo was trying to mislead voters.

"It's just a cheap shot," said Mike Shimpock, Choi's consultant. "If the guy can't win on his own merits, he has to try to fool voters into thinking he has Garcetti's endorsement."

Matt Szabo for City Council

Shimpock said that Szabo's campaign should apologize and "retract" the mailer.

It's not clear how a campaign would withdraw a mailer once it's been sent (ask people to send it back to you?), but in any case the Szabo campaign has no intention of apologizing.

"I think they're crying because it's worked," said Eric Hacopian, Szabo's consultant. "Is there anywhere on there where we say we're endorsed by Eric Garcetti?"

There isn't, but Szabo sure seems to be endorsing Garcetti's record as a councilman. Garcetti's name appears four times on a two-sided mailer. It includes this quote from Szabo: "As deputy mayor, there was no councilmember I worked closer with than Eric Garcetti." Szabo also vows to "continue his progress."

Garcetti has not complained, and really, why would he? Must be flattering.

Tags:

Eric Garcetti, John Choi, Josh Post, Matt Szabo, Mitch O'Farrell

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suzie

Garcetti makes endorsement! MITCH!!

cd13voter

With a potential Kevin De Leon run for CD13 and so many alliances in the mix, Garcetti did not make the early endorsement. Moving up to the Mayoral puts a whole new complex perspective on an endorsement's good or harm for Garcetti's bid. Some in the community were disappointed.

O'Farrell is the only candidate among them who can really claim close alliance with Garcetti. My guess and hope is that Garcetti will make an endorsement of O'Farrell once the almost inevitable run-off is under way.

TommySea

I'm tired of getting these phony mailers from newcomers like Matt Szabo, John Choi and the rest of these carpetbaggers. I don't want a former West Hollywood Republican conveniently turned Hollywood Democrat as my council representative. These political hacks and wannabes are merely trying to fool voters with deceptive or misleading mailers and phone calls. Inventing a history, and exaggerating their experience, and their involvement in the 13th District for the political purposes WILL NOT GET MY VOTE! These guys are just showing the 13th District voters that they have little integrity and will do anything to win the election. Garcetti has not endorsed anyone, let alone some guy that has only been living in the District 1 1/2 years like Matt Szabo. Slimy guys like political consultant Eric Hacopian and self-admitted 'City Hall Insider' Matt Szabo are the last thing the City of LA needs in our local political system, or representing our residents!

karenl90028

I got this deceiving mailer from Matt Szabo, too. My neighbors and I are still scratching our heads and asking ourselves "who is this guy?!" I hear he's LA Mayor Villaraigosa's hand-picked candidate (do I smell cronyism?), from West Hollywood, and that he recently moved here to run for the seat that Eric Garcetti will be leaving this June. I guess he's desperate to attach himself to a prominent figure-head in our District, because he has no history in the 13th District here, himself. What is someone from West Hollywood going to know about Atwater, Glassell Park, Echo Park, Silver Lake and Elysian Valley? Not much. Sending out this mailer is a pure political campaign move. He's trying to fool the people of the 13th District into believing that Garcetti has endorsed him, when, in fact, he has NOT.

steward

Thank you for this story!

and for the clarification!

I received this flier,. I felt misled and abused!

I don't know how the Szabo campaign people feel this is working in their favor.

If I am already being misled...before a candidate gets elected into office, how on earth can I trust him? While applaud Mr. Choi for speaking up, I am curious to know why he so recently moved into district 13, and why is most of his campaign funding coming from outside the district? What do those campaign contributers have to gain from Choi?