Earlier this week Republican Kevin James endorsed Democrat Eric Garcetti for Los Angeles mayor. James was the third place candidate in the March 5 primary and the sole Republican in the field. Since he garnered so many votes, James' endorsement was coveted by Garcetti and his rival Wendy Gruel. His voters are likely far away from either Democrat ideologically. So while many Democrats might have already made their decision, James' voters probably haven't.
Apparently, Gruel being in the back pocket of the city unions was the deal breaker for James. That's certainly a strong selling point for Republicans. James ran especially strong in Westchester and Playa Del Rey. A big issue for Republicans there has been the LAX expansion. They've been very vocal about their opposition. So it hardly seems like a coincidence that Garcetti garnered James' endorsement the day after Garcetti came out in opposition of the LAX expansion. That may have a prerequisite for James' endorsement.
Of course we saw that many people will leave a ballot blank when the race is between two candidates in the other party. With the mayoral race the only election on the ballot for many people, we could see Republicans and conservative leaning independents stay home.
This race has seen something unusual with Democrats. Gruel has had to fight the charge that she's soft on labor. Being a labor ally is usually something Democrats brag about. What's good for labor unions is good for everybody. Apparently that's not a safe position for a Democrat any more.
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