LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Chances for Mayor Eric Garcetti to be part of President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet may have slimmed today, as former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was tapped to be the secretary of transportation, a position for which the Los Angeles mayor was speculated to be a contender.
Media outlets had reported that if Garcetti was to be offered a cabinet position, he mostly likely would have been selected to be either the secretary of transportation or housing and urban development, the latter of which is to be filled by Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio.
The mayor has repeatedly said he has not sought such a position.
But the speculation resulted in daily demonstrations since November outside Getty House, Garcetti's official residence, by activists who are critical of his handling of such issues as reducing homelessness, police reform and public transportation in his current role.
Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, which has organized the protests with support from Ground Game LA, vowed to conduct a demonstration every day until Biden commits to not appointing Garcetti to his cabinet.
“Eric Garcetti is not going to be Secretary of Transportation in @JoeBiden's cabinet,'' BLM-LA stated Tuesday on Twitter. “That means the work that @BLMLA and allies is doing is working! Eric Garcetti will not fall upwards. #BlockGarcetti.''
BLM-LA also stated on Twitter that Tuesday was the organization's 22nd consecutive day of protests that have taken place in front of Garcetti's residence.
Garcetti's political team did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Biden's decision to appoint Buttigieg and the ongoing protests in front of his home.
Garcetti previously served as a national co-chair of Biden's presidential campaign committee and he is part of a team that is putting together the president-elect's inauguration.
Garcetti's role during Biden's presidential bid led to speculation he might gain a cabinet post or be appointed to another prominent position in the Biden administration even though the mayor has repeatedly said he has not sought such a position.
“Protests come with the territory as mayor,'' Garcetti said Dec. 2. “I will always support people's right to make their voices heard peacefully and keep listening to what they have to say. I am honored to represent 4 million Angelenos, and I am singularly focused on saving lives and rebuilding a city out of this crisis that is more fair, just and equitable.
“Angelenos are hurting badly right now, and I see that pain every day,'' Garcetti added. “Too many lives have been lost, but I know that our collective efforts have saved so many more. That work, more than anything else, is my guiding light right now.''
There are still several cabinet positions open in the Biden administration, the positions of secretary of labor, the interior, education and commerce.
Photo: Getty Images