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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - While the race for mayor has taken center stage ahead of Tuesday's primary election in Los Angeles, two other citywide posts are open this year, with no incumbent running for city attorney or controller.
The Los Angeles city attorney leads the office that prosecutes misdemeanors, files lawsuits on behalf of the city and represents L.A. in legal matters, including lawsuits filed against the city. The city attorney is also responsible for writing laws requested by the City Council.
Current City Attorney Mike Feuer is termed out of the office he has held since 2013. So far in 2022, Feuer has filed lawsuits against the operator of the vacation rental platform Vrbo for allegedly processing rental bookings for unregistered hosts, against the agricultural chemical and biotechnology company Monsanto for allegedly polluting the city's waterways with a carcinogen and against the owners of a North Hollywood apartment complex where a local gang allegedly roams freely.
Feuer had been running for mayor, but dropped out of the race after ballots were already sent to voters.
Those vying to replace Feuer are Deputy City Attorney Richard Kim; California Democratic Party Treasurer Teddy Kapur; civil rights attorney Faisal M. Gill, who previously served as policy director for the Department of Homeland Security; former conservative talk radio host and former president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works Kevin James; federal prosecutor Marina Torres; financial law attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto; and Deputy City Attorney Sherri Onica Valle Cole.
Voters also have a choice of six candidates for controller.
The city's current controller Ron Galperin, who has served in the role since 2013, is seeking to become state controller.
The Los Angeles Controller serves as a paymaster and chief accounting officer for the city. The controller also educates Angelenos about the city's spending, including through audits. Galperin's reports have focused on city employees misusing city resources, the increasing cost of homeless housing built through Proposition HHH, ways to improve the city's 311 program with a customer-first approach, problems plaguing the city's program for repairing sidewalks and the need for further oversight of Los Angeles Fire Department overtime requests at COVID-19 testing sites.
Running to succeed Galperin as controller are CFO and Assistant Director of the Department of Public Works' Bureau of Street Services Stephanie Clements; City Councilman Paul Koretz; certified public accountant and housing justice advocate Kenneth Mejia; Los Angeles Unified School District teacher J. Carolan O'Gabhann; and Reid Lidow, a former executive officer to Mayor Eric Garcetti; and attorney and auditor David Vahedi.
City Attorney's Office spokesman Rob Wilcox had been running for the spot, but withdrew from the race.
The top two candidates in each race will continue to a runoff in November, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote during the primary.