Eric Garcetti is resigning as president of the Los Angeles City Council in order to concentrate on running for mayor.
"I believe that the time has come for me to step aside as council president as I turn to the next chapter in my work as a public servant,” said Garcetti, who has represented parts of Silver Lake and Hollywood since 2001.
He was an early entrant into the race to succeed mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who must leave office due to term limits in June, 2013. Also running are former City Controller Wendy Gruel, Councilwoman Jan Perry and businessman Aaron Beutner.
Garcetti planned to tell his council colleagues that he was resigning at a meeting today, his spokeswoman, Julie Wong, told NBC LA.
"I believe that the time has come for me to step aside as council president as I turn to the next chapter in my work as a public servant,” Garcetti said in a statement. “As a councilmember and as a candidate for mayor, I want to make sure there is strong Council leadership in place that shares my focus on job creation, fiscal discipline, and government reform.”
Garcetti threw his backing behind councilman Herb Wesson to succeed him as council president. He suggested Councilman Ed Reyes as president pro tempore, and requested that the council vote to choose its new leaders next Wednesday, Nov. 23.
A former Rhodes Scholar, Garcetti had just turned 30 when he was elected to the City Council; he succeeded Alex Padilla as president in 2005.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
He quickly carved a place for himself as a proponent of economic development in his district, occasionally crossing swords with preservationists in the process. He was an outspoken proponent of implementing so-called green policies at City Hall, and made himself accessible to reporters at a time when many on the council hesitated to weigh in on controversial issues.
The son of another longtime area elected official, former District Attorney Gil Garcetti, Eric Garcetti was born in Los Angeles and says that he is of mixed Jewish, Italian and Mexican-American descent.
He plans to remain on the council during the mayoral race.
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA
