Jane Yamamoto, Sue Monroe
Mayoral candidates vying to lead Los Angeles tied up their campaigns Monday night, fighting for every vote they can before the polls open Tuesday morning. Jane Yamamoto reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on March 4, 2013.
Voters are choosing from eight candidates in the race for mayor and deciding on a sales tax proposal Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Candidate Bios | Decision 2013 Page
Polls in Los Angles are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Scroll down to find your polling place in Los Angeles and other counties.
Tuesday's primary will likely send two of the eight mayoral candidates on the ballot to a May 21 runoff. A majority would be needed to win the contest outright Tuesday, but polls show a close race between 42-year-old Los Angeles Councilman Eric Garcetti and 51-year-old City Controller Wendy Greuel.
Other candidates running for mayor are Councilwoman Jan Perry, 57; former prosecutor Kevin James, 49, a Republican; technology executive Emanuel Pleitez, 30; neighborhood council secretary, Yehuda "YJ" Draiman, 63; citywide advocate Addie M. Miller, 63; and factory production worker Norton Sandler, 67.
"It's kind of like, 'Wow,'" said voter Janvie Cason, who was at a polling place in Hollywood. "And then, with eight different ones, you wouldn't know who to vote for."
Schools, the city's budget deficit, unemployment, pension and health care costs, and a runway reconfiguration at Los Angeles International Airport have been some of the issues in the run-up to the election to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa was re-elected in 2009, and he will leave office mid-year.
Los Angeles voters also will decide Measure A, a half-cent sales tax hike that would bump the overall sales tax to 9.5 percent. The measure, supported by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and Villaraigosa, would raise funds for police, fire and other city services.
Opponents say the tax could drive business out of the city to communities with lower sales tax rates.
The ballot also includes several contests for council districts, school board seats, city attorney and controller.
As of January, there were more than 1,812,000 registered voters in Los Angeles, but turnout is expected to be low.
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