Amid speculation he is on a list of possible vice presidential running mates for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week he is “not looking for a new job” and is focused on running for re-election.
“I think it’s probably one story of thousands we’ll hear on things like this,” Garcetti said on KNX Newsradio’s “Ask the Mayor” program. “And I guess I’m a little old-fashioned. I’m not looking for a new job. I have a great one right now, and that’s being mayor of the city.
“But I’ve worked hard to make sure that we get a president who is going to be responsive to our cities so things we do — whether it’s rebuilding infrastructure, turning around education, solving our traffic, dealing with homelessness, keeping our cities safe — that that is first and foremost on the agenda of the candidate I’m supporting, Hillary Clinton.”
Garcetti said he has not had any contact with the Clinton campaign about being vetted as a possible vice-presidential candidate.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that Garcetti’s name is on a list of possible running mates for Clinton. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, is also on the list.
Speculation about a Clinton running mate has focused primarily on Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts. The Wall Street Journal reported that other potential candidates being considered are Labor Secretary Tom Perez; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro; Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Cory Booker of New Jersey; and Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio.
Garcetti said Clinton’s campaign rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, also deserves consideration.
“I really am not looking for a new job,” the mayor told KNX. “I’m running for re-election in this city. And somebody once said, I think it was Bill Clinton once said the two best jobs in politics are president of the United States and mayor of a big city. I love doing things here in L.A., not having to move, being with my family and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Bill Carrick, Garcetti’s campaign strategist, confirmed that the mayor has not been in communication with the Clinton campaign on the vice president vetting process.
“I don’t know anything about this (other) than what you and I read in the Wall Street Journal,” Carrick told City News Service.
Carrick said he has “no idea where they (the Clinton campaign) are in the process — we know nothing about it.”
“The mayor’s running for re-election as mayor and doing his job as mayor,” Carrick said.
Garcetti, who endorsed Clinton last fall, has “campaigned vigorously for Secretary Clinton in the California primary and before that in Nevada and Arizona,” according to Carrick.
“He’s a strong supporter of hers, and wants to do what he can to make sure she gets elected,” Carrick said.
Garcetti has introduced Clinton at rallies and other events, and participated in a Clinton campaign event focused on immigration reform.
