Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to India from 2023 to 2025. He was the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 election, and re-elected in 2017. A former member of the Los Angeles City Council, Garcetti served as City Council president from 2006 to 2012. He was the city's first elected American Jews mayor, and its second consecutive Mexican American mayor. He was elected as the youngest mayor in over 100 years, having been 42 at the time of his inauguration. Upon nomination by President Joe Biden after a previously failed nomination the year before, Garcetti was eventually confirmed as Ambassador to India by the Senate on a 52–42 vote on March 15, 2023.
Garcetti's paternal grandfather, Salvador, was born in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico. Salvador was brought by his family to the United States as a child after his father, Massimo "Max" Garcetti, was murdered by hanging during the Mexican Revolution. Max had immigrated to Mexico from Italy. He married a Mexican woman and became a judge. His paternal grandmother, Juanita Iberri, was born in Arizona, one of 19 children born to an immigrant father from Sonora, Mexico, and an Arizona-born mother whose father and mother were both Mexican.
Garcetti's maternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. His maternal grandfather, Harry Roth, founded and ran the clothing brand Louis Roth Clothes. Garcetti's family celebrated Passover and Chanukah, and he attended a Jewish camp.
Garcetti attended elementary school at UCLA Lab School, formerly University Elementary School; and middle and high school at Harvard-Westlake School. While in high school, he was a member of the Junior State of America, a national civic engagement and political debate organization for students.
Garcetti majored in political science and urban planning, and received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 1992 as a John Jay Scholar. During that time, he lived in Carman Hall and Furnald Hall, served on the student council, was president of the St. Anthony Hall fraternity and literary society, founded the Columbia Urban Experience, and co-wrote and performed in three years of the Varsity Show, a student-written musical. He received a Masters of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, graduating in 1993.
He met his future wife while they were both studying as Rhodes Scholars at the University of Oxford, he at the Queen'
While at Oxford, he was a member of the Oxford University L'Chaim Society founded by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, along with future U.S. senator Cory Booker.
He later began studying for a Ph.D. in ethnicity and Eritrean nationalism at the London School of Economics but as of 2024 does not appear to have ever completed the degree.
In 2005, Garcetti helped found the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. He authored two of the nation's most far-reaching municipal green building ordinances: the first requires all city buildings to be built to the LEED-certified standard, and the second mandates that all commercial buildings of more than in Los Angeles be built to a LEED standard. He supported changes in the city's landscape ordinance and plumbing codes to promote water conservation.
In July 2010, Garcetti, then council president, weakened a 2009 lawn watering ordinance, allowing watering three days per week instead of two. The ordinance restricting watering to two days a week had been passed 13 months earlier by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. While it helped the city cut its water use and cope with ongoing drought, the measure was unpopular and was accused of causing pressure fluctuations and water main breaks. A Los Angeles Times editorial said that the city council's changes to the watering ordinance was a "death knell for one of the best collective environmental efforts made by the citizens of Los Angeles".
In his district, Garcetti helped create the Neighborhood Leadership Institute, which trains constituents to be active citizens, as well as the Uniting Neighborhoods to Abolish Graffiti (UNTAG) program, which has reduced graffiti in his district over 78% in its first four years.
During his first term, as chair and member of the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee, he helped create a $100 million housing trust fund. He has also worked to revitalize the Hollywood area and reform the city business tax.
Garcetti was re-elected with 81.4% of the vote on March 7, 2017. Although he avoided a runoff election this time, voter turnout was relatively low at 20%. Due to a change in the city's election calendar to align mayoral elections with statewide elections, his second term was to be for five years and six months instead of the usual four years.
The financial plan assumed the city's workforce, which included police officers and firefighters, would not receive raises in the coming year. One of the proposed changes was to merge the city's police and fire dispatch centers to streamline and improve response time to 911 calls for emergencies and fires. Mayoral aides said such a change would take multiple years to complete. Garcetti said he hoped to increase funding for the Los Angeles Police Department, the department making up nearly 44% of the fund already and most of the increase would go towards new technology for officers. The plan was scheduled to go into effect on July 1, adding eight hours per week to the city's branch library operations. The number of code enforcement officers assigned to look for unpermitted construction and other neighborhood issues, would increase from 25 to 38. He also announced other changes, such as creating a $1.4 million innovation fund to transform city services, breaking the command structure at the Los Angeles Fire Department into four geographic regions, and hiring 140 firefighters to cope with attrition.
Results from the initiatives have been mixed. On the one hand, the jobs initiative, which offers tax credits to employers who hire veterans, has been generally successful, even surpassing Garcetti's original goal. But the housing initiative has been more complicated to achieve. In a 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Garcetti said that he deserved credit for housing 8,000 veterans, as well as persuading voters to pass Proposition HHH in 2016, which sought to drastically expand the number of apartment units built in the city. However, while the measure was approved overwhelmingly, the funding appropriated by Proposition HHH could potentially fall short of the 10,000 apartment units it was intended to build.
A study released in June 2019 by the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) found that homelessness compared to the previous year surged by 16 percent to nearly 60,000 homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. Garcetti responded to the report by saying "Skyrocketing rents statewide and federal disinvestment in affordable housing, combined with an epidemic of untreated trauma and mental illness, is pushing people into homelessness faster than they can be lifted out".
Garcetti worked together with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis to create the $10 million L.A. Justice Fund, which provides legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation. In April 2019, Garcetti opposed President Donald Trump on his plan to release immigrant detainees into sanctuary cities calling his strategy "hateful" and a "waste of time".
On March 20, 2014, Garcetti responded to criticism of the department's hiring system that eliminated thousands of qualified applicants by announcing he was canceling the process. He said he had "determined that the Fire Department's recruiting process is fatally flawed". The mayor's office announced that the next scheduled Fire Academy class of 70 cadets would not be held, and that no further hiring would be made from the current civil service list (nearly 25% of the 70 recruits eventually hired were related to LAFD firefighters). It later stated that the RAND Corporation had been asked to help in reforming the recruiting process. The decision was met with a mixed reception.
Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee decided to make Paris the host of the 2024 games, while awarding Los Angeles the 2028 Summer Olympics. In preparation for hosting the games, Garcetti launched the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative, which gives accelerated priority to the city's most crucial transit infrastructure projects. He also appointed former ambassador Nina Hachigian as Deputy Mayor for International Affairs to help coordinate the Olympics as well as broadening the city's global relations in general.
Protective League President Tyler Izen said that while the union understood the mayor's intentions, he believed speaking directly to the officers could violate fair bargaining rules.
Garcetti found a way around the legal threats by posting a video on YouTube on July 24, noting that under the proposed contract, salaries for officers hired during the recession would be increased and overtime would no longer be given as time off, instead paid in cash. "The sacrifices you made on overtime were emergency measures—never intended to be permanent. And I understand the toll these emergency measures have taken. Not just on your pocketbook but on the LAPD as a whole", Garcetti said.
Other major changes made to the department during Garcetti's tenure include purchasing 7,000 body-worn cameras for the city's patrol officers as well as adding more than 200 officers to the LAPD Metropolitan Division to control the crime rate, which had increased in 2014.
In June 2020, following a campaign by a coalition of community groups including Black Lives Matter, Garcetti announced Los Angeles Police Department budget cuts of $150 million (LAPD was set to receive a large increase in its annual budget from $1.189 billion in 2019 to $1.86 billion in 2020, with most of it going for new police bonuses). Garcetti announced the funds would be redirected to community initiatives.
In August 2013, Garcetti said he would sign off on a proposed four-year contract with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power workers. Officials estimated the contract would save $6.1 billion over 30 years. In large part, the deal was expected to save money by cutting the pension benefits of new hires and workers going without raises in pay for three years. The deal was largely worked out before Garcetti took office the previous month; he initially balked at the contract before coming around when negotiators tweaked the proposal to allow for further talks on the issue.
Garcetti accepted the agreement due to provisions, which included a labor-management council to review work rules that add to LADWP workers' salaries, a modified health care system and an added pension tier for new workers and a broadened effort to reduce the disparity in pay with other city workers. In January 2014, he nominated Marcie Edwards to head the Department of Water and Power, who was confirmed on February 21.
In April 2014, the mayor was joined by current and former NBA players to praise the disciplinary actions taken by the league against L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling for his publicized racist remarks, saying that the remarks "do not represent Los Angeles". He stated during an interview that the Sterling controversy was "a defining issue" for the city and required a strong response from elected leaders. He stated that he expected Sterling to put up a "long, protracted fight" and that his continued ownership could prove harmful to the franchise.
In May 2014, LAPD officer Shaun Hillmann received a 65-day suspension after recorded remarks of him referring to an African-American man as a "monkey" were aired on television. The next day, Garcetti said Hillmann's statements were "reprehensible" and that the officer should have received a "stiffer" punishment.
In May 2020, Mayor Garcetti joined Rep. Ted Lieu, CNN host Van Jones, and other leaders in civil rights and public service to speak out against racism — including Anti-Asian hate — during the COVID-19 pandemic at an Asia Society forum.
In June 2021, Garcetti formed Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity (MORE), a coalition of 11 U.S. mayors dedicated to starting pilot reparations programs in their cities. "11 U.S. Mayors Commit To Developing Pilot Projects For Reparations," Associated Press (June 18, 2021) In conjunction with the formation of MORE, Garcetti formed an advisory commission to develop a pilot reparations program for Black Angelenos.Logan, Erin B. "L.A. creates advisory commission to study reparations pilot program for some Black Angelenos," Los Angeles Times (June 18, 2021).
In April 2014, Garcetti signed into law a new waste franchise agreement, which was planned to expanded recycling to businesses and apartments. He stated his goal was to have 90% of all trash recycled by 2025. That same year, Garcetti co-founded Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, along with Houston mayor Annise Parker and Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter. The association is composed of 379 United States mayors with the stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is committed to upholding the emissions goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and opposed the first Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the pact.
In April 2015, Garcetti released a long-range plan for making the city more economically and environmentally sustainable.
In February 2019, Garcetti signed an ordinance supported by environmental and animal rights activists banning the sale and manufacture of new fur products in Los Angeles. At the time, Los Angeles was the largest city in the United States to ban fur sales. In October 2019, the law was codified by a statewide ban on new fur sales in California.
In April 2019, Garcetti introduced the Los Angeles Green New Deal to address climate change.
In June 2014, Garcetti picked Seleta Reynolds to run the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). Later that year, the mayor's office and LADOT released a strategic plan with a Vision Zero goal to eliminate all traffic deaths by the year 2025. Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries involving road traffic.
Garcetti publicly encouraged the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation's collaboration with architect Frank Gehry on the River LA project. River LA is a nonprofit organization working to revitalize the Los Angeles River.
In 2016, Garcetti championed Measure M, a half-cent sales tax measure to fund the expansion of the region's Metro rail network. Measure M passed with 70.15% of the vote, clearing the two-thirds majority required.
Garcetti opposed Measure S (originally known as the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative), a NIMBY referendum to block housing development. The referendum would have imposed a two-year moratorium on land development projects seeking variances from some aspects of the city's zoning code, made changes to the environmental impact statement requirements in the code, and required the city to update its comprehensive plan during the moratorium. On March 7, 2017, the measure failed with over two-thirds of voters rejecting it.
In 2022, Garcetti opposed California state legislation that would eliminate parking requirements for housing developments near public transit stations.
Garcetti is a vocal opponent of the Yes California secessionist movement, saying, "I love this country too much to even consider an exit. I want to be a part of an America that continues to stand up for all of us, not bail on all our friends across the country."
As early as 2017, speculation had swirled around Garcetti's potential presidential run in 2020. In 2018, rumors continued about his political ambitions as he made visits to early primary states. In April, he spent two days attending political events across Iowa. In May, he delivered the commencement address at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. Garcetti came under wide scrutiny from Los Angeles residents, including the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, for supposedly focusing on his presidential ambitions over his mayoral duties. However, on January 29, 2019, Garcetti announced he would not run for president in 2020, opting to finish his term as mayor.
On September 22, 2019, Garcetti attended the rally of Armenia's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Grand Park. He stated, "With this prime minister, a new day of sunshine has come to Armenia, a day of democracy, a day of openness, a day of no more corruption, a day where we can say in Los Angeles, it is time for us to pick up to visit, invest, to support, to help the new Armenia rise, and rise, and rise under the leadership of this prime minister." In October 2020, Garcetti expressed support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying: "I urge our leaders in Washington to conduct the sustained and rigorous diplomacy necessary to bring peace to the Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey must disengage."
On March 10, 2022, Senator Chuck Grassley placed a hold on Garcetti's nomination, citing allegations that Garcetti knew about the sexual misconduct committed by his top advisor, Rick Jacobs, and did not take proper action. On March 23, 2022, Senator Joni Ernst announced she would also place a hold on Garcetti's nomination while investigations were conducted as some depositions suggest Garcetti knew of Jacobs' egregious conduct.
On May 22, 2022, CBS News cited reports from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledging he did not have enough votes to get Garcetti's nomination passed by the Senate. On January 3, 2023, the Senate returned Garcetti's nomination to the White House as it had expired.
President Biden renominated Garcetti the same day. On February 24, 2023, Senator Marco Rubio placed another hold on Garcetti's nomination due to the sexual misconduct scandal. On March 8, 2023, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced his nomination by a 13–8 vote, with Senators Todd Young and Bill Hagerty supporting his nomination. On March 15, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–42 vote. His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 52–42 vote.
Garcetti presented his credentials to Indian President Droupadi Murmu on May 11, 2023.
On June 16, 2014, while speaking at the championship celebration for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, Garcetti cautioned: "There are two rules in politics – never be pictured with a drink in your hand, and never swear." He then held up an empty beer bottle and said, "But this is a big fucking day", prompting a standing ovation from Kings players and the crowd. The incident attracted some controversy. When he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! later that evening, Garcetti told the late night TV host, "It was hockey; it wasn't a match of lawn bowls." The following day, speaking at a luncheon at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, he apologized to those who found his statement offensive and suggested they lighten up. He argued that it was "something that plenty of people have heard in their lives for sure".
On November 5, 2015, Garcetti's office issued a statement endorsing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. The situation was quickly acknowledged as an improper use of government resources to distribute a campaign-related proclamation.
In February 2016, local CBS affiliate KCBS-TV reported that in the month before Garcetti's State of the City address, where he praised landscaping company Turf Terminators, the company's employees, friends, and relatives donated $45,000 to his re-election campaign and his nonprofit Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles. Garcetti told KCBS-TV that the donations were legal and the sequence of events was a coincidence.
A 2019 Los Angeles County report on missteps in the government's handling of the 2018 Woolsey Fire cited the unavailability of firefighting units during critical times of the fire, which was the most destructive in county history. During this time, Garcetti personally requested fire officials check the status of a private residence in Bell Canyon. The report states: "a significant number of requests by political figures to check on specific addresses of homes to ensure their protection distracted from Department leadership to accomplish priority objectives."
On August 5, 2020, Garcetti announced that he was authorizing the city to shut off water and power service to houses hosting parties or violating public health orders during COVID-19.
On October 19, 2020, journalist Yashar Ali reported allegations that Garcetti was aware of sexual misconduct committed by his senior advisor Rick Jacobs and did not take proper action.
On January 30, 2022, Garcetti sparked controversy when he posed for a photo with Magic Johnson at the while not wearing a mask, in defiance of city, county, and stadium mask mandates. Garcetti justified the photo by saying he only removed his mask during the photo and held his breath during the photo op. His statement generated widespread ridicule.
He attends services at IKAR, a post-denominational Jewish congregation founded by Rabbi Sharon Brous and studies Talmud with her twice a week. He has a daily call with her for religious guidance. Garcetti has said, "My parents aren't practicing (Judaism), either of them... we celebrated Passover and Chanukah. I went to Jewish camp. I think I have become more of a practicing Jew or observant later in life. I came to my faith in college." His sister, Dana Garcetti-Boldt, is a former Los Angeles County deputy district attorney; she later became an acupuncturist. She currently works as an advisor to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Garcetti has been the recipient of the Green Cross Millennium Award for Local Environmental Leadership in 2003, the New Frontier Award presented by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in 2006, the NAACP "Person of the Year" in 2014, and the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) from Whittier College in 2015.
From 2010 to 2012, then City Councilman Garcetti appeared as "Ramon Quintero", the mayor of Los Angeles, on the fictional TNT television show The Closer and its spin-off Major Crimes. His first appearance after becoming mayor was a 2016 episode of Major Crimes. His father, Gil Garcetti, is a consulting producer on both series. Eric Garcetti also made a cameo appearance as a desk security guard working in the mayor's office, in the pilot episode of the TBS series Angie Tribeca.
In 2016, Garcetti briefly appeared in a segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden called "Take a Break", where host James Corden pretended to take over his position for a few hours. At the end of the segment, Garcetti takes back control from Corden having him escorted away by some security officers.
Immigration policy
LAFD relations
Olympic bid
Police relations
Public utilities
Race relations
Sustainability
Urban development and transit
National and international politics
Biden administration
U.S. ambassador to India
Controversies
Personal life
Electoral history
See also
External links
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