Eric Garcetti is L.A.’s next mayor, defeating City Controller Wendy Greuel in Tuesday’s runoff election. Garcetti garnered 53.9 percent of the city-wide vote, but San Fernando Valley voters were split nearly evenly between the candidates. Pollsters had predicted that Greuel would need the Valley vote to defeat Garcetti. Former Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez nabbed the City Council’s District 6 seat, which includes most of the northeast San Fernando Valley. The seat had been vacant after Tony Cardenas was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives last year. Voters also chose to drastically limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, approving the City Council-backed Proposition D. The measure limits the number of dispensaries to the 135 that existed in 2007 and raises taxes on those shops. “At long last, after more than 7 years of trying to establish reasonable regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, patients can now expect safe and legal access to their medication,” said Don Duncan, California Director with Americans for Safe Access, the country’s leading medical marijuana advocacy group, in a statement. Ordinance E, which limited shops without increasing taxes; and Ordinance F, which placed no limits on the number of shops but instead proposed stricter guidelines for existing collectives and an increased tax, were both defeated by voters. Former California Assemblyman Mike Feuer will replace incumbent Carmen Trutanich as city attorney, garnering 62.1 percent of the vote. Ron Galperin will take over Greuel’s position as city controller, defeating City Councilman Dennis Zine.
