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Wendy Greuel
Wendy Greuel was a 2014 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 33rd Congressional District of California.[1]
She is a former Los Angeles City Controller and was a candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles on the May 21, 2013, ballot.[2] Greuel was defeated by Eric Garcetti in the May 21 mayoral general election.[3] If she had been elected, Gruel would have been the first female mayor of Los Angeles in the city's history.[4]
Biography
Greuel co-owns a family business, Frontier Building Supply.[4]
Greuel's political career began when she served as an aide to former Mayor Tom Bradley. When Bradley moved to Washington, DC in 1993 to take a job with the Clinton administration, so did a number of his aides, including Greuel. Her role was as an HUD administrator of grants to fight homelessness. She left her position with the federal government in 1997 to go to work for the film studio DreamWorks, as its manager of political affairs.[4]
Greuel was first elected to a political office in 2002, when she won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council with a margin of 242 votes.[4]
Campaign themes
2014
Greuel's campaign website listed the following issues:[5]
| “ |
|
” |
| —Wendy Greuel's campaign website, https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.wendygreuel.org/issues/ | ||
2013
Pension reform:
At a campaign forum held in Koreatown on November 14, Greuel opposed a City of Los Angeles Pension Reform Initiative, and the measure failed to appear on the May 21, 2013, ballot. The pension reform measure was sponsored by former mayor Richard Riordan.[7] Garcetti and Perry also opposed the Riordan plan, while Kevin James supported it.[8]
With respect to Riordan's plan, Greuel said, "I have concerns about it being ... sustainable in the city of L.A. So today it would not be something I would support."[8]
Sales tax:
Greuel opposed the City of Los Angeles Sales Tax Increase, which was defeated on the March 5, 2013, ballot.
If approved, the sales tax would have increased by half-a-cent on the purchase of goods and services made within the city.[9]
Greuel said with respect to the proposed new tax, "I have concerns about going to the public for a sales tax at a time when the public doesn't believe we've done everything that we can do."[10]
Elections
2014
Greuel ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent California's 33rd District. Greuel was defeated in the blanket primary on June 3, 2014.[11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |
 Elan Carr |
21.6% | 23,476 | |
| Democratic | Ted Lieu |
18.8% | 20,432 | |
| Democratic | Wendy Greuel | 16.6% | 17,988 | |
| Independent | Marianne Williamson | 13.2% | 14,335 | |
| Democratic | Matt Miller | 12% | 13,005 | |
| Republican | Lily Gilani | 7.1% | 7,673 | |
| Republican | Kevin Mottus | 2.4% | 2,561 | |
| Democratic | Barbara Mulvaney | 2.3% | 2,516 | |
| Democratic | David Kanuth | 1.4% | 1,554 | |
| Democratic | Kristie Holmes | 0.9% | 994 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Herd | 0.8% | 883 | |
| Green | Michael Sachs | 0.7% | 732 | |
| Democratic | Michael Shapiro | 0.6% | 650 | |
| Independent | Tom Fox | 0.5% | 509 | |
| Democratic | Zein Obagi | 0.4% | 477 | |
| Democratic | Vince Flaherty | 0.3% | 345 | |
| Democratic | James Graf | 0.3% | 327 | |
| Independent | Brent Roske | 0.2% | 188 | |
| Total Votes | 108,645 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Endorsements
Greuel received the endorsement of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He said, "Wendy Greuel is the right choice, right now. The Wendy Greuel I know is a champion for women, a champion on the environment and something near and dear to me, a huge champion on transportation and traffic relief."[12]
Greuel was also endorsed by California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Harris said in an interview, "I've known Wendy for a very long time. I know her to be someone who will represent California in a very important way."[13]
EMILY's List endorsed Greuel in the race as well. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, said "Wendy Greuel has demonstrated outstanding leadership as a public servant fighting for education, small businesses, and government accountability for California families. The EMILY’s List community – now more than three million members strong – is excited to support Wendy’s campaign to be a strong voice for the women and families of California’s 33rd congressional district."[14]
The League of Conservation Voters endorsed Greuel along with a Democratic rival, Ted Lieu.[15]
2013
- See also: Los Angeles mayoral election, 2013
May 21 general
| Mayor of Los Angeles, General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric Garcetti |
54.2% | 222,300 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wendy Greuel | 45.8% | 187,609 | |
| Total Votes | 409,909 | |||
March 5 primary
| Mayor of Los Angeles, Primary Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric Garcetti |
33.1% | 121,930 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wendy Greuel |
29% | 106,748 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kevin James | 16.3% | 60,154 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jan Perry | 15.9% | 58,472 | |
| Nonpartisan | Emanuel Pleitez | 4.1% | 15,263 | |
| Nonpartisan | Norton Sandler | 0.5% | 2,002 | |
| Nonpartisan | Addie M. Miller | 0.5% | 1,810 | |
| Nonpartisan | Yehuda "Yj" Draiman | 0.4% | 1,543 | |
| Total Votes | 367,922 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Greuel lives in Studio City. She is married to Dean Schramm. They have a son, Thomas.[16]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Wendy + Greuel + California + Congress"
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- California's 33rd Congressional District elections, 2014
- California's 33rd Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Campaign website, accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Daily Breeze, "Filing period opens for March elections in South Bay, Los Angeles," November 11, 2012
- ↑ Los Angeles City Clerk, "Election results," May 21, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Los Angeles Times, "Wendy Greuel walks tightrope in mayor's race," January 7, 2013
- ↑ Campaign website, "Issues," accessed April 23, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Riordan agrees to debates over city retirement benefits plan," November 15, 2012
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Los Angeles Times, "L.A. mayoral candidates debate Riordan pension overhaul plan," November 15, 2012
- ↑ Los Angeles Daily News, "Los Angeles City Council votes to put sales tax hike on March ballot," November 13, 2012
- ↑ Los Angeles Daily News, "Los Angeles mayoral candidates unite against proposed sales tax hike," November 14, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 3, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Villaraigosa backs Wendy Greuel's congressional bid," February 4, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Kamala Harris endorses Wendy Greuel in race for Waxman's House seat," February 6, 2014
- ↑ EMILY's List, "EMILY’s List Endorses Wendy Greuel for Congress," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Conservation League backs two rivals for Waxman's House seat," April 18, 2014
- ↑ Campaign website, "About Wendy Greuel," accessed May 10, 2012
