L.A. Council President Nury Martinez 'seriously considering' a bid for mayor, advisor says

David Zahniser
·2 min read
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 14, 2020 Los Angeles City Council 6th district representative Nury Martinez addresses the crowded city council chambers Tuesday for the first time as President of the City Council. A daughter of Mexican immigrants she becomes the first Latina to presided over Los Angeles City Council meetings as President chosen unanimously by the City Council last December. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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With the election for Los Angeles mayor one year off, the list of City Hall politicians seeking the job remains exceedingly short — just City Atty. Mike Feuer and Councilman Joe Buscaino.

The field of elected officials who are leaving the door open, on the other hand, is growing. On Wednesday, a representative of Council President Nury Martinez said she is weighing a run to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti in the June 2022 election.

Martinez political consultant Roy Behr said the councilwoman, who has represented part of the San Fernando Valley since 2013, began examining the idea after spending the last year helping families recover from "the devastating effects of the pandemic."

"People who have watched her help lead the city through the last year are asking her to run for mayor," Behr said. "As someone committed to advocating for the working families, women and children of L.A., it’s something she is seriously considering."

The election talk at City Hall intensified this week amid reports that Garcetti, who faces term limits, is being considered by the Biden administration as a possible nominee for U.S. ambassador to India. Garcetti's second and final term is scheduled to end in December 2022.

Councilmen Mark Ridley-Thomas and Kevin de León repeatedly declined to rule out a mayoral bid on the campaign trail last year. Councilman Paul Krekorian also hasn't dismissed the possibility, an advisor said.

Jessica Lall, president and chief executive of the Central City Assn., is also considering a run for the post, as is real estate developer Rick Caruso.

Martinez represents the Valley neighborhoods of Van Nuys, Arleta, Sun Valley, Panorama City and Lake Balboa. A former school board member, she became the council's first Latina president in January 2020 and spent the last year heading the council's ad hoc committee on COVID-19 relief.

That panel allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid to help Angelenos pay their rent, cover their utility bills and find housing, among other things.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.