The defeat of Wendy Greuel in Tuesday?s mayoral runoff came as a disappointment to organized labor. Greuel had the support of about 30 unions and locals, who made hefty financial contributions to her campaign. Her opponent, Eric Garcetti, was able to convince many voters that these means were an end to buying the election. The defeat of Greuel as well as two other union-backed candidates has sparked questions about the future of labor?s role in elections.
See "Elections deal a blow to L.A. unions", James Rainey and Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2013