Kevin James

Wendy Greuel Slams Kevin James In Attack Mailer, But Courted Him For Weeks In Text Exchange

Wendy Greuel's mayoral campaign has launched an attack on Eric Garcetti with direct mail targeted at the African-American and Latino communities. In two similar mailers, the Greuel campaign highlights Garcetti's endorsement from white Republican Kevin James, who finished third in the March 5 primary ... More >>

Kevin James Joins A Growing List of Conservatives Who Back Liberal Eric Garcetti in L.A. Mayor's Race

Former mayoral candidate Kevin James endorsed Eric Garcetti today, making him the latest conservative to side with the liberal councilman out of concern that Controller Wendy Greuel is too beholden to unions.James, a former conservative radio host, joins bloggers Michael Higby, of Mayor Sam, and Pau ... More >>

Richard Riordan Backs Wendy Greuel As His Third Choice For Mayor Of L.A.

Former Mayor Richard Riordan has had a rough go of it in this year's mayoral campaign. First, he enthusiastically backed Austin Beutner, whose campaign fizzled on the launchpad. Then, he threw his clout behind a former radio talk show host, Kevin James, who lost in the March 5 primary. (In betw ... More >>

Emanuel Pleitez Endorses Former Rival Eric Garcetti in Mayoral Race

Read L.A. Weekly feature story "Meet Emanuel Pleitez." That was quick. Los Angeles mayoral candidates Kevin James and Jan Perry are still figuring out if they'll endorse primary winners Wendy Greuel or Eric Garcetti, but Emanuel Pleitez announced on Saturday that he's backing Garcetti. "Eric Gar ... More >>

Los Angeles' Historic Election Night for Gay Candidates Underlines 'Gay Okay' Trend in United States

While local media and L.A. political leaders are bemoaning the city's embarrassingly low voter turnout on Election Day, something quite positive, even historic, happened last Tuesday night: Gay candidates across Los Angeles kicked butt. Many gay politicos can't think of an election in Los Angeles h ... More >>

Los Angeles Mayoral Election Map: Bodacious Digital Tool Reveals how Every Neighborhood has Voted Since 2001

Who did your neighbor vote for in the last four L.A. mayoral elections? Would you love a crystal ball to tell you if Wendy Greuel or Eric Garcetti becomes L.A. mayor on May 21, 2013? Now you can figure it out -- well, almost. Ben Welsh and Thomas Lauder of the Los Angeles Times Data Desk created ... More >>

Los Angeles Mayoral Results: Eric Garcetti And Wendy Greuel Heading To May Runoff

Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel appear headed to a mayoral runoff in May, after taking the top two spots in Tuesday's primary election.With about 42% of precincts reporting, Garcetti had 34% of the vote to Greuel's 29%. The third place contender, Councilwoman Jan Perry, trailed ... More >>

Los Angeles City Council District 11 Primary Results: Mike Bonin Wins Resounding Victory

In the Los Angeles City Council District 11 race, Mike Bonin, the longtime chief of staff to outgoing District 11 Councilman Bill Rosendahl, won a resounding victory on Tuesday night and will replace his boss. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Bonin earned 17,566 votes or 61.19 percent. Sin ... More >>

Los Angeles City Council District 11 Primary: Absentee Ballot Results Show Mike Bonin Leading by Large Margin

In the Los Angeles City Council District 11 race, frontrunner Mike Bonin, the longtime chief of staff to outgoing District 11 Councilman Bill Rosendahl, is expected to win big. But just how big? Will he grab more than 50 percent tonight and avoid a May runoff? As of now, Bonin is cleaning up with 6 ... More >>

Los Angeles City Council District 11 Primary Results: Mike Bonin Running Away with Race

In the Los Angeles City Council District 11 race, frontrunner Mike Bonin, the longtime chief of staff to outgoing District 11 Councilman Bill Rosendahl, is expected to win big. But just how big? Will he grab more than 50 percent tonight and avoid a May runoff? With more than 30 percent of precincts ... More >>

Mayoral Underdog Kevin James Gets Booty Shakin' Hip Hop Campaign Song

Los Angeles mayoral candidates Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti may have the slick TV ads, but Kevin James now has one heck of an unofficial campaign song, with a polished video to boot. In fact, James should seriously consider playing Luke Caldwell's hip hop ditty at all his events. Caldwell, 26, is ... More >>

Wendy Greuel And Eric Garcetti Headed To Mayoral Runoff, According To New Private Poll

A new private poll shows Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilman Eric Garcetti advancing to a runoff in the race for L.A. mayor, with Greuel taking a slight lead ahead of the March 5 primary vote.The poll was paid for by a Greuel-friendly source who declined to be identified, and conducted by a profe ... More >>

John Arnold And Feliciano Serrano: Two Six-Figure Contributors Make Late Plays In L.A. Mayor's Race

Two men with little previous connection to L.A. politics are putting six-figure sums into the race for mayor in the final week of the campaign.John Arnold, a retired Enron trader who made billions running a Houston-based hedge fund, gave $200,000 to the committee supporting Kevin James.More oddly, D ... More >>

Kevin James' Super PAC Not As "Bipartisan" As Advertised: Second Donor Is Conservative Too

Mayoral candidate Kevin James has taken some heat over the financial support he's received from Harold Simmons, the right-wing Texas billionaire who has spent $600,000 backing his campaign, and who thinks President Obama is "the most dangerous American alive."In response, James has argued that the m ... More >>

Mayoral Candidate Kevin James and Education Reformers Speak Out About Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel's Silence on Parent Trigger

UPDATE, 5 p.m.: Eric Garcetti breaks silence on Parent Trigger. After the jump. UPDATE, 4 p.m.: Wendy Greuel tells L.A. Weekly she supports the Parent Trigger. Eric Garcetti is now the only mayoral candidate who remains to be silent. After the jump. After Los Angeles Unified School District board ... More >>

Eric Garcetti, Who Railed For Months Against "Super PACs," Now Has One Of His Own

For the last three months, Eric Garcetti has been railing against the "super PACs" that support his rivals in the race for mayor. In fundraising e-mails, the Garcetti campaign has warned repeatedly about the ills of outside money.Said one such appeal: "A few people with a vested interest in the elec ... More >>

New TV Ad Offers Voters A Stark Choice: Kevin James Or Bankruptcy?

A new TV ad supporting Kevin James' campaign for mayor will start running tomorrow, making him the third candidate with a spot on the airwaves.The ad is the second one in a week to raise the specter of bankruptcy. This one contends that the three City Hall veterans in the race -- Wendy Greuel, Eric ... More >>

Los Angeles Unified School District Approves Historic Parent Trigger, L.A. Mayoral Candidates Weigh In Or Stay Mum

Elected board members of the Los Angeles Unified School District -- the second largest public school system in the country -- unanimously approved a Parent Trigger for the 24th Street Elementary School in West Adams. It's a first for L.A. Unified, and Los Angeles mayoral candidates are weighing in o ... More >>

Hard-Charging Mayoral Candidate Kevin James Takes Aim at Wendy Greuel with 'WendyWatch'

While the Los Angeles mayor's race hasn't been the most inspiring contest -- frontrunners Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel have been so careful with what they say that the average voter probably has no idea what one of them will do if elected mayor -- candidate Kevin James has been trying his best to ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa Led The Way On Education Reform, But His Potential Successors Are Reluctant To Pick Up The Torch

For the last eight years, education reformers have had a staunch ally in the L.A. mayor's office. From the start of his administration, Antonio Villaraigosa showed he was willing to fight the teachers' unions, and to pay a political price for it.But in a few months, Villaraigosa will be gone. And at ... More >>

Mayor's Race: Video Backing Kevin James Portrays His Rivals As Foxes Guarding The City Hall Henhouse

Everybody who's following the L.A. mayor's race has been eagerly awaiting the gonzo TV spots in support of ex-radio host Kevin James.Well, wait no more.Fred Davis, the guy behind the Demon Sheep ad, has produced a 4-minute web video that portrays the top three contenders as foxes guarding the h ... More >>

Harold Simmons, Right-Wing Texas Billionaire, Throws In Another $500,000 For Kevin James

Harold Simmons, the conservative Texas billionaire, has kicked in another $500,000 to back Republican candidate Kevin James, making him by far the biggest spender thus far in the L.A. mayor's race.Simmons is known as a lavish supporter of conservative causes. During the presidential election, he gav ... More >>

Two New Polls Offer Murky Picture Of L.A. Mayor's Race

Today we have two new polls of the L.A. mayor's race, with two different results. Both of them have some problems which make them less than totally reliable.The first is from Survey USA, a reputable polling firm that uses robocalls. It shows Councilman Eric Garcetti with an 8-point lead over Co ... More >>

Mayor's Race: Harold Simmons, Kevin James' Super PAC Backer, Called Obama "That Socialist"

If former radio host Kevin James was counting on his super PAC to carry him to victory in the L.A. mayor's race, he may have to think again.The Better Way L.A. committee, which had announced plans to raise $4 million, disclosed today that it had brought in just $200,000 as of Dec. 31.Half of that ca ... More >>

Kevin James' Mayoral Dreams Get Legs

Gay Republican moderate attracts big GOP cash in Los Angeles

Mayor's Race: Wendy Greuel Joins Calls To "Let Emanuel Pleitez Debate!"

A few minutes into Saturday night's L.A. mayoral debate, a group of demonstrators stood up and demanded that outsider candidate Emanuel Pleitez be allowed to participate."Let Pleitez debate!" they chanted, as the KABC feed went to black. Though they were escorted out, Pleitez had a powerful all ... More >>

L.A. Mayor's Race: "Exit Poll" Shows Eric Garcetti And Wendy Greuel Atop The Field

Update: Not even Garcetti believes he's winning. More below.What better way to start off the week than with a dubious poll of the L.A. mayor's race?Fernando Guerra, of Loyola Marymount's Center for the Study of Los Angeles, has conducted an "exit poll" which purports to show Councilman Eric Garcetti ... More >>

Will Gay Voters Support Gay Republican Kevin James in 2013 Los Angeles Mayoral Run?

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Kevin James, a gay Republican, recently got a boost to his campaign when Republican political consultant Fred Davis created a "super PAC" to help James win. Davis plans to raise $3.5 million through a pro-James independent committee called Better Way L.A. Davis and oth ... More >>

Eric Garcetti And Wendy Greuel Play Nice At First Mayoral Debate

In the first debate of the 2013 mayor's race on Wednesday, Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel came out of their corners, touched gloves, and then did not take a swing at each other for the rest of the night.Instead, the two frontrunners spent most of the night agreeing with each other on business taxati ... More >>

Kevin James, Non-Entity in L.A. Mayor's Race, Latches on to Non-Issue, Rape Kits

Gay Republican mayoral candidate Kevin James, who has no shot at becoming the leader of L.A. City Hall, has finally found the issue that could turn things around for his campaign: Rape kits. That's right, the would-be mayor and conservative radio (870 KRLA AM) talk show host today hanged his star ... More >>

Adam Carolla Gave Money To Eric Garcetti's Mayoral Campaign, But Has No Idea Who He Is

Comedian Adam Carolla -- of radio, TV and podcast fame -- made a contribution to Eric Garcetti's mayoral bid back in April.But don't take that as an endorsement. In fact, in a recent podcast segment, it became clear that Carolla has no idea who Garcetti is.Once he figures it all out, Carolla likely ... More >>

L.A. Mayoral Hopefuls -- Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel -- Tap Westside For Cash

Candidates for the office of Los Angeles mayor are getting nearly half of their money (42 percent) from out of town and nearly one-fifth of it (18 percent) from ritzy Westside neighborhoods, according to a California Common Cause report released today. If you think that special interests control na ... More >>

Cerrell Mayoral Debates Canceled; Eric Garcetti And Wendy Greuel Cite Scheduling Problems

​Last December, Cerrell & Associates announced a series of six mayoral debates, set to begin this month. The debates -- they actually called them "conversations" -- were to focus on a series of issues, and would have been the first opportunity to take a substantive measure of the field.So much ... More >>

Wendy Greuel Raises $1.1 Million For Mayor's Bid; Eric Garcetti Close Behind

​Updated. Controller Wendy Greuel announced today that she has raised a total of $1.11 million in the 2013 race for L.A. mayor, giving her a slim advantage over Councilman Eric Garcetti.Garcetti announced today that he had raised $1.06 million since joining the race in September. Greuel launched h ... More >>

Laying Odds on Mayoral Race

2013 Los Angeles Mayor Race: Who Has the Best Chance of Replacing Antonio Villaraigosa?

Who will replace this guy, Antonio Villaraigosa, as the next mayor of L.A.?​Update: Link to L.A. Weeklyexclusive on who the experts say will be the next mayor. Believe it or not, someone wants to be the next mayor of Los Angeles in 2013, when Antonio Villaraigosa will be termed out of office ... More >>

Zev Yaroslavsky Will Replace Antonio Villaraigosa as Mayor, Experts Predict

If Zev runs, he’s the man to beat in 2013

Kevin James Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Reconfirms He's A Gay Republican

L.A. mayoral candidate Kevin James​Radio talk show host Kevin James wants Los Angeles voters to know that he's a registered Republican who wants to be the first openly gay mayor of L.A. "There's no doubt that if I became the first openly gay mayor of Los Angeles," James tells L.A. Weekly, "i ... More >>

Radio Host Kevin James Kicks Off Mayoral Campaign With Shots At Rick Caruso and Austin Beutner

Kevin James​Updated below, 3 p.m.: James can stay on the radio, as long as he doesn't talk about the campaign.Talk radio host Kevin James kicked off his campaign for L.A. mayor this morning with a couple of shots at fellow contenders Austin Beutner and Rick Caruso.James is a long shot, partly beca ... More >>

Talk Radio Host Kevin James Is Running For Mayor

Kevin James​The insurgent candidates for L.A. City Hall took a shellacking at the polls last week. But if you thought they'd retreat to lick their wounds, think again.Today, Kevin James is declaring his candidacy for mayor.No, not Paul Blart, mall cop -- the other Kevin James.The talk radio host. ... More >>

Rescue Me Comedy Tour's Denis Leary Exercises His First Amendment Rights, And Then Some

To kick off the fifth season of his FX drama Rescue Me, star Denis Leary brought a collection of fellow stand-ups (who just happened to be series regulars) together for the 11-city Rescue Me Comedy Tour... his first large-scale jaunt in 12 years. While the Saturday-night crowd seemed to be comprised ... More >>

GO LA: Rum, Sodomy and John Waters’ Filthy World

Plus plenty of high-brow, March 13-19

CRACK UP, WRITE A CHECK, GO HOME

Movie Reviews: Hotel for Dogs, Notorious, Paul Blart, Mall Cop

Also, My Bloody Valentine 3D and Owl and the Sparrow

Max Alexander: Who Is He Kidney?

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry: Friends With Benefits

Chuck and Larry pretend to be gay and turn out to be humanists

Shine On, You Crazy Loft-Liver

What to do in Los Angeles this week

Film Reviews

Barnyard, Brothers of the Head, The Night Listener and more

Terror Logic

Family Patter

Kindred spirits and sitcoms