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Thursday's latest filing of campaign finance reports in the mayoral race shows the top two candidates essentially as matched in fundraising as they are in positions on the issues. There's no real news in the numbers, so to sum up:
Total raised:
Garcetti:$4,138,938
Greuel: $4,078,547
Total spent:
Garcetti: $3,501,589
Greuel: $3,154,086
Cash left for final 12 days:
Greuel: $1,668,319
Garcetti: $1,504,723
Of course, this is half-theater. Both candidates are still raising as madly as they can. Greuel has unions and some Hollywood friends spending big on her behalf, and there's an independent committee brewing in Garcetti's behalf. For just the latest filing period, Greuel was a little ahead with $473,582 raised to $452,819 for Garcetti.
As for the others — It's now possible that Austin Beutner, the former deputy mayor who dropped out of the race months ago, will end up having outspent the other three candidates who are actively campaigning: Jan Perry, Kevin James and Emanuel Pleitez. Perry is the only one close. Of course, James will be getting the benefit of that Republican-oriented committee that is raising and spending for him.
What the reporters see in the latest filings:
"Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti remain locked in a tight fundraising battle, with the front-runners in Los Angeles' mayoral contest each raising just under a half-million dollars in recent weeks and both showing ample cash reserves to wage a vigorous effort in the closing days of the primary campaign." Seema Mehta and Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times
"With the primary election just 11 days away, donations to independent campaigns are mounting fast in high-stakes races for mayor and school board." Rick Orlov and Barbara Jones, Daily News
"Controller Wendy Greuel raised more money over the last month than Councilman Eric Garcetti, her top rival in the race for L.A. mayor, and has more cash in the bank with less than two weeks to go before the March 5 primary." Gene Maddaus, LA Weekly
"With just 12 days to go until the primary, mayoral frontrunners Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel remain neck-and-neck in fundraising, according to the latest figures filed to the City of L.A. Ethics Commission." Alice Walton, KPCC
