LA Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated as ambassador to India by President Biden

Confirming rumors that have circulated for weeks, President Joe Biden nominated Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti Friday to become U.S. ambassador to India.

“Today, the president announced that I am his nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to India. I am honored to accept his nomination to serve in this role,” Garcetti said in a statement. “I love Los Angeles and will always be an Angeleno. I want you to know that every day I am your mayor, I will continue to lead this city like it is my first day on the job, with passion, focus, and determination.

“I have committed my life to service — as an activist, as a teacher, as a naval officer, as a public servant, and if confirmed, next as an ambassador. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call. And should I be confirmed, I’ll bring this same energy, commitment, and love for this city to my new role and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles.”

Garcetti, who has reached his term limit and cannot seek another four years as mayor, is scheduled to leave office in December 2022, but would vacate the position early if confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The city charter assigns the City Council president, currently Nury Martinez, to serve as acting mayor when the mayor is out of the state. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Martinez would become acting mayor until an interim mayor is appointed by the council or a special election is held.

The council is unlikely to schedule a special election, since the mayoral primary is already set for June 2022.

“Mayor Garcetti has served the city of Los Angeles for more than two decades, eight of those as mayor,” City Council President Nury Martinez said in a statement. “From raising the minimum wage to managing the COVID-19 crisis, I have always been grateful for our partnership and I have no doubt he’ll do amazing things in this new role. The city is designed to adapt and sustain change and we will press on, laser focused on delivering on our promise to rebuild a more resilient Los Angeles.”

Rumors began in early May that Biden was considering Garcetti for the ambassadorship, but the mayor’s office initially said it was speculative and that the mayor was focused on guiding the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. Garcetti served as national co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign.

“I’ll still be here probably for some months, and I’m going to run through that tape of loving every single day that I’m honored to be your mayor,” Garcetti said Friday afternoon on KNX Newsradio.

The White House’s announcement Friday cited Garcetti’s responsibilities overseeing the Western Hemisphere’s busiest container port, the Port of Los Angeles; the largest municipal utility in the country, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; one of the busiest airports, Los Angeles International Airport; and his time as chair of the second-busiest transit agency, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The White House also credited him with leading the city’s successful bid to host the 2028 Olympics and co-founding Climate Mayors, a coalition of 400 U.S. mayors that adopted the Paris Climate agreement.

Garcetti told KNX that having Biden ask him to consider a role as ambassador to India was “unexpected,” adding that “Los Angeles can’t reach its goals if the world doesn’t reach theirs, and vice versa.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Garcetti “is an excellent choice to serve as U.S. ambassador to India. The importance of India to the global economy and national security will only continue to grow over the coming years, and having a steady hand to guide our relationship with that nation is vital.

“A public servant for 20 years, Mayor Garcetti is devoted to serving our country. He also has a firm grasp on a wide range of issues from immigration and the economy to environmental protection and the critical role of human rights. Mayor Garcetti, as the grandson and great-grandson of immigrants, is committed to economic opportunity and justice for all, two bedrock American values that he will effectively champion in India. I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Garcetti in the years to come.”

Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Mark Gonzalez added, “Mayor Garcetti has been a transformative and consistent leader, not only in his time as council president but as mayor. From Vice President (Kamala) Harris to (Health and Human Services) Secretary (Xavier) Becerra and others, California, and especially Los Angeles, is continuing to lead our nation and now represent us around the globe.”

The nomination comes amid the city’s exploding homeless population and a lawsuit against the city and county by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, an association of downtown residents, homeless individuals and property owners seeking to compel local governments to find shelter for the thousands of people camping on city sidewalks. The city and county are seeking to vacate a judge’s order requiring officials to offer shelter to every homeless person on Skid Row by Oct. 18.

The nomination also comes amid accusations of misconduct and a mafia-like culture of silence within the mayor’s office, which Garcetti claims he hasn’t witnessed. His former adviser, Rick Jacobs, has been accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by a Los Angeles Police Department officer.

The officer claims Garcetti witnessed the misconduct but turned a blind eye to it. Garcetti has denied the allegation.

In his interview Friday on KNX, Garcetti said he wasn’t concerned about the reports affecting his confirmation process.

“I have high expectations and standards for everybody who works for me and around me and a long history of having zero tolerance for any sort of harassment or hostile workplace, so I’m confident and I appreciate the confidence from the president and from the White House,” Garcetti said.

Last month, Garcetti asked his chief of staff, Ana Guerrero, to step away from her management duties in response to revelations by the Los Angeles Times that she posted disparaging remarks in a private Facebook group about labor and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. The Times also reported that Guerrero posted suggested comments about Director of Planning Vince Bertoni, who was hired by Garcetti in 2016.

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