L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer heads to March election with no opponent; charter school founder drops mayoral bid

Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer won’t have an opponent on the March 7 municipal ballot, leaving him all but guaranteed a victory in his bid for a second and final term.

No one stepped forward to run against Feuer, who was first elected to the post in 2013. In a statement, Feuer said he is “honored once again to have the opportunity to serve the people of Los Angeles.�

“We have much more to do, and we’re just getting started,� he said.

Wednesday was the deadline for candidates to turn in their nominating petitions.

Would-be candidates still have the option of mounting a write-in challenge to Feuer or other city incumbents. But in L.A. city elections, that strategy is an extremely unlikely path to victory.

In other contests, 12 people turned in petitions to run against Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is seeking his second and final term. But charter school founder Steve Barr, who had announced a mayoral bid in June, was not one of them.

In a Facebook post, Barr told his followers he had abandoned his run for mayor after gathering almost 900 signatures. “I am so sorry to have let you down,� he wrote.

Candidates must have at least 500 valid voter signatures, or 1,000 if they wish to avoid paying a filing fee. Barr did not pay the fee, according to the city clerk’s update on candidate petitions.

Twenty-two people submitted petitions to run for a northeast San Fernando Valley seat on the City Council, which was vacated by former Councilman Felipe Fuentes in September. An additional 29 turned in signatures to run for seven other council seats. And two filed petitions to run for city controller, including the incumbent, Ron Galperin.

The list of candidates could still shrink, as officials in the city clerk’s office verify voter signatures on each petition. Those who lack sufficient signatures will not qualify for the ballot.

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Twitter: @DavidZahniser

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