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Eric Garcetti Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 February 1971

Age52 Years

BirthplaceLos Angeles, California, United States

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusMarried

SpouseAmy Elaine Wakeland

FamilyItalian-Mexican paternal family; Russian-Jewish maternal family

Eric Garcetti Biography

Eric Michael Garcetti is an American politician from Los Angeles who has served in city government for decades, including as mayor. He is known for his re‑

Early life and background

Eric Michael Garcetti was born on February 4, 1971, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in the city he would later represent, he comes from a mixed ethnic background: his paternal family has Italian and Mexican roots and his maternal family is Russian-Jewish. He attended local schools including the UCLA Lab School and Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles before pursuing higher education at Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and urban planning and later a Master of International Affairs from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. His studies also included time at Queen’s College, University of Oxford, and graduate work at the London School of Economics toward a PhD in ethnicity and nationalism.

Garcetti identifies with Judaism and has described growing closer to the faith during his college years. Outside politics, he has long-standing interests in music and the arts: he plays jazz piano, composes music, and practices photography.

Career

Garcetti’s public career began on the Los Angeles City Council. He was first elected to represent Council District 13 in 2001 and won re-election in 2005 and 2009. During his council tenure he also served as council president beginning in 2006. In 2012 he stepped down from the council to pursue broader city leadership.

In 2013 Garcetti became mayor of Los Angeles. He was re-elected to the mayoralty in 2017. In 2021 he received a nomination for the position of United States Ambassador to India.

Over the years Garcetti has been recognized with a range of honors related to environmental leadership and public service. Among the awards noted in his record are a Green Cross Millennium Award for local environmental leadership, a New Frontier Award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and recognition from the NAACP as Person of the Year in 2014. Academic honors include an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Whittier College. He has also received local business and civic awards related to policy initiatives such as business tax reform.

Public profile

Garcetti has been a high-profile municipal leader whose actions and decisions have drawn public attention and controversy at times. Incidents that attracted scrutiny include a 2014 collision in which an LAPD vehicle transporting the mayor struck a pedestrian; Garcetti visited the injured woman in hospital and publicly expressed his concern for her recovery. In the same year, he faced a minor public backlash after using profanity during a celebratory speech at a championship event, an episode for which he later apologized to anyone offended.

Other controversies documented during his years in office include the use of an official email account to send an endorsement message in 2015 that should have been sent via campaign channels, questions around campaign donations tied to a landscaping company mentioned in a 2016 speech, and scrutiny over communications and decisions during the 2018 Woolsey Fire. In 2020, reports and legal filings raised allegations about sexual misconduct by a senior advisor and raised questions about how those matters were handled internally. That year Garcetti also authorized a policy to allow utility shutoffs for properties where large COVID-era gatherings reoccurred, a move that prompted debate about enforcement powers and public health.

Garcetti is a member of the Democratic Party and has maintained a public presence as mayor of a major American city; his profile has included civic, environmental, cultural, and policy-focused initiatives alongside the controversies noted above.

Personal life

Garcetti is married to Amy Elaine Wakeland. He is approximately 183 cm (6 feet) tall and his listed weight is about 80 kg (176 lbs). His eye color is described as light brown and his hair as salt-and-pepper. He is a non-vegetarian and continues to be involved with musical pursuits such as jazz piano and composition.

Latest updates

In 2021 Garcetti was nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to India. His public record continues to include both civic achievements and matters that have drawn public and media attention during his long tenure in Los Angeles government.
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Recent Work

Mayor of Los Angeles

Served as mayor of Los Angeles; first appointed in 2013 and re-elected in 2017.

2013–2017 and beyond
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Career Highlights

  1. Elected to Los Angeles City Council District 13 in 2001; re-elected 2005 and 2009
  2. Became Los Angeles City Council president in 2006
  3. Elected mayor of Los Angeles in 2013 and re-elected in 2017
  4. Nominated for U.S. Ambassador to India in 2021
  5. Recipient of multiple awards for environmental leadership and public service
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Eric Garcetti born?

4 February 1971

What is Eric Garcetti known for?

Politician

What is Eric Garcetti’s marital status?

Married

Who is Eric Garcetti married to?

Amy Elaine Wakeland