sentences:  The primary was held on September 22, in which Krekorian placed first with 34% of the vote.A run-off was scheduled for December 8 and, aided by support from a number of public safety, environmental and Democratic groups, including Los Angeles Daily News, the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, Krekorian soundly defeated Christine Essel with more than 56% of the vote, despite being outspent 2-1 in overall campaign dollars and 13-1 in third-party political committee donations.Since taking office in January 2010, Krekorian has worked to improve the city's finances, ensure government transparency, preserve open space, and restore confidence in local government.