Garcetti bested Reiner in the non-partisan June primary (where the top two candidates would advance should no candidate win an absolute majority), taking 34 percent to Reiner's 25, outpacing the incumbent by more than 100,000 votes. In September 1992, just two months before the general election, Reiner announced that he was suspending his campaign, saying he could not stomach the negative tactics he felt that were needed to win. California law allowed candidates to be removed from the ballot only if they died more than 59 days before the election, so Reiner remained on the ballot.
In the non-partisan June primary, Garcetti defeated Reiner with a higher vote share and outperformed the incumbent by a significant margin. Two months before the general election in September 1992, Reiner suspended his campaign due to negative tactics he found unacceptable. California law allowed candidates to be removed from the ballot only if they died more than 59 days prior to an election, keeping Reiner on the ballot.