LA Mayor Eric Garcetti declares re-election victory

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared his re-election victory at a rally just two hours after polls closed to Los Angeles city and Los Angeles County residents on election night Tuesday.

The mayor spoke for only a few seconds before protesters in the crowd started screaming. They were there demanding he declare Los Angeles a sanctuary city before being removed from the event, held at the Laborers' Local 300 Union headquarters in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles.

After a few seconds, Garcetti acknowledged them.

"We understand and hear you. We are aligned in those values, ma'am," he announced. "We want to make sure that no child is denied the opportunity to go to college. No child should see their parent taken from them while dropping them off at school."

He faced 10 challengers in the mayoral race and he spent more than $3 million to try and get a solid win.

Garcetti has touted accomplishments that have occurred since he won his first term in 2013, including supporting a minimum wage hike, helping the economy by lowering the business tax, encouraging the entertainment industry through tax credits and helping pass a $1.2 billion measure in November to build housing for the homeless.

At the rally, Garcetti also had a message for officials in Washington D.C. "seeking to divide" L.A. residents.

"You will never divide this city, and you will never divide its people."

Some of his opponents argued that he has not done enough to combat crime and homelessness. Others fear that he has his sights set on higher public office and would leave his mayoral post to pursue such an ambition in 2018.