Leftist Latino set to become L.A. mayor -- vote today

Latino bidding for history in L.A. mayor's race

Mon May 16, 2005 06:34 PM ET
By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Antonio Villaraigosa is favored on Tuesday to become the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since the 19th century in what could be a landmark election in one of America's most ethnically diverse cities.



Villaraigosa, a charismatic Mexican immigrant's son, faces incumbent mayor and political veteran James Hahn in a race that has been characterized as style over substance -- and by some as the political future versus the past in the country's second most populous city.

Both Villaraigosa, 52, and Hahn, 54 are Democrats and have few policy differences. Both men ran for mayor in 2001 with Hahn emerging a narrow winner after a divisive campaign. Both also have history on their minds. Hahn risks becoming the first incumbent L.A. mayor to be voted out of office since 1973.

According to recent surveys, Villaraigosa is running about 11 percentage points ahead of Hahn in his bid to become the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872.

more: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8507928

p.s. Villaraigosa was Kerry's California campaign chief.

Heard them both speak and was very, very impressed.

Unfortunately, I live in Pasadena, so I can't vote for the Mayor of LA.

But I'd much rather have the "Leftist Latino" than the jackass who's currently running the city.

and I live right by there...my hub and I are both DEFINITELY voting for Antonio tomorrow.

I lived in Pasadena for years up until real estate developers started going buck wild with building luxury apt/townhomes on every street. The traffic is becoming a nightmare.

Villaraigosa once came into a coffee shop where my sister worked in Eagle Rock (called "Swork"). He was having a meeting with some associates and afterwards he worked the room shaking hands with the customers.

I have a feeling he'll be good for LA.

of altadena.

Lake and Woodbury

I'd guess 5 at the most. Hahn is running an attack ad with a mother saying Villaraigosa cast the lone vote against a bill that would have saved her child from being killed by a child molester.

Sheesh.

I think he's been given a bad rap. the only reason he is losing this election is because he had the guts to fire the incompetent Police Chief Parks and replace him with someone who knew what they were doing.

Antonio's fine. I've met him a few times, but he is a wishy washy politician, not particularly principled. He tells you what you want to hear.

We can have different opinins, and both are welcomed into the party. There is no goose-stepping here.


P.S. Welcome to Du IrishBloodEngHeart. :hi:

They are both democrats, so we are free to choose. I think Antonio will be fine, I just would rather keep Hahn for four more years and then let Antonio have his shot.

But Hahn couldn't have screwed Parks and his supporters harder if he'd been trying. In fact I kind of think he WAS trying.

Hahn, Sr was a visionary and an inspiration; it seems that he and Bradley alone had the foresight to see a more vibrant, modern LA. Hahn, Jr's place in history will be secure given his admirable efforts to unite the city during the divisive sucession movement several years back. I have faith that Villaraigosa will be a fine mayor if elected; he certainly has more progressive views on transit, and vows to be involved with Metro.

And I'm proud. Can't wait until he is our mayor. (I voted absentee.)

:toast:

By Michael R. Blood
ASSOCIATED PRESS
8:55 p.m. May 17, 2005

LOS ANGELES – Mayor James Hahn and Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa were nearly deadlocked in early returns Tuesday as the incumbent struggled to hold his job despite a City Hall fundraising scandal and Villaraigosa sought to become the city's first Hispanic mayor since the 19th century.

Unofficial tally of mail-in ballots showed Villaraigosa with 61,435 votes, or 51 percent, to 58,045, or 49 percent, for Hahn. Returns from polling places had yet to be counted.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20050517-2055-ca-lamayor.html