Antonio Villaraigosa Elected L.A. Mayor

[shawmut]

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago

LOS ANGELES - Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa unseated Mayor James Hahn on Tuesday to become the city's first Hispanic mayor in more than a century, confirming the rising political power of Latinos in the nation's second-largest city.

After a lackluster term tainted by corruption allegations at City Hall, Hahn was turned out of office in favor of a high school dropout and son of the barrio who turned his life around to become speaker of the California Assembly and then a member of the Los Angeles City Council.

With 70 percent of precincts reporting, Villaraigosa had 202,861 votes, or 59 percent, to 140,416 votes for Hahn, or 41 percent.

<snip>

Villaraigosa, 52, positioned himself as a unity candidate who would bridge racial and ethnic groups in a city that is 48 percent Hispanic, 31 percent white, 11 percent Asian and 10 percent black. The Democrat lined up marquee endorsements from John Kerry to basketball legend Magic Johnson.



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050518/ap_on_el_gu/la_mayor

[Rainscents]

1. This is great news for LA!!!

[ConfuZed]

2. This is bad news for LA!!!

:sarcasm:

[LeftCoast]

3. Congrats Mayor Villaraigosa!

:toast: :party: :toast:

[Up2Late]

4. Finally, a Mayor that will be able to pronounce the city's name correctly

Good Luck Mr. Mayor:applause:

[Piperay]

5. This is WONDERFUL!

Villaraigosa should have been mayor 4 years ago, I am so GLAD that he got in this time! :bounce:

[ronnykmarshall]

12. You can say that again.

Hahn ran a FILTHY race in 2001. He's been a lousy mayor.

I'm glad he's out.

Tony rocks!!

We are going to see more of him, not just in LA.

[Jack_DeLeon]

6. Thats great news.

[maddezmom]

7. kick to combine

[shawn703]

8. Villaraigosa claims victory in Los Angeles mayor's election

Los Angeles city councilman Antonio Villaraigosa ousted incumbent Jim Hahn from the mayor's office in Tuesday's election, results reported Wednesday morning showed.

Villaraigosa, who will become the city's first Latino mayor since 1872, said Hahn conceded defeat "in a gracious manner" shortly after midnight.

With 99.81 percent of precincts counted, Villaraigosa had 59 percent of the vote, while Hahn had 41 percent.


more...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/18/content_2973110.htm

[longship]

9. They're calling it a landslide..

...and it is.

Dems back in power in SoCal. YES!!!

Now we only have to find somebody to run against the DINOs Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) and Sen. Feinstein (D-CA).

Kick 'em out. Kick 'em all out.

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Hahn is also a Democrat.

[bobbieinok]

10. claim this truly a multiethnic victory....supported by blacks and Hispanic

Hispanics (pre-election story on NPR)

[alarcojon]

13. More on that here

http://ktla.trb.com/news/local/ktla-me-exit19may19-lat,0,4802554.story?coll=ktla-news-1

By overwhelming margins, Villaraigosa captured Democrats, liberals and younger voters, according to a Times exit poll. He also won a majority of San Fernando Valley residents, union members and Jewish voters. His support among blacks more than doubled from what he won in his 2001 mayoral contest against Hahn — although it fell just shy of half.

...snip...

Villaraigosa, who won 48% of the black vote, had campaigned aggressively for African American support. A large group of black leaders who backed Hahn in 2001 — among them former basketball star Magic Johnson, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and various church pastors — abandoned the mayor this year and vouched for Villaraigosa. An ebullient Johnson helped introduce the winning candidate at his victory party.

"The really interesting and intriguing question is what happens to relations between Latinos and blacks now," Sonenshein said. "Because by no means is this the sign of a full-scale coalition. But it is certainly a bridgehead in what could have been a purely competitive relationship."