(Antonio Villaraigosa, pictured)
The politics of Hollywood continued here in Los Angeles yesterday. With almost all the votes counted in the Los Angeles Mayoral primary, Antonio Villaraigosa (33%) and James Hahn (24%) are poised to clash again in a May run-off. Hahn, the incumbent, defeated Villaraigosa in a bitter run-off in 2001. In that election, Hahn, relying on heavy support from blacks and moderates, successfully linked Villaraigosa to drug dealers and crime in a racially charged campaign. Villaraigosa drew support from labor, liberal blacks, Latino and Jewish voters.
This time, the roles have reversed somewhat. Villaraigosa, a charismatic man who is comfortable in all settings, is drawing enthusiastic African American support. This time, however, labor unions endorsed Mayor Hahn because of his support for a huge expansion of LAX.
TheStateOf: African Americans and Jewish voters in Los Angeles are the most heavily courted voters in the City because of their heavy voting patterns and their traditionally deep political involvement. Although it is difficult for an African American to win a citywide election, elections tend to swing on the strength of the black vote. In this election, Villaraigosa has gone to great lengths to secure black support. He has been endorsed by the leading black clergy as well as John Mack, the CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, which almost assures he’ll capture upwards of 60% of the black vote. But even if Villaraigosa loses, Hahn will still receive significant black support. Thus, it’s a win-win situation.
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