Posted on 03/09/2005 11:31:14 AM PST by ambrose
Hahn, Villaraigosa to fight rematch in LA mayoral runoff
- By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
(03-09) 10:47 PST Los Angeles (AP) --
Incumbent Mayor James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa will fight for leadership of the nation's second-largest city in a May runoff after mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg conceded defeat Wednesday,
"I called Mayor Hahn this morning and congratulated him on his victory," Hertzberg said during a morning news conference.
Nearly 24,000 absentee and other ballots remained to be counted, but Hertzberg trailed by Hahn by 5,800 votes, a margin his campaign concluded was too great.
The decision puts Hahn in a May 17 runoff with Villaraigosa, who is within striking distance of becoming the first Hispanic to win City Hall in more than a century. It also gives him a chance to avenge his 2001 runoff loss to Hahn.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Villaraigosa, a high school dropout who went on to become speaker of the California Assembly, had 124,561 votes, or 33 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
This is a small plus for Jimmy Hahn... he won't have wait for the vote count to drag out for weeks...
Final Bulletin March 9, 2005, 3:56:23 AM 99.14% of precincts reporting ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA 124,561 33.07 JAMES KENNETH HAHN 89,189 23.68 BOB HERTZBERG 83,420 22.15 BERNARD C. PARKS 50,341 13.37 RICHARD ALARCON 13,515 3.59 WALTER MOORE 10,359 2.75 WENDY LYONS 1,788 0.47 ADDIE M. MILLER 1,190 0.32 MARTIN LUTHER KING AUBREY, SR. 770 0.20 BILL WYATT 690 0.18 BRUCE HARRY DARIAN 471 0.13 TED CRISELL 355 0.09 http://cityclerk.lacity.org/clk/election/Results.htm
don't be so sure that the losers will flock to V... if Hahn wins, he's out in 4, V is done as a political force, and it is an open race in 4 years. If V wins, they would have to face an incumbent mayor. They may endorse him, but I suspect that their support will be tepid, at best.
last night on Fox a pundit said Jimmie Hahn has never had a hint of scandal. Huh? He's been under continous investigation from the Justice Dept since he was City Attorney! (for directing city staff attorney's votes & donations) let alone pay for play...as corrupt as they get...
The plot thins.
between the two there's no way LA will benefit.
Hahn's the lessor of two evils. Hopefully he can pick up enough of the Hertzberg "Valley" votes to beat his ex-ACLU opponent.
Isn't Villaregosathe one who took funds from a drug dealer in the last campaign. I think it cost him a runoff.
Ugh, only 6000 votes between Hahn and Hertzberg.
Oh well. I may actually go to L.A. and walk precincts for Hahn if it keeps Mechista, Raza-Nazi Villa-Raigosa out of office.
I think the black vote will swing this election. I wonder how Parks is going to play his cards...
Villaraigosa wrote a letter to Clinton urging clemency for Carlos Vignali, convicted of selling 800 pounds of cocaine.
Hertzberg also wrote a letter on Vignali's behalf.
Our choices now in LA are Left and Lefter. There is no two party system here in LA so this is what we get. There is no difference between any of the top 5 in policy or idology.
The city of Angeles is in big trouble.
Turnout seems very small. I wonder if none of the candidates generated much enthusiasm. The incumbent must have done a pretty poor job though to end up with a paltry 23% of the vote!
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