L.A. voters pick new mayor in heated election

Mayor Richard Riordan, right, has actively supported Soboroff as his handpicked successor.

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Voters in the second-largest U.S. city cast ballots for a new mayor Tuesday, with 15 candidates vying for a spot in a likely June runoff election.

Two-term Mayor Richard Riordan is being forced out by term limits after eight years in office. Polls indicate City Attorney James Hahn, businessman Steve Soboroff and former state Assembly speaker Antonio Villaraigosa are the front-runners.

The race so far has indicated that a new urban politics -- liberal, partisan and multicultural -- is taking shape in Los Angeles as candidates have tried to harness the power of Latinos and organized labor.

VIDEO CNN's Charles Feldman reports on political picture that new Los Angeles mayor will help paint Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Outgoing Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan talks with CNN's Charles Feldman about his tenure Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     CAMPAIGN SITES Antonio Villaraigosa Steve Soboroff Jim Hahn Joel Wachs Xavier Becerra Francis DellaVecchia

The 50-year-old Hahn is the son of a legendary Los Angeles supervisor fondly remembered by the city's African-American community. His support comes mostly from blacks and white liberals -- the same coalition that that kept former Mayor Tom Bradley in office for two decades.

Soboroff, 52, a real estate broker and Riordan's pick to succeed him, is a Republican and draws support from moderate and conservative white voters. As was Riordan's case, he has not held elected office before running for mayor.

Soboroff must draw support not only across ethnic lines but persuade some Democrats to back him in the nonpartisan race with a Riordan-like message of nuts-and-bolts city management.

"We have three big issues going on here," Soboroff said. "Our pubic school system is failing the children, our traffic has us in gridlock, and we need a safer city," he said.

The race tightened and got uglier in the last weekend before the vote as candidates complained about each other's tactics. Soboroff and Riordan have condemned a series of phone calls to residents that claimed to be on Soboroff's behalf and said his campaign had "become entirely dependent upon Jewish money."

Soboroff has called for an investigation, and Riordan called it the work of "vicious cowards." Meanwhile, Hahn has asked an Indian group to stop radio ads attacking Villaraigosa.

Both men face an apparent surge by Villaraigosa, 48, who has made a strong showing in recent days and has energized voters in the city's increasingly crucial Latino community.

He is expected to split the Latino vote with another candidate, U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra. But he also has drawn support from white liberals, Jewish voters and gays drawn to his message of inclusion.

Villaraigosa has won the endorsement of organized labor, environmentalists, women's rights activists and the Democratic Party. Many Jews favor Villaraigosa over two other Jewish candidates, and Villaraigosa is doing well among gays, even though another candidate is openly gay.

Hahn, who is supported by a coalition of white liberals and blacks, is introduced by basketball great Magic Johnson at an event.

"I believe that the next mayor of this city has to open up this city," he said. "I believe that the next mayor of this city has to include every single one of us."

The race has also become more expensive than any previous contest, as money pours into the race from labor unions and both political parties outside Los Angeles.

So far, the six strongest candidates have spent about $17 million on the race -- and a runoff is still to come. By comparison, the 1993 race that brought Riordan to power cost $13 million.

"The most regrettable element in this campaign is the powerful influence of huge donations, millions and millions and millions of dollars from undisclosed sources, the parties and unions, who have spent those funds to support their candidates," said City Controller Kathleen Connell, one of three candidates following the front-runners in recent polls.

CNN Correspondent Charles Feldman and Senior Political Analyst William Schneider contributed to this report.

L.A. has changed greatly since last mayor elected
April 4, 2001
Riordan: Next Los Angeles mayor inherits a ship run well
April 2, 2001

City of Los Angeles
  • Los Angeles Mayor's Office
California State Controller's Office: Kathleen Connell

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