LA elects Hispanic mayor

ANTONIO Villaraigosa unseated Mayor James Hahn to become the first Hispanic mayor of Los Angeles in more than a century, confirming the rising political power of Latinos in the second-largest city in the US.

After a lacklustre term tainted by corruption claims, Mr Hahn was turned out of office in favour of a high school dropout who turned his life around to become speaker of the California Assembly and a member of Los Angeles City Council.

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