LA elects first Hispanic mayor since 1872

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.

Villaraigosa was a high school dropout who turned his life around to become speaker of the California Assembly and then a member of the Los Angeles City Council.

With 70% of precincts reporting, Villaraigosa had 202,861 votes, or 59%. “You all know I love LA, but tonight I really love LA,” an exuberant Villaraigosa told supporters.

Villaraigosa will become the first Hispanic mayor of Los Angeles since 1872, back when the city was merely a dusty outpost of only about 5,000 residents on the edge of the Western frontier.

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

Villaraigosa, who once wore a “Born to Raise Hell” tattoo before turning his life around, promised to bring a fresh start to the city.

“I will never forget where I came from. And I will always believe in the people of Los Angeles,” he said.