Latino mayor for Los Angeles after 133 years

I'm so dead tired right now so all I can say about this news story is "Yes!!!" ;) Never mind!
"L.A. Elects 1st Hispanic Mayor Since 1872"
Since 1872!!! Well, it's about fucking time again!



Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
Thursday May 19, 2005

Guardian
Los Angeles has a Latino mayor for the first time since 1872 after a victory at the polls for Antonio Villaraigosa over the incumbent, Jim Hahn.

The 59%-41% victory for the Mexican-American city councillor was being heralded yesterday as a political breakthrough for the growing Latino population in the US.

Mr Villaraigosa captured 80% of the Latino vote in the city and 60% of the white vote on a turnout of about 30% of registered voters.

At a victory rally on Tuesday he told supporters: "We are all Angelenos tonight. You all know that I love LA, but tonight, I really love LA."

Standing with his family in front of a giant Stars and Stripes and preceded by a mariachi band, Mr Villaraigosa sought to put the acrimony of the campaign behind him.

"It doesn't matter whether you go to work in a fancy car or on a bus, or whether you worship in a cathedral or a synagogue or a mosque," he said. "We are all Angelenos, and we all have a difference to make."

The 2000 census showed that Latinos make up 46% of Los Angeles's 3.7 million population, but only 22% were eligible to vote.

Both candidates were from the Democratic party and the campaign focused on style as much as policy.

Mr Hahn, who was attacked for his underwhelming style, admitted to reporters on Tuesday that he suffered from "charisma deficit disorder".

His challenger portrayed himself as a dynamic figure who would ably represent the second biggest city in the US nationally and internationally.

Mr Villaraigosa campaigned through the night before polling day, cajoling voters at late-night food stalls across the city. His team sought to contrast that strategy with the incumbent, who went home to bed.

But negative campaigning alienated many voters. Even local news media downplayed the result. The only television channels to carry Mr Villaraigosa's victory rally live were local Spanish ones. The lengthy campaign - Tuesday's vote was a run-off following a primary won by Mr Villaraigosa in March - saw both candidates accusing each other of corruption. Mr Hahn also sought to portray Mr Villaraigosa as soft on gang crime, a key issue in the city. But the collapse of the mayor's coalition from four years ago of suburban whites and urban blacks left him facing an impossible task.

Mr Villaraigosa became the fifth Latino mayor of a big city in the US, following Miami, San Antonio, San Jose and Dade County.

As a second generation Mexican-American, he faced a linguistic handicap: he had to learn Spanish as an adult.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005


Another good article here:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0519/p01s01-uspo.html