Molina to Back Villaraigosa as ‘Consensus-Type Leader’

County Supervisor Gloria Molina plans to endorse Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor of Los Angeles today, saying she believes the onetime state legislative leader can unify the ethnically cacophonous city while making a historic breakthrough as the first Latino mayor in more than 130 years.

Villaraigosa will use Molina’s support to energize his base of working-class Latino voters and, perhaps, to reach out to women citywide.

Molina, a popular elected official from the Eastside, said that electing Villaraigosa “would be a wonderful victory not just for the Latino community, but to bring a consensus-type leader, to be working for the entire city every day.”

Molina’s backing represents a rapprochement in a once-troubled relationship, bolsters a growing sense of Villaraigosa’s viability and caps a week of important endorsements for him. In seven days, he has secured the support of Gov. Gray Davis and the city’s major alternative newspaper, the LA Weekly. On Sunday, Villaraigosa also split The Times’ endorsement with City Atty. James K. Hahn.

As a result, Molina’s support allows Villaraigosa to continue to tout himself as the candidate with the broadest array of endorsements, a coalition that has continued to expand with just over two weeks to go before election day.

The two popular Latino officials have had a long and occasionally uneasy political alliance, since Molina appointed Villaraigosa to the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1991. Molina helped him win a seat in the Assembly, despite opposition from a powerful alliance that included state Sen. Richard Polanco.

But Molina recently conceded that she has felt alienated from Villaraigosa since an extramarital affair he had at about the time he entered the Assembly, in 1994. She referred to the two as just “political associates” and said: “The personal stuff has not healed.”

In an interview over the weekend, however, Molina expressed none of that reticence. She said her endorsement comes relatively late in the campaign only because she had been convinced that Villaraigosa didn’t have a chance.

Molina thought the onetime Assembly speaker would be crippled because of the presence on the ballot of another prominent Latino candidate--U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra.

She was so concerned that, on several occasions last year, she tried to help broker a deal so that either Becerra or Villaraigosa would leave the race.

But those meetings--which also included former Clinton administration cabinet member Henry Cisneros--failed and both Villaraigosa and Becerra remain in the race.

In recent weeks, Molina said her earlier fears about the danger of splitting the vote have been somewhat assuaged. She said she now believes Villaraigosa can win, because of his ability to win supporters from across the geographic, ideological and ethnic spectrum.

“What he has been able to put together speaks mightily about his ability to bring this city together,” Molina said.

But Villaraigosa still has lots of work to do to emerge as one of the top two vote-getters April 10 to qualify for a June 5 runoff, Molina said. She said she remains concerned that more has to be done to energize Latino voters.

“In my discussions and out in the community, I still think there’s not enough momentum being built in terms of this election,” Molina said. “I talk to folks who don’t realize there is a big, big mayoral race coming up real soon.”

Molina said she plans to make appearances for Villaraigosa and agreed that her endorsement can be used in mailers to Latino voters.

“We are trying to build more momentum,” Molina said. “I am willing to get as involved as Antonio wants me to be.”