L.A. mayor’s race: 2005

Posted March 2, 2005

L.A. voters go to the polls Tuesday for an election that isn't generating nearly as much interest as the city's 2005 vote. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to sail to victory without facing a run-off, a scenario the several viable candidates from 2005's race could only dream of.

The Times' endorsements from 2005 reflect the more optimistic civic mood of the period. Editorials talked about the city's pressing needs mostly in the affirmative: more cops, speeding traffic and creating more jobs. Compare that with this observation from The Times' endorsement of Villaraigosa in this year's election:

"No one doubts Villaraigosa's energy or enthusiasm, but Los Angeles has not recaptured the tone of optimism and creative possibility that were its hallmarks in the 1980s and again in the post-riot, post-earthquake 1990s. Unlike many of its urban counterparts across the nation, it hasn't mustered the confidence that it can overcome seemingly intractable problems such as gang violence, transportation gridlock, poverty and homelessness."

Below are two of The Times' mayoral endorsements from 2005: The first recommended that voters pit Villaraigosa against candidate Bob Hertzberg in a runoff, and the second gives the editorial board's support to Villaraigosa in his runoff against then-incumbent Mayor James Hahn.

Hertzberg vs. Villaraigosa
February 20, 2005

A mano-a-mano confrontation between estranged, onetime roommates isn't something we'd normally want to witness, but the people of Los Angeles would be well served by a runoff election between Bob Hertzberg and Antonio Villaraigosa. Odds are that no candidate will win the majority needed to declare outright victory in Los Angeles' March 8 mayoral election. The two former state Assembly speakers, who once shared a Sacramento apartment, are credible candidates who offer compelling visions for the city's future. The debate between them should go on until the May 17 runoff.

It's not just that either would make a more dynamic leader than incumbent Mayor James K. Hahn. Hertzberg and Villaraigosa offer Los Angeles a clear choice in both style and substance. A face-off between the two would prod Los Angeles to really think about what it wants of its mayor – and of itself....

L.A. deserves better. Hertzberg and Villaraigosa are energetic candidates who have shown an ability to energize others. Both are Democrats, as is Hahn, in this nonpartisan election. Both have led the state Assembly, a valuable experience in light of how heavily cities must rely on state funding. And both order a shot of wheat grass with their Jamba Juice. Their similarities end there.

Click here to read the full editorial.

Out With the Ho-Hum
May 08, 2005

Negative campaigns depress voter turnout, probably because they depress voters, period. But resist the urge to stay home and pull the covers over your head on May 17. This campaign will end. And when it does, City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa will make a better mayor than incumbent James K. Hahn.

It's no secret that before the March election, we were rooting for a runoff between Villaraigosa and his fellow former Assembly speaker, Bob Hertzberg. Given their differences in philosophy as well as style, we had envisioned genuine debates over how best to speed traffic, rein in gang violence, fix schools, create jobs and otherwise make Los Angeles a better place to live and work, with a bigger profile in the world.

Instead, Hahn, always a more energetic campaigner than leader, edged out hugmeister Hertzberg, setting up a rematch of his 2001 runoff against Villaraigosa. That election didn't turn bitter until the end, when Hahn rode sleazy attack ads to a come-from-behind victory. This one has been a mud fight for the last nine weeks, with one to go.

Click here to read the full editorial.