Former LA Mayor Villaraigosa Announces Bid for Governor

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attends ACLU SoCal's Annual Bill of Rights dinner at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2019. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Antonio Villaraigosa is making another run at the governor office, the former Los Angeles mayor and state assemblyman announced July 22.

The 71-year-old Los Angeles native made his case in a YouTube video, saying he had what the state needed.

“I believe we need a problem solver to lead our state,” Mr. Villaraigosa said Tuesday. “That’s why I’m running for governor.”

Mr. Villaraigosa lost a previous bid for the state’s highest office in the 2018 primary against 26 candidates. Gov. Gavin Newsom won that race and the general election later that year.

Mr. Villaraigosa with strong credentials as a Democratic Party stalwart faces similar competition this time around though the election is two years away, as a growing field of contenders has already taken shape in the race.

Longtime San Diego legislator Toni Atkins announced her candidacy in January. She served as President Pro Tempore, the leader of the California Senate, and as a San Diego City Council member in the past. Ms. Atkins would be the first woman and first openly gay person to serve as governor, if elected.

Other politicians to announce their candidacy are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former Controller Betty Yee.

Mr. Villaraigosa was raised by a single mother in East Los Angeles and dropped out of high school, later getting his degree by taking night classes. He graduated with a degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles and worked to advance civil rights and union causes before serving two terms as the city’s 41st mayor from 2005 to 2013. [[should this be high school diploma or is it talking about us UCLA  degree?]]

“California is the state where anything is possible with hard work and determination,” the candidate said.

Mr. Villaraigosa touted his record of championing public safety while he was mayor.

“When I became mayor, L.A. was one of the most dangerous cities in America,” he said in his announcement video. “So, I hired nearly 1,000 police officers, took illegal guns off the streets, and violent crime dropped 48 percent. I turned around our failing schools, increasing graduation rates while leading the city’s economic recovery out of recession.”

In 2017, Mr. Villaraigosa made a similar claim about cutting the city’s violent crime, which was fact checked by the University of California, Irvine, Professor Charis Kubrin.

According to Ms. Kubrin, violent crime did decrease “substantially” during his time as mayor. However, she said, the violent crime rate was already dropping well before he took office.

As former speaker of the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2000, Mr. Villaraigosa claims he worked with both political parties to balance the state budget, leaving $13 billion in reserve to prevent cuts to school and public safety.

During his time in the Assembly, Mr. Villaraigosa said he took on the National Rifle Association’s assault weapons ban, banned handguns that put several gun factories out of business, and required safety trigger locks on guns sold in the state.

“I know we can do big things for California, because I’ve done them before,” he said. “As Governor, I’ll balance the state budget, make sure our neighborhoods are safe and our kids have great schools. I’ll bring down costs for small businesses and middle-class families.”

Mr. Villaraigosa also created the Healthy Families program, a low-cost insurance plan for low-income children and teens that provides health, dental, and vision coverage. He authored the legislation as a state assemblyman in 1997.

He also served on the Los Angeles City Council from 2003 to 2005.

Before he was elected to the State Assembly, Mr. Villaraigosa spent time working for civil rights and labor initiatives. He also served as president of the Southern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to his biography.

He was also an organizer for the United Teachers of Los Angeles, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, and enforced civil rights laws at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an agency that helps people with civil rights issues and discrimination complaints.

In 2022, the governor tapped Mr. Villaraigosa to serve as the state’s infrastructure advisor, working with local, state, and federal leaders to identify projects and get access to federal funds.

Mr. Villaraigosa was also a national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, and served Mr. Obama on his economic advisory board during his transition to office.

The next governor will be elected Nov. 3, 2026. Mr. Newsom, the incumbent, is unable to run again due to term limits.