Los Angeles mayoral election, 2001
Encyclopedia
In 2001, Los Angeles
Mayor
Richard Riordan
was prevented from running for a third term because of term limits. In the election to replace him, Riordan endorsed his Senior Advisor and Parks Commissioner, the Republican
businessman Steve Soboroff
.
' Antonio Villaraigosa
, the former speaker of the California State Assembly
, and then-City Attorney James K. Hahn. Villaraigosa finished with 30 percent and Hahn with 25. Elections in Los Angeles are nonpartisan
; the top two vote-getters advance to the runoff
if no contender reaches 50 percent. Thus, Soboroff finished out of contention.
Also competing in the primary election were longtime Los Angeles City Council member Joel Wachs
, United States Representative Xavier Becerra
, and then-California State Controller
Kathleen Connell
. They finished with 11, 6 and 5 percent of the vote, respectively.
The Los Angeles Times made a dual endorsement of Hahn and Villaraigosa in the primary election, while the City's other daily newspapers, The Los Angeles Daily News and The Daily Breeze endorsed Soboroff.
Soboroff and Becerra remained neutral in the general election. Wachs endorsed Villaraigosa.
Hahn would face Villaraigosa in a runoff rematch in the 2005
Los Angeles Mayoral election. Villaraigosa would defeat Hahn to become the 41st mayor of Los Angeles.
Soboroff would go on to become a Senior Fellow at UCLA and to the head of the Playa Vista development on Los Angeles' Westside, while Wachs became president of the Andy Warhol
Foundation in New York City
and Connell was termed out of her post as State Controller. Becerra remains a member of the United States Congress
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Richard Riordan
Richard Riordan
Richard J. Riordan is a Republican politician from California, U.S.A. who served as the California Secretary for Education from 2003–2005 and as the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1993–2001...
was prevented from running for a third term because of term limits. In the election to replace him, Riordan endorsed his Senior Advisor and Parks Commissioner, the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
businessman Steve Soboroff
Steve Soboroff
Steve Soboroff is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Weingart Foundation and past Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playa Vista...
.
Primary Election
The primary election for Mayor was held on April 10, 2001. Soboroff finished third with approximately 21 percent of the vote, behind the DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
' Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, the former speaker of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, and then-City Attorney James K. Hahn. Villaraigosa finished with 30 percent and Hahn with 25. Elections in Los Angeles are nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
; the top two vote-getters advance to the runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
if no contender reaches 50 percent. Thus, Soboroff finished out of contention.
Also competing in the primary election were longtime Los Angeles City Council member Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
, United States Representative Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Los Angeles.-Early life, education and career:...
, and then-California State Controller
California State Controller
The State Controller is the Chief Financial Officer of the State of California in the United States. The post has broader responsibilities and authority than the California State Treasurer...
Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell was the California State Controller from 1995 until 2003. When she was Controller, she:* Ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 but came in 6th in the April 10, 2001 primary getting 24,062 votes ....
. They finished with 11, 6 and 5 percent of the vote, respectively.
The Los Angeles Times made a dual endorsement of Hahn and Villaraigosa in the primary election, while the City's other daily newspapers, The Los Angeles Daily News and The Daily Breeze endorsed Soboroff.
General election
Riordan switched his endorsement to Villaraigosa in the general election. Despite the popular Republican Mayor's endorsement, as well as the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times, Villaraigosa was unable to capture a majority of the voters that supported the candidacies of Soboroff and Wachs. Hahn won the general election on June 5, 2001 with 53.53 percent, to Villaraigosa's 46.47 percent, of the vote.Soboroff and Becerra remained neutral in the general election. Wachs endorsed Villaraigosa.
Further information
Hahn was sworn in as Los Angeles' 40th mayor in the summer of 2001.Hahn would face Villaraigosa in a runoff rematch in the 2005
Los Angeles mayoral election, 2005
The 2005 Los Angeles mayoral election took place on March 8, 2005, with a runoff election on May 17. Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa defeated the sitting mayor, James Hahn, becoming the city’s first Hispanic mayor since the 19th century...
Los Angeles Mayoral election. Villaraigosa would defeat Hahn to become the 41st mayor of Los Angeles.
Soboroff would go on to become a Senior Fellow at UCLA and to the head of the Playa Vista development on Los Angeles' Westside, while Wachs became president of the Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
Foundation in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Connell was termed out of her post as State Controller. Becerra remains a member of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.