CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR START RUSH TO THE FINISH.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer The primary election for mayor enters its final frantic week with an expected series of get-out-the-vote rallies accompanied by a multimillion-dollar flurry of television commercials and mailings as Mayor James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California fights for his political life. The only certainty is that no candidate will get a majority, so the top two vote-getters on March 8 will advance to a 10-week runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. campaign. Various polls indicate Hahn might even have trouble making a runoff with Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. generally running ahead of him and former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg rapidly gaining ground. So the final televised debate (6:30 p.m. tonight on KCBS-TV, Channel 2) could prove crucial. ``This is a complicated election,'' said Raphael Sonenshein Raphael J. Sonenshein (born 1949) is a professor of political science at California State University, Fullerton. Teaching at the college since 1982, Sonenshein holds a bachelor's in public policy from Princeton University and a doctorate in political science from Yale University. , a political science professor at California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University system. The University is located in the city of Fullerton, California, in northern Orange County. . ``There is little real ideological difference among the candidates, but there is this controversy out there swirling around that could make voters feel uneasy.'' The heart of the campaign waged by Villaraigosa, Hertzberg, Councilman Bernard Parks and state Sen. Richard Alarcon are federal and local grand juries looking at possible criminal misconduct in the Hahn administration and questions about whether the mayor has provided the leadership the city needs. ``People are just now starting to pay attention,'' said Villaraigosa. ``This is the time for all the work we've been doing to start to pay off.'' Villaraigosa is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a rematch REMATCH Cardiology Clinical trials–Randomized Evaluation of Mechanical Assistance Therapy as an alternative in Congestive Heart failure–related to use of a portable, electric left ventricular-assist system–LVAS–eg, HeartMate® with Hahn from the 2001 mayoral election, one in which Villaraigosa considers himself the victim of a race-baiting campaign. Coming up quickly over the past month has been Hertzberg, who is trying to build from a base among the same San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. voters who helped twice elect Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. mayor and remain angry at Hahn over the way he campaigned against secession in 2002. Hertzberg has won the endorsement of the Daily News, and he and Villaraigosa were endorsed by the Times - a rare example of the city's two daily newspapers turning against the incumbent mayor. Parks is seeking his own form of redemption as the police chief whom Hahn opposed for a second term, and is looking to pull support from the African-American community that has been with the mayor and his family for more than 40 years. Alarcon has won plaudits for the way he handled himself in debates and forums but faces an uphill struggle with relatively little money. In addition to the personal factors motivating the candidates, Hahn has found his administration the target of corruption accusations over alleged ``pay-to-play'' operations where companies believed they needed to make political contributions to win city contracts. A top executive at the public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most firm of Fleishman-Hillard, which has had close ties to Hahn and got more than $3 million a year in city contracts, was indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. last month on accusations of overbilling the city. Hahn has tried to distance himself from the inquiries, urging federal prosecutors to act against any wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do and lending his
support to a city lawsuit against the firm alleging it overbilled.
Much of the concern by the candidates over the past several days leading up to this final week has involved questions over the tone of the campaign - and whether any candidate will run attack ads. Most say they believe if any attacks come, they will be from the Hahn campaign. Hertzberg has held a news conference and written a letter to Hahn asking the mayor not to run negative commercials in the race and has been working to inoculate in·oc·u·late v. 1. To introduce a serum, a vaccine, or an antigenic substance into the body of a person or an animal, especially as a means to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease. 2. himself from criticism by being out front on various controversies involving his personal and professional life, from suing his late father to a bitter child-support dispute with his first wife. Villaraigosa, too, says he is concerned that there will be a repeat of the 2001 runoff campaign, where he believes Hahn attacked him on racial grounds. ``Bob Hertzberg and Antonio Villaraigosa have got to get over their victimology vic·tim·ol·o·gy n. The study of crime victims. vic  tim·olo·gist n. ,'' said Hahn campaign strategist Bill Carrick,
adding he is concerned attacks will be levied against the mayor by his
challengers. ``We will be watching what everyone does and are prepared
to respond.''
With polls showing Hahn in second place - and no candidate near collecting a majority - Carrick said he fully expects a May 17 runoff against Villaraigosa. ``The mayor will be steady as she goes,'' Carrick said. ``We know what we have to do and where we get our votes.'' Villaraigosa said it will be a different election this time. ``Now, Jim Hahn has a record, a record I don't think most voters support,'' Villaraigosa said. ``We will see if the voters think it is a good one, one that the city can be proud of. I hope, in the end, this election comes down to ideas and to who can provide the best leadership for the city.'' Hertzberg has been concentrating much of his effort in the Valley with his proposal to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. and his ties to the Jewish community. His campaign has been a mix of citing his six years of experience in the Assembly, where he rose to speaker, and his background in business and community involvement. ``I think the three issues that I stress - taxes, transportation and leadership in the schools - is resonating res·o·nate v. res·o·nat·ed, res·o·nat·ing, res·o·nates v.intr. 1. To exhibit or produce resonance or resonant effects. 2. throughout the city,'' Hertzberg said. ``I think they are issues where people are looking for a change in what we have.'' Parks said his efforts are on getting out his voters and continuing to raise funds. The commercials for Parks have been running in theaters and he said he plans to have them on television this final week of the campaign. ``I am going throughout this city over this week with a simple message,'' Parks said. ``This election is about the issues of leadership, integrity and performance. Those are the issues voters care about.'' Alarcon is undertaking a bus tour of the city to stress his issues and proposals. ``We are going to every region of this city to demonstrate that there is support for change in how City Hall operates,'' Alarcon said. Rick Orlov, (213) 978-0390 rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com TONIGHT'S DEBATE: 6:30 p.m. on KCBS-TV (Channel 2). CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) ALARCON (2) HAHN (3) HERTZBERG (4) PARKS (5) VILLARAIGOSA |
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