Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has thrown his hat into the gubernatorial ring. Villaraigosa announced Thursday that he is running for California Governor in 2018 in a move long expected by political pundits (look, they got it right!).
The former mayor has already tapped into the mood of much of the state, still in shock from last week’s national election results.
“I’m running because I think the answer to the divisiveness we see in the country right now is unity, and the answer to fear is hope,” Villaraigosa told the Times. As governor, he also promised to be a champion for the middle class and those who feel “left behind” by the new economy. If elected, he would be the state’s first Latino governor.
Villaraigosa served as mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013 and was previously both a councilman and member of the California State Assembly. As mayor, he presided over a number of public safety and transportation improvement efforts. But the city struggled mightily to regain its financial footing following the economic downturn, and Villaraigosa’s public image took another major hit after revelations that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with Telemundo anchor Mirthala Salinas. He was also fined $40,000 for ethics violations after failing to disclose free tickets he received to basketball games as mayor.
Read more about Villaraigosa’s announcement here.