Very unexpected political developments in California. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reveals he will not run for governor to replace the outgoing and term-limited Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The mayor tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he wants to devote his full attention to Los Angeles, which is facing its worst fiscal crisis in decades. Villaraigosa says: "Cities are on the frontlines of the challenges facing us in terms of the economic crisis. Here in the City of LA, 12.5% unemployment rate, 21,000 people have lost their home over the last 2 years, we're facing a unprecedented and historical budget deficit of $530 million dollars. I feel compelled to complete what I started out to do."
The Los Angeles Times notes that Villaraigosa’s decision adds "a dash of clarity to the race for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination" which appears will be between state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Brown has yet to say if he will run. Newsom aggressively launched his campaign on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook in April.
