April 13, 2005
Campaigning
A new Los Angeles Times poll gives Antonio Villaraigosa an 18-point lead over incumbent James K. Hahn in the Los Angeles mayoral race, with nearly every large voting bloc supporting his effort to bounce Hahn from City Hall.
(Los Angeles Times, April, 13, 2005)
May 17, 2005
Campaigning
Antonio Villaraigosa romps past incumbent James K. Hahn to make history, winning election as the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since the city's pioneer days.
Antonio Villaraigosa is cheered at his victory party.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Jan. 5, 2006
Crime
Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speak at a news conference to tout the LAPD's meeting the chief's goal of a 10% drop in major crimes in 2005.
"We are not going to let up. We are going to keep pushing crime down," Villaraigosa said. "Crime is at an impressive low in the city. In fact, this crime level has not been seen in our city since I was 3 years old."
(Los Angeles Times, Jan. 6, 2006)
April 18, 2006
Education
After months of deliberation, Villaraigosa uses his first State of the City address to announce that he will ask the Legislature to give him overwhelming authority to run the city's embattled public schools.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa delivers his first State of the City address at the Accelerated School.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
July 25, 2006
Education
Moving to bolster his sway over Los Angeles' embattled public school system, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa names former schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines to the post of deputy mayor for education, youth and families.
Cortines, 74, a veteran educator who has led some of the nation's largest and most politically volatile school districts, including Los Angeles Unified for a brief stint, will begin his new job as top education advisor to the mayor on Aug. 1.
Ramon C. Cortines (Aug. 10, 2007)
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Sept. 30, 2006
Environment
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launches a program to plant a million trees. Flanked by city officials and celebrities involved in environmental causes, Villaraigosa kicks off the Million Trees LA program with a family-friendly ceremony -- and tree giveaway -- at Hazard Park on the city's Eastside.
"Los Angeles, the dirtiest big city in America, has the opportunity to be the greenest," the mayor said, referring to reports that the city has the worst air quality in the nation.
Los Angeles Council member Eric Garcetti (left) joins others in planting the symbolic first tree at Hazard Park in Boyle Heights.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
June 12, 2007
Personal Relationships
A day after Villaraigosa publicly accepted responsibility for their separation, his wife of 20 years, Corina Villaraigosa, files for divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and wife Corina.
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
July 3, 2007
Personal Relationships
Prompted by a report in the Daily News of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa officially confirms what had long been whispered around City Hall.
"I have a relationship with Ms. [Mirthala] Salinas, and I take full responsibility for my actions," he said at a news conference after a swearing-in ceremony for school board members at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown.
TV journalist Mirthala Salinas, pictured with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the Capitol in Sacramento in June, 2006.
(Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
July 3, 2007
Education
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa achieves his goal of greater influence on the school board by raising money to elect endorsed candidates in three of four board races. Those three -- Yolie Flores Aguilar, Tamar Galatzan and Richard Vladovic -- along with incumbent Monica Garcia, give Villaraigosa a friendly majority on the seven-member body.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hugs parent Shirley Ford en route to a news conference in May announcing changes in the L.A. Unified board. He's accompanied by Richard Vladovic, left, Marlene Canter and Tamar Galatzan, right.
( Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Aug. 30, 2007
Education
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announces an initial five-year partnership between the city and the Los Angeles Unified School District that will allow him to help oversee two low-achieving high schools as well as the elementary and middle schools that feed into them.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is flanked by school board President Monica Garcia, left, and Superintendent David L. Brewer III, right, at a press conference at John Liechty Middle School.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Sept. 17, 2008
Transportation
In the wake of the tragic Metrolink crash in Chatsworth that killed 25 and injured 135, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appoints Richard Katz to the Metrolink board. A former assemblyman who served as chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee for 10 years, Katz is also longtime transportation advisor to the mayor.
Fire and emergency personnel work to free passengers who were trapped when a Metrolink commuter train collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 4, 2008
Campaigning
The fate of a half-cent sales tax hike known as Measure R is too close to call, despite a massive voter turnout providing a major boost to the ambitious transportation plan.
The road and rail construction measure, which is crucial to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's effort to build a Subway to the Sea, is finally declared a winner with 67.93% of the vote on Dec. 1.
UCLA graduate student and Bruins for Traffic Relief club member Sirinya Tritipeskul holds a sign at a news conference noting voter approval of Measure R.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 8, 2008
Campaigning
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finishes his first four-year term on a perch that any big-city politician would envy -- no strong opposition, cash in his campaign coffers and a City Hall that is closely in sync with his agenda.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his office at L.A. City Hall. (July 10, 2007)
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 31, 2008
Crime
As 2008 draws to an end, Police Chief William J. Bratton reports another year of falling crime rates. Overall, violent and property crime in Los Angeles fell 2.5% in 2008 compared with the year before.
Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William J. Bratton at a press conference, Jan. 5, 2009.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
March 3, 2009
Campaigning
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa handily wins his reelection bid. With nine little-known challengers running against him, Villaraigosa secures 55.6% of the vote -- a solid win but hardly a blowout.
Hollenbeck Middle School students greet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa the day after he was elected to a second term as mayor.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
June 1, 2009
Personal Relationships
KTLA-TV Channel 5 reporter Lu Parker, a former Miss U.S.A., and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have been dating since March.
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa sits court side with his girlfriend Lu Parker.
( Noel Vasquez / Getty Images)
June 21, 2009
Campaigning
According to a new Los Angeles Times poll, city voters give Villaraigosa tepid job approval ratings.
(Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2009)
July 1, 2009
Environment
Ringing in his second term, Villaraigosa vows to end the Department of Water and Power's reliance on coal-fired power plants and instead secure 40% of its power from renewable resources by 2020 -- up from his previous goal of 35%.
In his speech, Villaraigosa warns that the push for more renewable energy will require an "investment" from DWP ratepayers -- a veiled reference to the likelihood of higher electricity rates.
(Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2009)
Oct. 30, 2009
Transportation
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has made building more rail a priority of his administration, discusses his "30/10" plan for the first time at the Los Angeles Business Council's 2009 Mayoral Housing, Transportation and Jobs Summit at UCLA.
The proposed transportation plan would fast-track several high-profile rail projects to be completed in 10 years instead of 30.
Oct. 31, 2009
Crime
William J. Bratton ends his eight-year tenure as L.A.'s top cop. Bratton, who was selected by former Mayor James K. Hahn, will leave a department that not only has pushed crime rates to historic lows, but one that is dramatically more open and on better terms with the communities it polices.
Police Chief William J. Bratton addresses the media in his final new conference in front of the new Police Administration Building. Left to right: Deputy Chief Michel Moore, Deputy Chief Charlie Beck and Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell. (Oct. 28, 2009)
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 3, 2009
Crime
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's selection of Charlie Beck to be L.A.'s new police chief elevates a 32-year veteran who is steeped in the traditions of the LAPD but has also won praise from civil rights activists for reforming the department and improving once-contentious relations with the city's minority community.
LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at his side and his family nearby, talks about his selection by the mayor to head the LAPD.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Jan. 10, 2010
Other
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa picks Austin Beutner, founder of the boutique private equity firm Evercore Partners and former partner at the Blackstone Group, to spearhead the mayor's renewed job creation effort and push to make the city a more attractive, less bureaucratic locale for business.
"I said in my second inaugural that job creation would be the No. 1 priority for me," Villaraigosa said. "Austin has a unique combination of private-sector and public-sector experience and a vision for the economic development for Los Angeles, along with the wherewithal to get the job done."
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
May 26, 2010
Transportation
In one of the most visible signs that the modernization of Los Angeles International Airport is underway, city officials mark the completion of a $737-million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal — a portal for almost 9 million passengers a year that has not seen a major overhaul since 1984.
"This is the first phase of a total remake of the Bradley," said Gina Marie Lindsey, director of Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX.
By 2013, the airport plans to make $3 billion to $4 billion in improvements related to the Bradley.
High-tech lighting and changing colors are some of the new features that greet travelers as they arrive at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Oct. 10, 2010
Transportation
Los Angeles kicks off its first CicLAvia with 7 1/2 miles of city streets closed to traffic from East Hollywood to Boyle Heights. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who introduced and supported the concept as a way to "reimagine the way public space is used," does the ride.
With a backdrop of City Hall, cyclists cruise along Spring Street during the car-free CicLAvia bicycle and pedestrian celebration in downtown Los Angeles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 25, 2011
Other
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa orders the shutdown of the Occupy L.A. encampment on City Hall grounds at 12:01 a.m. Monday, saying officials can no longer "maintain the public safety of a long-term encampment," according to a statement issued Friday.
"Occupy LA has brought needed attention to the growing disparities in our country and I look forward to its ongoing efforts to build an economy that works for everyone," Villaraigosa said in his statement, handed to reporters at 4:30 p.m. "As we continue to respect the exercise of everyone's First Amendment rights in our civic center and throughout Los Angeles, City Hall Park is temporarily closing out of concern for the public safety implications of a long-term encampment."
Read: the Mayor's letter to Occupy L.A.
Read: the announcement to close City Hall Park
Feb. 15, 2012
Campaigning
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will wield the gavel at the Democratic National Convention and raise money to help pay for the gathering in Charlotte, N.C., giving him contact with donors who could play a role in a future run for office.
March 14, 2012
Transportation
In a rare display of bipartisanship, the Senate approves a $109-billion transportation bill that boosts Los Angeles' efforts to speed expansion of its bus and rail system.
The bill will significantly expand a federal loan program crucial to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's efforts to build a dozen local transit projects in one decade instead of in three.
Among the projects are the subway extension to the Westside, a rail extension to Los Angeles International Airport, a downtown connection for rail lines and expansion of transit lines in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
A Green Line train heads eastbound as it passes traffic on the 105 freeway near the Hawthorne Boulevard stop. The U.S. Senate's approval of a transportation bill could help accelerate transportation projects including an extension of the Green Line to LAX.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
March 23, 2012
Transportation
Los Angeles County transit officials announce that the first phase of the Expo Line will open April 28. "It's the first phase of a line that will ultimately connect downtown to the ocean," Villaraigosa, a champion of transit projects, said during a preview ride for the news media. "Not in 50 years have we had a line into the Westside."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa leads a media tour and ride of the soon-to-open Expo Line from downtown Los Angeles to La Cienega /Jefferson.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
April 15, 2012
Transportation
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveils a $16-million bike-share program that aims to put thousands of bicycles at hundreds of rental kiosks across the city.
Bicycles will be available to borrow or rent at hundreds of kiosks similar to this one.
(Bike Nation)
July 3, 2012
Personal Relationships
"I can confirm that Lu Parker ended her three-year committed relationship with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as of May 25," said Juliette Harris, the owner of It Girl Public Relations, which represents Parker.
Sept. 5, 2012
Campaigning
Villaraigosa is booed at the Democratic National convention over a last-minute effort to reinsert language in the party's platform invoking God and affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
DNC Chair Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa bangs the gavel to bring the convention to order during its final day.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
Jan. 8, 2013
Personal Relationships
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finds himself sucked deeper into the Charlie Sheen-TMZ-Hollywood gossip vortex, with the actor speaking out again about the night they met up at a hotel in Mexico over the holidays.
Charlie Sheen tweeted this picture of himself with his arm around L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the opening of Sheen's bar in Baja California, Mexico, last month.
(Twitter)
March 19, 2013
Environment
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa celebrates his plan to move the city off coal-fired energy by 2025.
This is two years earlier than a state-imposed deadline that requires DWP to be coal-free by 2027, when its contract with Utah's Intermountain Power Project is up. But it is five years later than a target set by Villaraigosa at the outset of his second, when he pledged to drop coal completely by 2020.
Former Vice President Al Gore, right, and Councilman Bill Rosendahl celebrate the steps taken to end the city's reliance on coal energy. (Mar. 22, 2013)
(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
April 6, 2013
Crime
With the first quarter of 2013 in the books, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Charlie Beck announce that crime in Los Angeles has so far continued its decade-long decline.
The city's steady drop in crime is a triumph that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has repeatedly touted.
April 9, 2013
Transportation
In his final State of the City address, Villaraigosa highlights his two terms at City Hall with mentions of the more than 120 miles of new paved bikeways, the four new light-rail lines and a $1.7-billion overhaul of the international terminal at LAX.
Listen to the mayor's final State of the City address.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa shakes hands and poses for photos with supporters following his final State of the City address at UCLA's Royce Hall.
(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
May 7, 2013
Environment
In a speech at the 28th World Ports Conference, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says the city's port is at the forefront of pushing for clean energy alternatives and reducing pollution.
"When it comes to greening our shipping operations and growing our port in smart and sustainable ways, the world looks to us for leadership," Villaraigosa said.
May 13, 2013
Campaigning
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa begins the formal transition of power to his successor, hosting Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti for breakfast at Getty House where he tells reporters that the city councilman had his "full support."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and mayor-elect Eric Garcetti address the media after meeting over breakfast to talk about their transition at Getty House, the official residence of the mayor in Los Angeles.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
