Former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is making another run for California governor.
“California is the state where anything is possible with hard work and determination, but our future depends on our willingness to face our biggest challenges,” he said in his announcement video posted on social media Tuesday. “I believe we need a problem solver to lead our state. That’s why I’m running for governor.”
Villaraigosa, 71, ran for governor in 2018 but finished third in the primary.
Several other Democrats have already announced their candidacy, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Toni Atkins, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and former State Controller Betty Yee.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for reelection.
“I’ve not been afraid to take on the tough issues,” Villaraigosa said ahead of his announcement Tuesday.
While other Democrats in recent elections have raced to the left, Villaraigosa is chewing an ideological pitch for a practical one. He signaled a willingness to buck party orthodoxy in Sacramento. “I’m not looking to be the most popular guy in town. I have a record that demonstrates that I’ve been willing to take on those tough issues.”
“I’m not running for anything else,” added Villaraigosa, who is 71. “So a popularity contest is not what I’m looking for. You’re never gonna see Antonio Villaraigosa — candidate for president or vice president. I want to be a damn good governor.”
He has been teasing a potential bid for months, with allies pointing to favorable polling to demonstrate a path to victory and the former mayor appearing at political events for contenders for other offices, most recently Rep. Adam Schiff’s likely successful run for U.S. Senate.
Villaraigosa ran for governor in 2018 as a business-friendly moderate. He tacked to the right of front-runner Gavin Newsom, then the lieutenant governor, by deriding single-payer healthcare – a litmus test for progressives – as “snake oil.” He envisioned a path to victory by tapping into vote-rich Los Angeles and mobilizing Latinos throughout the state, especially in the Central Valley.
But the strategy fell short, as he struggled to compete with Newsom’s massive fundraising advantage and low turnout among his targeted voters. He finished a distant third in the primary, boxed out by Newsom and John Cox, the lesser-known Republican businessman who, thanks to a late endorsement from then-President Donald Trump, consolidated the GOP vote.
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