Villaraigosa Declares Governor Candidacy

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, 63, announced he will run for governor in 2018, according to the L.A. Times. He was the 41st mayor of Los Angeles and served in that position from 2005 to 2013. After his time as mayor, he was an advisor to Herbalife Ltd., a nutritional supplement company. He will be running against former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Treasurer John Chiang and former Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin. Steve Westly, a former state controller, and San Francisco hedge-fund billionaire Tom Steyer are also considering bids, according to the L.A. Times. Villaraigosa grew up in Boyle Heights and attended UCLA. In 1994, he was elected to the State Assembly and became Assembly speaker three years later. After that, he was elected to the L.A. City Council and served in that position until he was elected mayor.