• Background: Born and raised in L.A. county, UCLA, Law School, failed bar exam
• Career: Union organizer, CA State Assembly Speaker, L.A. city council, L.A. Major
• Mayor: Federal grants, transportation, education
• Criticism: Infidelity
• Biography Links: Wikipedia, Official

Background

• Born Antonio Ramon Villar in City Terrace on east side of Los Angeles County.
• Villaraigosa was expelled from one high school for fighting and nearly did not graduate altogether. He studied history at East Los Angeles College before graduating from UCLA. Villaraigosa attended People's College of Law (PCL), an unaccredited "community-run law school" in Los Angeles, and failed the California Bar Exam in four separate attempts. He was later awarded honorary degrees by Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California.

Career

• Villaraigosa accepted a position as a field representative/organizer with the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), where he met local political figures. Villaraigosa also became President of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Federation of Government Employees.
• California State Assembly, 1994-2000. Speaker from 1998-2000.
• 14th District Representative for Los Angeles City Council, 2003-2005.
• Mayor of Los Angeles, 2005-present. Villaraigosa is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since 1872.

Mayor

• Villaraigosa has sought millions of dollars in grants for public safety, homeland security, transportation, homelessness, and other causes.
• Transportation- In an executive directive, Villaraigosa prohibited road construction during rush hour in the traffic-clogged city of Los Angeles. He has worked closely with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he served as chairman and Metro Board where he is vice chair. Villaraigosa approved the EIR for the proposed Exposition Line, expanding a busway through the San Fernando Valley, and the beginning of tunneling on the Eastside extension for the light rail. He also hopes to extend public transport down Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica and is pursuing federal funding for L.A.'s half finished subway system.
• Education - Following the lead of mayors in New York and Chicago, he proposed to take over the schools to introduce competition and thus, improve the performance of both students and schools. Opposition from the school board, teachers' unions, and bureaucracy prevented this from happening. Additionally, he has increased Los Angeles' nationally respected after-school program for elementary and middle schools. Gang activity, especially in schools, has also been a major focal point in Villaraigosa's agenda.

Criticism

• Allegations of marital infidelity has tarnished his reputation.

Biography Links

• Wikipedia
• Official