Antonio Villaraigosa run for California governor? ‘Future is wide open’
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaking before the Sacramento Press Club earlier this month.
Reporting from Napa, Calif. — A day after announcing that he would not run for Barbara Boxer’s U.S. Senate seat, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had this to say Wednesday about a possible run for California governor:
“The future is wide open.”
Villaraigosa was in Napa on Wednesday to have lunch with the Legislative Latino Caucus, which is holding a policy retreat here.
The former mayor, a Democrat, had hinted at his well-known ambition to be governor in a statement Tuesday. He was buttonholed in the lobby of the Westin Verasa Napa Hotel about whether he would run for that office in 2018.
He referred to his previous statement, which explained his decision not to enter the Senate race as a matter of “my heart and my family” being in California rather than Washington, D.C.
Asked if he hoped another Latino would launch a Senate campaign — which currently features Democratic state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris as the only major candidate — he demurred.
“There’s a lot of talent in this state,” Villaraigosa said. “It’s always good to have a debate of ideas. I really don’t want to talk about the race right now.”
The former mayor was friendly but declined to say more.
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