ADVOCATING FOR THE INDUSTRY


Villaraigosa’s track record displays an ability to find creative solutions to California’s fluctuating funding landscape, in particular for transportation infrastructure.


Antonio Villaraigosa joins the Gubernatorial Field


BY FELIPE FUENTES A


ntonio Villaraigosa wants to be governor. After serving as both the mayor of Los Angeles, and


Speaker of the California State Assembly, the 72-year-old has set his sights on the highest seat in the state ahead of the 2026 election. It will be Villaraigosa’s second time in the gubernatorial race, having lost to current governor Gavin Newsom in 2018, and he’s hoping to go the full distance this time around. Born in City Terrace, East Los Angeles


in 1953, Villaraigosa was raised by a single mother as one of three siblings. From the age of 15, he demonstrated interest in politics through volunteer work with the farmworkers’ movement and their protest marches. Young Villaraigosa took to activism in


a way he didn’t in education; he strug- gled in school, dropping out of high school in his junior year. Luckily, the encouragement of a teacher eventually inspired him to complete his GED and attend East Los Angeles College and then transfer to UCLA.


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025


Villaraigosa obtained his bachelor’s


degree in history, later continuing on to get his degree in law at the People’s Col- lege of Law, a night school specializing in public-interest law. After college he spent the beginning of his career as a union organizer; experience that aided his political ambition. His political experience spans years.


From attending protests as a youth to serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles, he’s been involved in politics his entire life. His time in public office began in 1994 when he was elected to the Assembly, representing the 45th District. Villaraigosa continued to serve his


district and was chosen as the Assembly Speaker four years later. After leaving the Assembly, he ran for Mayor of Los Angeles, losing to James Hahn in 2001. After serving a term on the City Council, he unseated Hahn in 2005 to become the 41st mayor of Los Angeles, the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles in over a century. After his eight-year tenure in the Los Angeles mayoral office, Villaraigosa is


most well-known for his improvements to education and public safety. By set- ting high standards, focusing on staff development, and enhancing teacher training, Villaraigosa was truly able to make a positive impact on the kids of Los Angeles. In the Los Angeles Unified School


District alone, graduation rates went from 44% at the beginning of his incumbency to a stunning 72% at the end. Also notable is how Villaraigosa significantly reduced crime by expanding the police force. Due to this investment, he decreased violence by 48%, a truly staggering amount for the metropolis that is Los Angeles. Additionally, Villaraigosa’s track re-


cord displays an ability to find creative solutions to California’s fluctuating fund- ing landscape, particularly for trans- portation infrastructure. In 2008, he championed Measure R, which raised $35 billion in Los Angeles County by imposing a 0.5% sales tax hike over 30 years. Citing all this, Villaraigosa sees himself as the “problem solver” California


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