Former LA mayor jumps into California gov race

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) is launching a bid to become California’s next governor, according to a new report.

Villaraigosa declared his intentions with a campaign website, theLos Angeles Times reported Thursday.

He’s joining an already crowded field vying to replace Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) in 2018. He faces still competition from three other California Democrats, but the field could balloon to six contenders.

{mosads}Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, launched his own run in February 2015 and has been fundraising intensely. State Treasurer John Chiang and Delaine Eastin, who served eight years as California’s top education official, round out the field of official candidates.

The L.A. Times said former state Controller Steve Westly and San Francisco hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer are possible candidates.

Villaraigosa was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 2005 and served until 2013. He was the city’s first Hispanic mayor since 1872, earning him national attention and was seen as a rising Latino politician.

He teased mounting a gubernatorial run in 2010 before Brown seemingly emerged as the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

Villaraigosa’s tenure as mayor was not without controversy, including over the breakup of his marriage following an affair with a television newscaster, the newspaper noted.

He was also a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump during the election. Villaraigosa formed a PAC and attacked Trump’s immigration policies in a speech at the Democratic National Convention.