Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will see the end of his two-term tenure come May 21 and there are a myriad of characters ranging from businessmen and city council members to radio hosts and filmmakers willing to take over.

Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council member representing the 13th district, attended Columbia University where he studied urban planning and political science and received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Garcetti was presented with the New Frontier Award, given to elected officials under 40 who embody the same vision of leadership as former President John F. Kennedy. His plan as mayor of Los Angeles includes a plan to make City Hall work more efficiently.

Wendy Greuel
Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel is focused on improving public schools. While working in former Mayor Tom Bradley’s office she helped program LA’s BEST, which provides a safe place for children in the hours after school. Greuel worked at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development where she helped bring $1.1 billion in support to citizens affected by the Northridge Earthquake.

Kevin James
Former Assistant United States Attorney for Los Angeles, Kevin James, has been an active philanthropist for the Los Angeles community. James has donated his legal expertise to many charities and served on the AIDS Project Los Angeles Board of Directors from 1999 to 2000. Prior to his mayoral campaign James was a radio host and political commentator on KRLA AM 870.

Jan Perry
Democrat Jan Perry, Los Angeles City Council member representing the 9th district, is an Ohio native who was inspired at an early age by her parents, Samuel and Betty, to become a political activist. Her parents worked with Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor in Cleveland, to fight for fair housing. Perry received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Perry emphasizes a strong educational platform in which she plans as mayor to appoint a Deputy Mayor for Public Education.

Emanuel Pleitez
Stanford University graduate Emanuel Pleitez is active in the Latino community in Los Angeles. He founded non-profit organizations such as Latinos on the Fast Track and Latino Legacy. Pleitez ran for the 32nd Congressional District Special Election in 2009 and caught the attention of the Obama Administration, which appointed him special assistant to economist Paul Volcker and the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.