Villaraigosa bows out of governor's race

Saying he has work to do in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Monday bowed out of next year’s race for governor. He did so during an appearance on CNN, as KPCC’s Frank Stoltze reports.

Frank Stoltze: Villaraigosa said he wants to stay in L.A. in part to address the city’s record $530 million budget deficit.

Antonio Villaraigosa: I can't leave this city in the middle of a crisis.

Stoltze: The mayor, reelected in March, said he also wants to continue trying to reform the schools, fix traffic, and create green jobs. He said he wants to spend time with his daughter, too.

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Villaraigosa: She's the apple of my eye, and she's got two more years of high school and then she's gone.

Stoltze: A number of civic leaders had urged Villaraigosa to set aside his political ambitions and finish his work in L.A. A Los Angeles Times poll found a plurality of city residents agreed – even though only about half like his job performance.

The poll also found Villaraigosa would have faced a tough race against state Attorney General Jerry Brown for the Democratic nomination for governor. Brown now faces only San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.