Antonio Villaraigosa will take office in six weeks on the strength of a resounding win that could embolden the new mayor as he pushes an ambitious agenda.
But the mayor-elect's promises of a united metropolis with more subways, safer streets and stellar public schools may test his ability to rally diverse groups to his cause.
To succeed, Villaraigosa will have to quickly show he can offer concrete plans to fulfill his idealistic promises, even as he governs amid expectations heightened by a historic victory.
"The honeymoon will be longer with a big margin of victory," said veteran local political strategist Kerman Maddox. "But whether he wins by 5 points or 20, within six months, people want to see results."
Celebrating his victory at midnight Tuesday, Villaraigosa told supporters he would "bring this great city together," but did not discuss specific plans. "Tomorrow," he said, "the hard work begins."
Villaraigosa plans to start the day by meeting with Police Chief William J. Bratton.
If past is prologue, Villaraigosa may demonstrate that the candidate who was belittled by his opponent as "an empty suit" can turn energy and an engaging smile into concrete results.
As Assembly speaker, Villaraigosa earned a reputation as a skilled negotiator. And in building a mayoral campaign that brought together a broad spectrum of civic leaders, Villaraigosa showed that he can build a coalition in Los Angeles, a vital skill in the diverse city.
But the new mayor is not riding a wave of universal enthusiasm.
Many of his supporters were driven more by dissatisfaction with Hahn than by allegiance to Villaraigosa. And Villaraigosa has earned few fans in Los Angeles for his work on the City Council, where he did little to take on the most vexing issues facing the city.
On the campaign trail, he often avoided direct answers to tough questions about his campaign fundraising and his legislative record, a habit his opponent exploited to tag him as untrustworthy.
And in the face of momentous civic problems, Villaraigosa has made big -- some say unrealistic -- promises.
On one issue, he has already stumbled.
Villaraigosa, who promised to clean up City Hall, takes office amid a criminal inquiry into whether donations to his mayoral campaign from employees of a Florida airport concessionaire were laundered.
