Last Hahn standing

By the time Councilwoman Janice Hahn stepped aboard the 110-foot-long boat -- leading an annual tall ships parade in the Port of Los Angeles, the hub of her district -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was already on deck, soaking up the spotlight.

"I thought he was on another boat," Hahn commented to an aide. Villaraigosa, surrounded by the ship's crew, glanced at the councilwoman and then went back to signing autographs. If you ask him, Villaraigosa will tell you that he likes Janice Hahn, the doting baby sister of James K. Hahn, the man he defeated in a rough election last spring. And Janice Hahn will say that she wants to see the new mayor succeed, even if he did break her heart by taking away her brother's job.

But put Janice and Antonio in close proximity on the open sea and watch out for the churning undercurrent.

Unlike her brother, Janice Hahn has all the zip and verve of her late father, the revered Kenneth Hahn, who served as a county supervisor for 40 years. And she has suffered to get to where she is: When she told her parents years ago that she was going to run for office, her mother burst into tears. Her father, who had urged her to stay out of politics, was no less disapproving.

For many years, it seemed as if her parents were right. She lost races while her brother made the family proud with victory after victory. It felt like a repeat of all those times when they were kids, when her brother's report cards went up on display while hers got stuffed in a drawer

Now that has changed. Janice, 53, is the only Hahn in public office. With her down-home San Pedro folksiness, she sees herself as the one charged with carrying on the family name and legacy -- even if it means taking on Villaraigosa during his honeymoon with the city.

Hahn has moxie, in spades, and there's no mistaking it: The new mayor is watchful and a bit wary of her. The subtle tension -- although tempered by spurts of joviality -- was obvious during the 2 1/2 hours the councilwoman spent with the mayor recently on the Exy Johnson.

About 10 minutes after Hahn arrived on the ship, Villaraigosa decided it was time to act.