Prognosticators will be out in force combing over the results of the Los Angeles City election held yesterday. Most of the chatter, of course, will be about the mayor’s race looking toward the Antonio Villaraigosa’s potential run for governor.

With another low municipal turnout of 15% of registered voters, city voters returned Mayor Villaraigosa to office for a second term.  The mayor faced little opposition and captured 55% of the vote. That’s enough to avoid a run-off election but not enough to put a scare into potential rivals for the Democratic nomination for governor should Villaraigosa choose to run. If the mayor is interested in statewide office, his base in Los Angeles must be strong. With weak and barely funded opposition, a 55% vote will not impress the pundits.

Los Angeles is a strong union town. Mixing an environmental cause, the greater use of solar energy, backed by the influential International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and running TV ads featuring the mayor, Proposition B looked like a sure winner. Surprise! Still too close to call, Proposition B is actually losing as of this writing 49.7% to 50.3%.  There was opposition to this measure because the DWP union members would gain the work by securing no bid contracts. The measures possible downfall was cutting out other union laborers from potential jobs.

Voters took a shot at business by defeating a measure backed by all the major business support groups in the city to provide incentives to businesses that would encourage economic development. Once again the City of Los Angeles sent a message that it is not business friendly.