Four years ago the Los Angeles mayoral race pitted two Democrats against each other in a battle to preside over America's second biggest city. And once again the upcoming March 8 election might see a rematch between incumbent James Hahn and the man he beat last time, former Assembly Speaker and current councilman Antonio Villaraigosa. The five leading contenders in the nonpartisan race are all Democrats. Hahn and Villaraigosa have been running top in the polls at around 20-25 percent. If nobody wins 50 percent in the March balloting, the two top finishers will face off in a second round in May.

As bitter as the 2001 election was--it ended in widespread charges that Hahn had run a gutter-level campaign to take out Villaraigosa--this season's fight promises to be even more brutal. This time around, the political divisions generated by the contest not only raise difficult questions about whether it's appropriate for liberals to support a moderate incumbent Democrat when there is a more progressive Democrat in the race, but also threaten to rip apart the city's labor-led progressive coalition. "I can't remember when I've seen such division among us liberals," says one local veteran Democratic consultant. "And it doesn't bode well for the postelection period when one or another of these guys has to govern. We're gonna have natural allies divided against each other."

Hahn, scion of a local political dynasty and a former city attorney, was elected by an eight-point margin, succeeding moderate Republican Richard Riordan, who had served two terms. From his first day in office Hahn reinforced his public image as a sleepy, almost invisible presence. But much like the administration of another low-key former California politician, Gray Davis, Hahn's tenure has earned a reputation as a money-soaked, pay-to-play enterprise.

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