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In less than three weeks, a great moment in Los Angeles history will be upon us. City Councilman Nate Holden will be termed out of City Hall, if not chased out, and the Ethics Commission won't know what to do with all its extra time.
I can't think of a better tribute than a City Hall statue of Holden with his hand out. He snubbed campaign funding limits an impressive 334 times in his championship career, never met a hack he couldn't add to the payroll, and gladly accepted gifts that included a $12,000 gold wristwatch.
Unfortunately, the mid-city's 10th Council District wasn't golden under his rule. Now two candidates are in a runoff to see if they can rescue the district from the rubble, but that's only part of what's up for grabs.
Look at this race, and you're looking at the L.A. story of shifting population. The election in former Mayor Tom Bradley's district is a test of whether black leadership can hold on, once more, to a seat that will one day be owned by the growing Latino population. Already, Latino residents are in the majority in the 10th, but 52% of registered voters are African American.
The two candidates, fittingly, couldn't be more different. Deron Williams is the past -- a pothole-fixer with no polish and less vision. Martin Ludlow is the future -- a smooth-talking operative with City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa as...
