Election Day In Bitter L.A. Race

Voters go to the polls Tuesday in Los Angeles to choose between incumbent Mayor James Hahn and challenger Antonio Villaraigosa, an election which has been marked by heated rhetoric.

It could also turn out to be one for the history books. If Villaraigosa - a City Councilman - wins, he will be the city's first Hispanic mayor since 1872.

In a final push for votes, the candidates pumped hands in diners and swept through senior centers while exchanging prickly jabs that have been the hallmark of the campaign.

The race, notes CBS News Correspondent Steve Futterman, is a rematch of a race four years ago in which Hahn beat Villaraigosa by seven percentage points with the help of African-American voters.

This time, reports Futterman, Villaraigosa appears to have put together a strong coalition including African-American voters and public opinion polls give him the edge. The latest Los Angeles Times poll, released last week, showed Villaraigosa with an 11-point lead.

Both candidates are Democrats. Hahn is apparently receiving strong support from moderate and conservative voters.

Monday, Hahn kept up his criticism of Villaraigosa for voting against legislation nearly a decade ago that would have toughened penalties for child abuse.

Villaraigosa lobbed his own volleys at Hahn, portraying him as a desperate incumbent unwilling to address the needs of the nation's second largest city.

"You know, in the last days of the election, people want to know what you're for. They don't just want to know what you're against," said Villaraigosa.

Hahn issued a statement telling Villaraigosa, "You can run but you can't hide. On Tuesday, it's all going to catch up to you ... the double-talk, the flip-flops and a voting record you can't and won't defend."

Earlier Monday, Hahn worked tables at a diner on Hollywood Boulevard, greeting people over breakfast. He found a few words of encouragement, but not every table was glad to see him.

Denise Richmond, 48, told Hahn she was voting for Villaraigosa.

"I just believe Villaraigosa will be good for everybody," she said.

Hahn, 54, is seeking another trip to City Hall after overseeing a sharp drop in crime and modest job growth. But his administration has been shadowed by corruption allegations.

Villaraigosa, 52, a former Assembly speaker, has said the city needs a fresh start. But he has been dogged by fundraising questions, too, and earlier returned nearly $50,000 to employees of two Florida companies with possible interests at Los Angeles International Airport.