Villaraigosa will chair democratic national convention l a

Villaraigosa Will Chair Democratic National Convention By Mark Z. Barabak and John Hoeffel February 14, 2012 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been selected chairman of this summer’s Democratic National Convention, elevating his role as a surrogate in the Latino community and raising his national profile at a time Villaraigosa considers his political future. A formal announcement was scheduled Wednesday in Washington, with the mayor planning to join President Obama on Wednesday night for a presidential fundraiser in Los Angeles. As convention chairman, Villaraigosa will wield the gavel during the event in Charlotte, N.C., which opens with a festival on Sept. 3 and continues for three days of official business, including the nomination of Obama and his acceptance speech. Villaraigosa will also serve as a spokesman for the convention, starting with a Web video the party planned to release on Wednesday. Villaraigosa is one of the nation’s most prominent elected Latino officials and envisions an active role in Obama’s reelection effort. The White House, in turn, is counting heavily on strong Latino turnout, especially in battleground states such as Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida. (Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com …