[1] Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

[3] Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promised Hahn that he would not participate in the election.

As such, Schwarzenegger did not endorse any candidates, however he has expressed broad support for Hertzberg's plan to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District.

His Education Secretary, and former mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan campaigned heavily for Hertzberg.

[3] Hahn became the first incumbent to lose re-election in 32 years since Sam Yorty lost to Tom Bradley in the 1973 Los Angeles mayoral election.