Candidate for
Mayor; City of Los Angeles

A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Jim Hahn was elected Los Angeles City Attorney for a record fourth time in 1997. His record of accomplishment demonstrates his strong commitment to tackling tough issues and making real improvements in the day-to-day lives of every Los Angeles resident.

Public service is in Jim Hahn's blood. The son of the legendary Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Jim would often accompany his father on weekend car rides to look for potholes. The next Monday, any potholes that had been spotted would be quickly filled. The elder Hahn was elected ten times to the Board of Supervisors and it was not long before Jim understood that his father's unprecedented success was based on his deep commitment to proactively meeting the needs of his constituents.

As the city's chief prosecutor, Jim Hahn has worked aggressively to develop innovative solutions to a wide range of problems facing Los Angeles. He pioneered new tools in the fight against gang-related crime, including the use of public nuisance laws to file gang injunctions against notorious street gangs. He established the City Attorney Gang Unit and worked to pass a package of state laws called the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention (STEP) Act to help curb gang violence.

Recognizing the need to provide assistance to declining neighborhoods, Jim worked with other city agencies to establish the Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program. The program, which cleans up abandoned buildings and other properties that attract criminal activity, is the first of its kind in the nation. Neighborhoods that have benefited from this program include Venice, Winnetka, North Hills, Boyle Heights, Watts, Downtown Los Angeles, Harbor City, and Hollywood.

Jim created the City Attorney's Domestic Violence Unit, which consistently achieves a 90 percent conviction rate. The sponsor of over 30 bills in the California State Legislature, he played a significant role in crafting the state's domestic violence laws, which are among the toughest in the nation.

Enhanced prosecution of sub-standard housing, elder abuse, consumer fraud, environmental crimes, and other quality of life crimes are also priorities for Jim. His efforts to improve the quality of Los Angeles's housing, for example, have led to the rehabilitation of over 20,000 sub-standard housing units and a number of slumlords being sentenced to house arrest in their own run-down buildings.

Jim has also been a national leader on litigation against the gun industry and against tobacco companies. His efforts led to a landmark settlement with the nation's largest gun manufacturer to dramatically improve the safety of handguns and to improve gun tracking to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Jim's leadership in Los Angeles' successful legal effort against the tobacco industry ended the "Joe Camel" ad campaign targeted at children and led to a $312 million settlement for the city. With a portion of these funds, Jim established the Tobacco Enforcement Project to reduce the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors.

Jim Hahn, 50, grew up in South Los Angeles and attended Manchester Avenue Elementary School, Horace Mann Junior High School, and Lutheran High School. He received a B.A. in English and a law degree from Pepperdine University. In addition to serving as City Attorney for the last 16 years, Hahn served one term as the Los Angeles City Controller. Jim and his wife Monica live in San Pedro with their children Karina and Jackson.