New Assembly speaker says career similarities with cousin Villaraigosa end here

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As John Perez takes over as Assembly Speaker on Monday, he is following the same path taken by his cousin, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, from organized labor to the state Assembly and then to the leadership job.

But does that mean Perez will continue on his cousin’s path in 2013 and run for mayor when Villaraigosa is forced out by term limits?

“It’s not my goal in life,” Perez said in a recent interview with the Times. “You never rule anything out but it’s as close to a rule-out as you can possible do. I love my cousin. We’re very different people in many ways. Just because he did it doesn’t mean I want to do it.”

Perez said he is at home as a lawmaker in the Capitol in a way he might not be as the top leader in City Hall.

“I think there are different skill sets for being a legislator versus being an executive,” he said. “Being a legislator is probably the skill set I believe I have more of.”

Also, there is the political calculus.

“Honestly I don’t think I can get elected. I don’t think we’re at a time where I could get elected as a gay Latino labor leader,’’ he said.

But then Perez added, “Growing up I never thought I could be a legislator.”

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento