Clash over Latino vote

A Democratic gubernatorial clash has begun taking shape in the San Fernando Valley - with a possible split of the Latino vote - as City Councilman Richard Alarcon said this week he will support Attorney General Jerry Brown for governor even as state Sen. Alex Padilla helps lead the campaign of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Tony Castro in the Daily News.

The dean of the Valley's Latino politicians, Alarcon's support of the former governor's expected campaign would seem to put a damper on Newsom's effort to establish a foothold in Los Angeles and corner Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's ethnic base.

In an interview, Alarcon countered claims by the Newsom campaign that Brown, 71, is no longer relevant to Latinos who heavily supported him while he was governor from 1974 to 1982.