Richard Alarcon is 51, a crack bowler, lives with his mother in the Valley when he is in town, has two grandchildren, calls Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation his favorite book, and taught school before going into politics. We learn that and some other stuff in today's Times profile of Alarcon by Patrick McGreevy. His ex-wife Corina is backing Jim Hahn (he appointed her to the police commission), and ethnic-baiting mailers sent out on Alarcon's behalf when he ran against Richard Katz for the state Senate in 1998—and won by just 29 votes—still anger some Jewish Democrats. Count Katz's campaign consultant then, Harvey Englander, among the still bitter: "I do not believe Richard Alarcon has any integrity." The piece doesn't analyze the generally good reviews Alarcon has been getting from debate audiences during the campaign, nor does it answer the main question: what's he doing here? He's got no money, no important endorsements, isn't going to win the Latino vote or the Valley, and he got just 3% in the recent Times Poll.

Now that they are done, the Times' five profiles of the five main candidates are gathered here on the paper's website.

Also: The first mailers of the campaign arrive, targeting early voters. And the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles will spend $29,000 in an independent expenditure for Bernard Parks.