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As I reported (sketchily) back on May 15, former Riordan chief of staff Robin Kramer is taking a lead role in the Villaraigosa transition. She moved into the 15th floor of City Hall Monday to begin sifting through resumes. The Times and Daily News diverge, however, on a key detail. Jessica Garrison writes in the LAT that Villaraigosa announced Kramer will "head his transition office." In the DN, Rick Orlov writes that Bob Hertzberg will chair the transition team "assisted by Kramer." Kramer had also been chief deputy to Richard Alatorre when he was a city councilman, and most recently she has been executive director of Eli Broad's foundation. She also has worked closely with William Wardlaw, who served as chairman of the Hahn campaign this year.
Also: The Business Journal's Howard Fine sizes up the contest for president of the City Council between Alex Padilla, who has the job and jumped from Hahn to Villaraigosa this year, and Eric Garcetti, who backed Hahn but is politically closer to the mayor-elect. If the buzz is correct, Padilla is lining up his ducks to run for the state Senate seat now held by Richard Alarcon, who would flip over to the state Assembly (in a bid to become Speaker) and back current assemblywoman Cindy Montaņez for the Senate.