Los Angeles Teachers Elect Hard-to-Define Union Leader

By Julie Blair

It was a nail-biter of a race in the nation's second-largest school district, but in the end, Los Angeles teachers chose John Perez to lead their 41,000- member union in a runoff election that concluded last week.

The 55-year-old former high school social studies teacher captured the presidency of United Teachers Los Angeles with 50.5 percent of the vote, nudging out former elementary teacher Becki Robinson, who won 49.5 percent, union officials reported. Only 10 percent of eligible members cast votes, a common participation rate for such elections, said Steve Blazak, a union spokesman.

No challenge to the results had been filed as of...