Attorney and political newcomer Carmen Trutanich was celebrating Wednesday his improbable victory over Councilman Jack Weiss in the race to become Los Angeles city attorney.

Trutanich criticized Weiss during the campaign for alleged ethics violations and his close relationship with City Hall players - notably Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. During the primary election campaign, the Trutanich camp mailed a pamphlet that superimposed Weiss' face on the head of a dog, which was seated on the lap of the mayor.

Trutanich said he saw the race as a way to wake up City Hall. "Last night, the citizens of Los Angeles took a gigantic leap toward changing Los Angeles. I am humbled and honored to the voters for putting your trust and faith in me. I will not let you down,' Trutanich said.The new city attorney will take office July 1, but in a statement released Wednesday, Trutanich said he will immediately begin work on the transition to office.

"I see a Los Angeles where we can measure our progress by the quality of our lives - the purity of our air and water, the safety of our streets, the quiet enjoyment of our neighborhoods and the excellence of our schools. As your city attorney, I will work with every fiber of my being to be the people's lawyer - a true advocate for a better Los Angeles,' he said.

The election capped a bitterly contentious race in which both candidates spent more time attacking each other than explaining what they would bring to the office of Los Angeles city attorney.

As chair of the Public Safety Committee, Weiss has been vocal in supporting efforts to test thousands of rape kits that have sat untouched in police evidence lockers and has authored local ordinances on gun control.

Since 2001, Weiss has represented parts of West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Two years ago he was the subject of a recall effort by constituents upset by actions that they said worsened traffic in the 5th District, but the campaign failed to gather enough signatures.Trutanich is a private attorney and former deputy district attorney who prosecuted gang-related crimes then transferred to the office's environmental crimes/OSHA division. He left the D.A.'s Office in 1998 to form his own firm, Trutanich-Michel LLP.

The city attorney prosecutes misdemeanor offenses in Los Angeles and serves as the chief legal adviser and general counsel to the mayor, Los Angeles City Council and city departments. Trutanich will replace Rocky Delgadillo, who is being termed out of office.

In the March primary, Weiss finished first with 36 percent of the vote. Trutanich followed with 27 percent.

Both candidates had high-profile endorsements and healthy war chests. Weiss had Villaraigosa and police Chief William Bratton in his corner, while Trutanich was endorsed by District Attorney Steve Cooley and Sheriff Lee Baca.

Baca had originally endorsed both candidates but pulled his support from the councilman following a television commercial by the Weiss campaign that highlighted the charges filed against some of Trutanich's clients, including drunken driving, rape, owning assault weapons and polluting Southern California waters.

Villaraigosa - who backed Weiss early on and lined up endorsements and hosted campaign fundraisers in his honor - said he spoke with Trutanich and will work with him as city attorney."Jack is like a little brother to me and he is because I sat with him on the City Council, I saw his intellect, integrity, his honesty. He's a good man. I've seen him interact with his family and his children, and now he's going to have an opportunity to spend more time with that family that he loves so much, so be it,' Villaraigosa said.

"Jack, I think, is feeling like he's got his family back and that's a good thing, and Carmen is on the threshold of being the next city attorney,' the mayor said.

Despite the harsh nature of the campaign, Weiss said Tuesday night he was pleased with the way the race was run. "I'm proud of the campaign we ran. The campaign was about the issues and about the differences between the candidates. Now is not the time to rehash the campaign. Now is the time to see what the voters did and move on with the business of governing the city,' Weiss told NBC4.

During the campaign, the Trutanich camp called for an ethics and grand jury investigation into a Weiss fundraiser co-hosted by Kelly Candaele, who until last month was a member of the Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System Board of Directors.Candaele resigned after a Los Angeles Times reporter questioned him about the event, since city commissioners and board appointees are banned from political fundraising.

"Mr. Weiss has once again betrayed the public trust by his cavalier and blatant disregard for the law and his ethical duties as a public official,' Trutanich said.

Weiss said his campaign returned the $20,000 raised at the event. Trutanich's victory was welcomed by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which spent about $745,000 on advertisements and mailings in favor of the candidate, and some members of the Los Angeles City Council.

"It's great news for the city as a whole but it's an especially proud moment for his hometown of San Pedro and his current home, Harbor City,' said Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes both communities. "For 16 years, San Pedro was home to City Attorney Jim Hahn, and now, once again, our town can claim the new city attorney as one of our own.'