Los Angeles City Council President Alex Padilla was elected Monday as president of the League of California Cities, the powerful umbrella group representing cities on statewide issues.

Padilla, 32, becomes the first Latino and one of the youngest ever to head the 107-year-old organization, which represents 478 cities throughout the state.

The League scored a political coup last year when it forced an initiative preventing state government raids on local property taxes onto the ballot. The measure won overwhelming voter approval.

Padilla, who was elected to the L.A. City Council in 1999 and became council president in 2001, is gearing up for a run for state Senate next year against Assemblywoman Cindy Monta & #324;ez, D-San Fernando.