LOS ANGELES- One day before potentially make-or-break primaries in Texas and Ohio, Hillary Clinton has lost one of her most loyal foot soldiers, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has  raised eyebrows back home for devoting so much time and energy to her campaign instead of running America’s second-largest city.

Villaraigosa,  a former labor and immigrant rights activist who is considered one of Clinton’s best emissaries to Latino voters, cut short a planned five-day swing through the Texas on Friday – the same day that a local Web site ran a story wondering why he was collecting a full-time salary as Los Angeles mayor while stumping at least part-time for the New York senator.

 And on Monday, the Los Angeles Times followed with a story of its own, noting that Villaraigosa had spent 18 of the last 65 days on the campaign trail for Hillary. The paper said that, while the Clinton campaign bankrolls  the mayor’s flights and hotels, the city had to pay for his accompanying security detail.

The Times said that Villaraigosa’s dedication on behalf of Clinton had already prompted grumbling in Los Angeles City Hall, where the phrase “Where’s Antonio?” has been circulating through the hallways as a popular quip.

 A spokesman for the mayor assured the Times that Villaraigosa hadn’t missed any key events in the city and was always reachable by cell phone, ready to return home at a moment’s notice.    

 And Deputy Mayor Dan Clegg said Villaraigosa considered campaigning for Clinton  “working for the city he loves” because he believes that a Democrat in the White House would be better for Los Angeles.

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