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LONDON: Here are thumbnail sketches of those running to be the mayor of London.

Ken Livingstone:

Livingstone is known as much for his quixotic brand of left-wing politics as his pioneering London congestion charge, a version of which New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg unsuccessfully tried to bring to Manhattan. Livingstone was widely praised for his handling of the July 7, 2005, terror attacks and for helping to win the 2012 Olympics for the British capital. However, allegations of cronyism — and some of his more unsavory idiosyncrasies — have taken their toll on his standing.

Born in London in 1945 and nicknamed “Red” Ken for his outspoken socialism, Livingstone has presided over a period of spectacular economic growth.

But his one-man foreign policy — which features a visceral hatred of U.S. President George W. Bush, whom he called “the greatest threat to life on this planet” — has raised eyebrows. So, too, have opposition allegations, all strongly denied, of anti-Semitism. His personal life has come under the microscope as well: Livingstone recently acknowledged fathering three children with two women in addition to the two children he has with his longtime partner.

Livingstone, the author of a book entitled “If Voting Changed Anything, They’d Abolish It,” may find his greatest obstacle is himself. He once said only a “ghastly dehumanized moron” would rid London of its well-loved double-decker Routemaster buses. Four years later, the Routemasters were replaced, and mayoral opponent Boris Johnson has appropriated the iconic red bus as his standard.

Johnson also recently reminded Livingstone of his statement that mayors should only serve two terms because their administrations inevitably become corrupt. Livingstone said he was inspired to run for again by none other than U.S. President George W. Bush, explaining that the world would have been “a lot safer” if Bill Clinton had been allowed to seek a third term.

Boris Johnson:

Johnson shambled onto the stage just as Britain’s Conservatives were struggling to find someone with the national standing to challenge Livingstone. A chaotically-coifed maverick with a long record of putting his foot in it, Johnson’s frequent appearances on the satirical news panel show “Have I Got News for You” helped build the name-recognition needed to propel him to the top of the polls.

His bizarre blonde hair and bicycle-born antics have gone some way toward fulfilling his election promise to “put a smile back on London’s face.” But Johnson still faces a challenge in historically left-leaning London. He opposes gay marriage, and previous statements about Islam and “piccaninnies” — an offensive term for a black child — also have caused disquiet.

Unlike the other two mayoral front runners, Johnson is not from London (he was born in New York in 1964) and he attended super-elite Eton College before moving on to Oxford.

Johnson has tried to play up his (distant) descent from French, German and Turkish ancestors to burnish his multicultural credentials. But despite an assurance in a radio interview that he “was down with the ethnics,” Johnson has yet to convince many of the capital’s minorities he is right for the job.

Livingstone has pleaded with Londoners not to “vote for a joke,” but Johnson’s good-natured bumbling may have won over those put off by the incumbent mayor’s more acerbic style.

Brian Paddick:

Like the other front runners, Paddick, formerly Britain’s most senior openly gay police commander, also cuts an unusual figure.

The Liberal Democrat’s openness and crime-fighting experience have attracted some voters, although polls suggest Paddick, 49, doesn’t stand a chance of becoming mayor.

His supporters are being heavily courted by Johnson and Livingstone, who are hoping to capture their second-choice votes.

Londoners have a host of other candidates to choose from, including the environmentalist Green Party’s Sian Berry and the far-right British National Party’s Richard Barnbrook.