Heavyweights battle for Mayor of Paris

Can't say that there are heavyweights in NYC, LA or DC battling to be mayor, a rather thankless job. Definitely not political heavyweights anyway. Apparently the opposite is true in Paris, where it is such a high-profile position, and one with enough power to try to make major innovations in various programs. Perhaps San Francisco would be comparable? http://www.france24.com/en/20130215-france-political-elite-covet-paris-mayors-office