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Former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder was sworn in Sunday as the city's first elected mayor in nearly 60 years, promising to turn the struggling capital into a "model city for the commonwealth" as he makes his return to politics. Almost 15 years after he took the oath as the nation's first elected black governor, Wilder, a Democrat, promised in a 20-minute speech full of the populist ideals that underscored his fall campaign to address the city's problems. "It is a special moment for me as we embark on a new course -- a new day -- in our city's rich history," Wilder told hundreds of well-wishers who jammed the downtown convention center. Referring to his home town's struggle with crime and job loss, he added: "We begin a new form of government at a time of many serious challenges and even greater opportunities. I accept the task ahead." Wilder was sworn in by his former law partner Judge Roger L. Gregory, the first African American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond. [more]