My endorsements for California’s March 5, 2024 Primary are below.
Summary
| President Joe Biden | Senate Adam Schiff | Congress (44th) Nanette Barragan |
| State Senate (35th) Michelle Chambers | State Assembly (51st) Rick Zbur | State Assembly (65th) Mike Gibson |
| California Prop 1 Yes | LA District Attorney Jeff Chemerinsky | LA County Supervisor (4th) Janice Hahn |
| LA County Dem Central Committee Irene Huerta, Juwane Hilton, Barbara Calhoun, Emma Sharif, Ayanna Davis, Leticia Vasquez-Wilson and Mickey Chavez. | LA County Judges (#12) Judge Lynn Olson (#39) Jacob Lee (#48) Ericka Wiley (#93) Victor Avila (#97) Sharon Ransom | LA County Judges (#115) Christmas Bookens (#124) KImberly Repecka (#130) Leslie Gutierrez (#135) Georgia Huerta (#137) Tracey Blount |
Federal Races
PRESIDENT
President Joe Biden
Freedom and democracy are on the ballot. After January 6th, we know what Donald Trump and the extremist Republicans are capable of and if restored to power they will be unrestrained. A vote for Joe Biden is not just a vote against MAGA extremism, but it is a vote for a solid record of accomplishment that includes finally tackling the COVID crisis, bringing our economy back, controlling inflation, and rebuilding our infrastructure. More importantly, in these dangerous times, we need an experienced hand as Commander-in-Chief and Joe Biden outmaneuvered Putin in building a coalition to support Ukraine.
SENATE
Adam Schiff
I first met Adam Schiff in 1996 when he was running for California State Senate. In twelve terms in the House of Representatives, he has distinguished himself as an effective leader as was evident as he led the first Trump impeachment trial. That is why he has the support of Speaker Emeritus Pelosi and more than 60 percent of the California delegation in the House.1 The LA Times endorsed Schiff citing”his extraordinary leadership in the last several years in helping to protect the nation’s institutions, the rule of law, and American democracy itself from former President Trump.”
That being said, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter are good candidates and, hopefully, they will poll ahead of former San Diego Padres’ star Steve Garvey so they can continue this debate in the fall.
Note – there are two Senate races – one to fill the remainder of Sen. Feinstein’s term (currently held by appointee Sen. Laphonza Butler) and the other for the full six-year term thereafter.
CONGRESS – 44th District
Nanette Barragan
Rep. Barragan is running for a fifth term with no Democratic challengers with an unknown San Pedro Republican being her sole opponent.
California Races
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE – 35th District
Michelle Chambers
One of the trends in California politics in the term limit era that concerns me is the occasional practice of elected officials running for down-ballot races rather than retiring. My concern is that it crowds out new leadership. This is not universally the case, as former President John Quincy Adams served with distinction in the House of Representatives, and former Governor Jerry Brown served as Mayor of Oakland and Attorney General before returning to the Governor’s mansion.
In California’s 35th Senate District, which covers Carson, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Compton, Gardena, Watts, Willowbrook, and Westmont, this concern is very real. One of the two leading candidates to fill the seat held by termed-out Senator Steven Bradford is Laura Richardson, who previously served on the Long Beach City Council, in the California Assembly, and two and a half terms in Congress from 2007-2013.
Not only is Richardson “old news,” but she is bad news. In her short stint in Congress, she was regularly included in the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s (CREW) list of the dozen most corrupt members of Congress. In 2012, she was reprimanded by the House of Representatives and fined for violating House rules by improperly pressuring her staff to campaign for her, destroying evidence, and tampering with witness testimony. That year she was defeated handily by Janice Hahn after moving into her new district.
Richardson’s main opponent is Michelle Chambers who has served as a Congressional aide, a member of the Compton City Council, and with the California Department of Justice. She has generated broad support from labor, environmental, women’s, and LGBT groups, as well as the support of five statewide officials, incumbent Steve Bradford and Supervisor Janice Hahn.
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY – 51st District
Rick Zbur
Democrat Rick Zbur is up for reelection against two Republicans. He has been active in the party for over thirty years and deserves reelection.
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY – 65th District
Mike Gibson
Democrat Mike Gibson, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2014, is running opposed.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 1
Yes
Proposition 1 approves a $6.4 billion bond to add more beds in psychiatric facilities as well as supportive housing, which is housing for formerly unhoused people that comes with mental health and other government services — also known as wraparound services — onsite. According to the California Legislative Analyst Office, Proposition 1 would make up to $4.4 billion available for the state to build more mental health and/or alcohol treatment centers. About $2 billion would go to local governments to convert existing buildings into housing or construct new housing for people who are unhoused or are at risk of becoming unhoused, and have mental health, drug or alcohol issues. Roughly half of the $2 billion would be reserved for veterans.
The measure is endorsed by the LA Times: Proposition 1 is an important step forward in meeting California’s responsibility to the most vulnerable homeless people and those housed Californians with behavioral health problems most at risk of ending up on the street.
LA County Races
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is the largest local prosecutorial office in the U.S. Incumbent D.A. George Gascón has been a lightning rod for the right. Gascón has justifiably sought to reduce mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal justice system and has implemented sweeping reforms such as eliminating cash bail and dramatically reducing filing misdemeanor charges to just 13 percent of the cases.
Gascón had wanted to scrap sentencing enhancements for hate crimes but was forced to abandon that effort.
His ten challengers include some who support his intent but believe he has gone too far and others who favor a more traditional law and order approach (including three judges). Five of the candidates have raised more than Gascón, with his two leading opponents consisting of :
- Nathan Hochman, the Republican nominee for State Attorney General in 2022. Hochman is the son of a well-known tax lawyer and his prosecutorial experiences are mainly in tax law; and
- Jeff Cherminsky, a former federal prosecutor (former Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime section of the US Attorney’s Office in LA) who has never lost a case and the son of Erwin Chemerinsky the renowned dean of UC Berkeley Law School.
I do not believe that LA County needs a tax lawyer to address its law enforcement issues. As a crime victim during Gascón’s tenure and as a lawyer who represents harassment victims who endure threats, revenge porn, and domestic violence (all misdemeanors), and have been told that no action will be taken in a domestic violence case because of Gascón’s policies, I think Gascón has gone too far. I have spoken with people in San Francisco who indicate that the city is still recovering from Gascón’s tenure there as District Attorney.
That is why I support Jeff Chemerinsky who is progressive and reform-minded, but he will prosecute misdemeanors, retail theft, address gun violence, and focus on repeat offenders. He has earned the endorsements of some Democratic Groups as well as LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Sota, former DA Ira Reiner, former Congressman Henry Waxman, and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg among others.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR – 4TH DISTRICT
Janice Hahn
Supervisor Janice Hahn, who previously had served on the Los Angeles City Council and as a member of Congress, is seeking her third and final term. She is running in a district that spans 411 square miles and runs from Torrance, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, and Long Beach up through the 605 Freeway corridor cities to Whittier and then Huntington Park, Lynwood, and South Gate.
It is a sad fact that LA County’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility is the nation’s largest mental health facility. In endorsing her, the LA Times credits her with championing greater mental health service and for making the County government more accessible.
Her opponents include disgraced former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva who lost reelection in a landslide because of his corruption, mismanagement, and combative approach; and Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank (R) who the LA Times notes “offers the wrong prescription for the county, urging a return to less-enlightened criminal justice and housing policies.”
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE 65TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
Irene Huerta, Jawane Hilton, Mickey Chavez, Barbara Calhoun, Emma Sharif, Ayanna Davis, Leticia Vasquez-Wilson and Mickey Chavez
Sixteen candidates are running for the seven slots on the Central Committee including incumbents Irene Huerta, Jawane Hilton, Barbara Calhoun, and Carrie Scoville. Scoville and six other candidates are part of the “People’s Voice” slate, which appears to be the more far-left wing of the party. Scoville, who I know through social media and the San Pedro Democratic Club, is a hard-working postal worker, union member, and a committed activist who brings a lot of energy to many good causes.
My concern, however, is that Scoville is still proud of disrupting Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech at the 2016 convention. When she posted this on social media last year, I asked her if she had any regrets in light of the Trump victory that followed and she responded without hesitation – “no”. As a result, I cannot support her reelection to the Central Committee when she worked to sabotage the party’s nominee in a critical election. In another type of position, I would not have such a hesitation.
As a result, I recommend voting for incumbents Irene Huerta, Juwane Hilton, and Barbara Calhoun plus Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, Compton School Board Member Ayanna Davis, Central Water Basin Director Leticia Vasquez-Wilson, and labor leader Mickey Chavez.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY JUDGES
As someone who practices and appears before LA County judges, I look at the breadth of the experience of the candidates, their evaluation by the bar, and their endorsements.
Office No. 12
Judge Lynn Olson
The LA Times endorses Judge Olson as “an even-tempered judge who demonstrated that she knows how to manage a courtroom.” Her opponent, Deputy Public Defender Rhoda Haymon was rated “Not Qualified” by the LA County Bar Association. Case closed.
Office No. 39
Jacob Lee
Three of the four candidates are rated as qualified in this race, but only Jacob Lee can claim the support of the last two District Attorneys, over 50 judges, and Democratic clubs across South Bay.
Office No. 48
Ericka Wiley
Each of the three candidates is rated as qualified but Deputy Public Defender won the LA Times endorsement. ”She has handled capital murder and other special circumstances cases and served as a supervisor in the Bellflower courthouse. Her demeanor is calm but commands respect, and makes her well-suited to the bench.”
Wiley is part of the Defenders of Justice movement which seeks to bring diversity to a bench that is overwhelmingly white, male former prosecutors.
Office No. 93
Victor Avila
Deputy District Attorney Avila is running unopposed.
Office No. 97
Sharon Ransom
Deputy District Attorney Ransom is endorsed by the LA Times and has broad support from the Democratic Party and judges.
Office No 115
Christmas Bookens
How can you vote against Christmas? Kidding aside, Deputy District Attorney Bookens has broad support from judges, political and labor groups and has the LA Times endorsement.
Office No 124
Kimberly Repecka
Deputy Public Defender Repecka is running against a judge who was publicly admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance in 2023
Office No 130
Leslie Gutierrez
This is the most interesting judicial race, with two of three candidates rated as “well qualified” including Deputy District Attorney Leslie Gutierrez and former Deputy District Attorney Christopher Darden of O.J. Simpson fame. Despite Darden’s name recognition, Gutierrez has built a broad base of support that includes an endorsement from the LA Times.
Office No 135
Georgia Huerta
This is the race between two “well qualified” Deputy District Attorneys with broad political and judicial support, but Georgia Heurta has more experience and a greater base of support.
Office No 137
Tracey Blount
In a race where three of the four candidates are rated as “qualified” but only Senior Deputy County Counsel Blount is rated as “Well Qualified”. Plus her work in representing LA County in Dependency Court brings a unique perspective to the bench.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
Before addressing the races on the ballot, I would to salute a City Councilman whose name will not be on the ballot – City Council President Paul Krekorian whose term ends next year. I have known Paul for almost thirty years and I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished in his career in the Assembly where he authorized legislation to provide tax incentives to keep film and television production in California that increased filming by almost ten percent; and in his fourteen years on the City Council where helped lead the City’s recovery from COVID, stabilized its finances, and ending oil and gas drilling in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL – 2ND DISTRICT
Adrin Nazarian
Running to fill Paul’s seat in District 2 is Adrin Nazarian, who was Paul’s former Chief of Staff in the Assembly and in City Hall before serving in the Assembly from 2012-2022. I have worked with Adrin and he is a worthy successor to Paul. He won the LA Times endorsement who they said was “an experienced lawmaker and a thoughtful, collaborative leader who is willing to take on difficult, weedy issues.”
As a resident of San Pedro, I am represented by the capable Tim McOsker who will not be up for reelection until 2026. I have no opinion on the other council races.
LA Unified School Board, District 7
Tanya Ortiz Franklin
I endorsed Franklin in 2020 and support her again for reelection. She is endorsed by the LA Times which states that she has “made She has” helped make the board a calm, well-run group that operates through collaboration and common sense rather than ideology.”
LA Measure HLA
Yes
Measure HLA, also referred to as Healthy Streets L.A., asks voters in the City of Los Angeles to require the city to — over time — redesign streets to be safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. This is needed because Los Angeles had more traffic deaths than homicides last year. At least 330 people were killed in vehicle collisions, the highest number in 20 years. Measure HLA has broad community support and is endorsed by the LA Times.
1 My support of Rep. Schiff has nothing to do with the fact that he was born in New England or that Bennett is his middle name.
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