The Los Angeles Times has released its list of endorsements for the November 4 election, and surprisingly, there are two GOP members that won approval: Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at Pepperdine University, who is running for California secretary of state; and Ashley Swearengin, the GOP mayor of Fresno, who is running for state controller.
The rest of the endorsements were more predictable; the Times opined that Proposition P, which would impose an annual $23 parcel tax to pay for parks and other facilities, should be defeated, saying it would “apply a regressive, flat per-parcel tax, unlike Proposition A.” On the other hand, Proposition 1, the $7.5-billion water bond, was endorsed by the Times.
Proposition 47, the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act,” which would reduce penalties for some common crimes, was endorsed, while Proposition 45, which would require any alterations in health insurance rates to be approved by the California Insurance Commissioner, was given a thumbs-down. Proposition 48, which would allow the state’s compacts with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians and the Wiyot Tribe to proceed, thus allowing a new casino to be built in Madera County, was endorsed.
Candidates for public office who won the endorsement of the Times included:
Gavin Newsome for Lieutenant Governor
Kamala Harris for Attorney General
Sheila Kuehl for the 3rd Supervisorial district
John Chiang for state treasurer
State Senator Ted Lieu in the 33rd congressional district
John Morris for LA County assessor
Jacqueline Lewis and Andrew Stein for superior court
Dave Jones for state insurance commissioner
Marshall Tuck for state superintendent of public instruction
Jim McDonnell for L.A. County sheriff