Los Angeles Times - 04.03.2020

A10 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 LATIMES.COM

ELECTION 2020

The race for one of the
three seats up for grabs on
the powerful Los Angeles
County Board of Supervi-
sors appeared poised for a
runoff Tuesday night, as
early election returns
showed state Sen. Holly
Mitchell and L.A. City Coun-
cilman Herb Wesson leading
in the 2nd Supervisorial Dis-
trict.
Along with former L.A.
City Councilwoman Jan
Perry, the longtime politi-
cians sought to muscle their
way into the seat being va-
cated by a termed-out Mark
Ridley-Thomas. Four lesser-
known candidates also ran.
If no candidate wins
more than 50% of the vote,
the top two finishers will go
to a runoff in November.
“I feel good, I’m on the
board,” said Mitchell, speak-
ing by phone Tuesday night
after early results were
posted. “I’m cautiously opti-
mistic.”
“I believe the voters are
putting me through to the
next round,” Wesson said in
a phone call. “I led this cam-
paign not with my head, but
with my heart, and I believe
we made a real connection
with the voters.”
The race was the most
closely watched of three
county supervisor contests
on Tuesday. Incumbents
Kathryn Barger and Janice
Hahn were leading in their
respective races, according
to early returns.
The five-member Board
of Supervisors represents 10

million people and oversees

a $36-billion budget, the

county’s jails and hospitals,

and social services.

In the 2nd District race,

homelessness, rising hous-

ing prices and gentrification

were the dominant issues, as

the district, which covers

much of South L.A., Culver

City and Carson, has the

largest homeless population

in the county.

Wesson’s fundraising

edge made him the target of

attacks, with both Mitchell

and Perry questioning his

record on affordable hous-

ing and homelessness.

The former City Council

president and Assembly

speaker pulled in more than

$1.5 million, while the L.A.

County Federation of Labor

spent another $1.5 million

through an independent

committee to support his

bid, said Federation of La-

bor political director Devin

Osiri. The Assn. for Los An-

geles Deputy Sheriffs State

PAC gave $500,000 to the

committee led by the federa-

tion, while Service Employ-

ees International Union Lo-

cal 721 gave $400,000.

Mitchell, who raised

$985,000, also benefited from

outside money. An inde-

pendent committee — with

major funders that include

Service Employees Interna-

tional Union-United Health-

care Workers West and

Planned Parent Advocacy

Project — spent more than

$450,000 in the race, said

Tina McKinnor, principal of-

ficer of the committee.

In the final weeks of the

primary race, Perry’s cam-

paign stepped up attacks on

Wesson, sending mailers

that alleged the councilman

is being investigated by the

FBI.

The mailers quoted a 2019

Times story about a search

warrant served in connec-

tion with the FBI probe into

City Councilman Jose

Huizar. The Times reported

that investigators were look-

ing for possible evidence in-

volving a dozen people, in-

cluding Deron Williams,

Wesson’s chief of staff. Wes-

son’s name, however, doesn’t

appear in the search war-

rant and his attorney told

The Times last year that the

councilman was only a wit-

ness in its investigation. No

one has been arrested or

charged in connection with

the probe.

Hahn, who has endorsed

Wesson, defended the coun-

cilman. Speaking on robo-

calls to district voters, Hahn

called the mailers a “last-

minute smear,” and pointed

to Wesson’s support from

law enforcement groups.

Meanwhile, early returns

showed Hahn coasting to

victory over challenger and

attorney Desiree Washing-

ton, as she sought to retain

her district seat. The coun-

ty’s 4th Supervisorial Dis-

trict covers Diamond Bar,

Downey, San Pedro and

Marina del Rey.

And in the county’s 5th

District, Barger also was

leading over John C.

Harabedian, mayor of Sierra

Madre, and educator Darrell

Park. The district stretches

from Lancaster to Pasadena

and takes in Santa Clarita

and San Dimas.

Measure FD, a parcel tax

that would raise an esti-

mated $134 million annually

for the Los Angeles County

Fire Department was falling

short of the two-thirds ap-

proval needed to pass. Only

voters who live in areas

served by the L.A. County

Fire Department, which in-

clude the unincorporated

county and 58 cities that

contract with the county for

fire protection and emer-

gency services, cast ballots

on the measure.

Another ballot measure,

Measure R, was ahead in

early returns. It would allow

the Los Angeles County

Sheriff Civilian Oversight

Commission to subpoena

witnesses and documents

during its investigations. It

would also authorize the

commission to develop a

plan to reduce jail popula-

tions and reinvest savings

into other preventative serv-

ices.

Mitchell and Wesson appear headed for a runoff

STATESen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and supporters at campaign headquarters see Mitchell’s first

results putting her in the lead for the 2nd Supervisorial District on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Gina FerazziLos Angeles Times

Rivals vie for L.A.

County Supervisor

Ridley-Thomas’ seat.

By Dakota Smith

storative-justice-minded
candidates into office in
such cities as Chicago, Phila-
delphia and San Francisco.
A former assistant chief
in the Los Angeles Police De-
partment, Gascón became a
progressive policymaker af-
ter being appointed as San
Francisco’s district attorney
in 2011. He coauthored Pro-
position 47 and enacted a
number of policies aimed at
reducing California’s prison
population, including cut-
ting back dramatically on
prosecution of low-level and
nonviolent offenders. But
surges in property crime
there have led critics to label
him as soft on crime.
Speaking to supporters
at Union Station, Gascón
acknowledged the early re-
sults but said he expected
his standing to improve as
reports from polling sta-
tions came in. In a brief
speech, he faulted Lacey and
other past L.A. county pros-
ecutors for “ignoring data
and science” and embracing
policies that have ware-
housed defendants in pris-
ons.
Rossi has painted herself
as the only true alternative
in the race, trying to turn her
lack of law enforcement ex-
perience into a net positive
that allows her to under-
stand the courtroom from
both sides of the aisle. As le-
gal counsel to Sen. Richard
Durbin (D-Ill.) in Washing-
ton, she helped frame the
First Step Act, which re-
duced some mandatory
minimum sentences at the
federal level.
Opponents have chal-
lenged her relative inexperi-
ence compared with Gascón
and Lacey, however. Where-
as the two law enforcement
lions have served a com-
bined six decades as a
policeman or prosecutor,
Rossi, 36, has never run an
agency and served as a pub-
lic defender for only about
eight years.
The race has attracted
millions of dollars in funding
from outside committees
and been marked by pointed
attacks. Many of Gascón’s
former fellow LAPD officers
have turned their back on
him, with the union repre-
senting rank-and-file offi-
cers spending $1 million to
oppose his candidacy and
release advertisements de-
scribing him as a con man.
Lacey, meanwhile, has
been dogged by protesters at
several events. At a news
conference Monday, she
claimed her office had re-
ceived numerous threats

during the race, including a

death threat that was re-

ferred to an outside police

agency. After demon-

strators disrupted portions

of a January debate, she re-

fused to appear at any other

candidate forums before the

end of the primary.

Following the gun inci-

dent, she canceled a public

event for supporters to

watch results Tuesday

night, Mac Zilber, a consult-

ant on her campaign, said.

Rossi spent election day

meeting with constituents

around downtown L.A. and

Boyle Heights, while Gascón

held a campaign event at the

Grand Central Market. Lac-

ey stayed out of the public

eye, but Zilber said she spent

much of the day on the

phone with supporters.

The image of Lacey’s hus-

band pointing a gun at un-

armed protesters seemed to

weigh heavy on the minds of

voters Tuesday. While walk-

ing to a polling station in

Mid-City, 30-year-old Julia

Markas said footage of the

confrontation led her to re-

search the other candidates.

“It really did make me in-

vestigate where did she

stand on things, who are the

other people running

against her, because it was a

really shocking video,”

Markas said. Ultimately

Markas voted for Rossi, say-

ing she “liked the idea of a

public defender in there.”

Lacey faces more-progressive foes

GEORGE GASCÓN, a former San Francisco D.A. and LAPD assistant chief, meets with supporters Tuesday night at Union Station.

Carolyn ColeLos Angeles Times

RACHEL ROSSI, whose legal background is as a public defender, chats

with backers after announcing her run for district attorney last year.

Brian van der BrugLos Angeles Times

[D.A. race,from A1]

JACKIE LACEY, seen in February, kept a low profile Tues-

day, a day after her husband pointed a gun at demonstrators.

Irfan KhanLos Angeles Times