Posts Tagged ‘California’

From LA Times:

In Kamala Harris’ successful, hard-fought campaign for San Francisco district attorney in 2003, the Democrat and her two rivals found rare common ground on the nationally hypercharged issue of the death penalty. All three adamantly opposed it.

Doing otherwise would have meant almost certain political excommunication in a city where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once faced catcalls for not being liberal enough. San Francisco, after all, is where wedding bells rang loudest for same-sex couples before California voters banned gay marriage and where Democrats currently outnumber Republicans six to one.
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“Labels are relative here. Our conservative is L.A.’s liberal,” said David Lee, a political science professor at San Francisco State and director of the nonpartisan Chinese American Voters Education Committee. “San Francisco voters poll so much more to the left than the rest of California that politicians have to adjust.”

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From SFGate:

No surprise here — family members of slain San Francisco Police Office Isaac Espinoza, longtime and vocal critics of San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, announced their support for her opponent in the attorney general race today.

In a scathing, nearly 2-page long statement released by Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley’s campaign, his parents, sister and widow attack Harris’ record and say she is “simply not worthy” of the attorney general’s office.

The family released a similar statement shortly before the June primary, but stopped short then of endorsing any of her opponents. Cooley has scored backing from a long list of law enforcement groups and officials.

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From KMJnow:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s lead over his Republican opponent in the race for lieutenant governor has shrunk to four percentage points, down from nine points two months ago, a Field Poll has found.

The attorney general’s race is also close. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, a Democrat, is trailing Republican Steve Cooley by just four points among likely voters, according to the poll, released today.

With just more than a month until the election, the candidates are locked in tight races – Newsom’s and Cooley’s leads are within the poll’s 4.1 percent margin of error.

Newsom is leading current Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado 39 to 35 percent, while Cooley, Los Angeles County’s district attorney, is up 35 to 31 percent over Harris.

A large number of likely voters are undecided in both races – 26 percent in the lieutenant governor’s race, and more than one-third, 34 percent, in the attorney general contest.

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From sfgate.com:

The campaign of Republican Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley — already basking in the glow from the Bell story playing out in his home county — wasted no time jumping on comments by DEMOCRATIC state Treasurer Bill Lockyer predicting a GOP victory this November in the AG race (those comments were reported today by colleague Andrew S. Ross).

What did Lockyer say about the attorney general race that had everyone all atwitter?:

“I think Cooley’s going to win, even though he’s a mean, gloomy bureaucrat.”

Cooley is facing off against Democratic darling and SF District Attorney Kamala Harris to become AG. His campaign issued a perfectly double-edged response to the double-edged comment:

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From ktla.com:

Eight Bell city officials, including the Mayor and former City Manager, are due in court Wednesday to face charges in a salary scandal that rocked the working-class city.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley on Tuesday announced the arrests of former City Manager Robert Rizzo; former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo; Councilmembers Luis Artiga and George Mirabal; and former Councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello.

All eight were rounded up in morning raids on their homes.

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From SanFransicoBusinessTimes:

Attorney General candidates Republican Steve Cooley and Democrat Kamala Harris will debate Oct. 5 at the UC Davis School of Law.

The debate is their first — and only scheduled debate.

The debate will be held noon to 1 p.m. in the law school’s recently opened Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom. The candidates will be available to answer questions following the debate.

Tickets are not available due to limited seating. However, some public seating will be available on a first-come basis in a nearby classroom where the debate will be simulcast.

The debate will be available live to the public at law.ucdavis.edu.

Cooley is the Los Angeles County District Attorney, while Harris has the same position in San Francisco County.

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From NewsOK.com:

In Oklahoma, a shortage of a drug used for lethal injections will keep state executions in abeyance. In California, a toxic race for attorney general could be determined by the position the candidates have taken on capital punishment.
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Here, it’s inconceivable to think that a candidate for attorney general would outright oppose the death penalty. Republican nominee Scott Pruitt vows to continue the pro-execution policies of incumbent Drew Edmondson, who chose not to run again. Democratic nominee Jim Priest has been quiet on the subject.

California is known as a liberal state, but a July poll showed that 70 percent of Californians say the death penalty is acceptable. The state has about 650 inmates on death row.

The California attorney general’s race pits pro-death penalty Republican Steve Cooley against anti-capital punishment Democrat Kamala Harris. Both are experienced prosecutors. Harris has said she would enforce the law even if it means pressing for a state execution.

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