Newsom Throws Support Behind Gascón In LA DA's Race
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed George Gascón over incumbent Jackie Lacey in the election for Los Angeles County District Attorney, one of the most heated local races upcoming this November.
Newsom made the unsurprising announcement Tuesday.
"This November Angelenos will choose who to turn to as calls to reimagine our dated system of justice grow louder, and I urge them to join me once again in turning to George Gascón," Newsom said.
The two men have a close history. When mayor of San Francisco, Newsom selected the now 66-year-old Gascon to be chief of police for the city.
Then, in 2011, he again appointed Gascón to the post of San Francisco District Attorney to replace Kamala Harris, who had been elected state attorney general.
Gascón earned a November runoff against Lacey after coming in second to her in the March primary. Lacey received 48.65% of the vote to Gascón's 28.22%.
Lacey needed to finish with more than 50% of the vote to avoid the runoff.
Lacey has been under increasing pressure from critics. Protesters have been holding weekly demonstrations outside of Lacey's downtown office and her home for months, calling for her to resign. In the wake of the George Floyd protests, they argue that over her tenure as DA she has not done enough to prosecute law enforcement officers for misconduct.
Earlier this month, the California Attorney General filed misdemeanor gun charges against her husband for an incident back in March in which he allegedly pointed a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters.
