Local News in Brief : Politics : Latino Coalition Rejects Both 33rd District Foes

A recently formed coalition of Latino officials has chosen to withhold an endorsement in the 33rd state Senate District race, saying they were not sufficiently impressed with the platform of either candidate.

“We do not feel they will represent the Hispanic community well,” said Alex Morales, co-chairman of the Southeast Hispanic Political Coalition, a group of 25 elected officials and community leaders from various cities in Southeast Los Angeles County.

The 33rd District straddles the border between Orange and Los Angeles counties.

While the candidates indicated general support for positions supported by the coalition, Morales said, they were unable to provide detailed proposals of how they would promote those positions.

“We felt the responses were not good enough to make endorsements,” Morales said of incumbent Cecil N. Green (D-Norwalk) and his opponent, Republican Don Knabe of Cerritos.

The coalition--made up of school board trustees, city council members and activists from Whittier to Norwalk--questioned Knabe and a Green representative last week on such issues as drugs, gangs, day care for children and the elderly. They also inquired into the politicians’ commitments to naming Latinos to their staffs and state commissions.