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Endorsements in Seven Races for the State Legislature

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The Times does not endorse in all races for the state Legislature but rather supports candidates selectively, on a case-by-case basis. On the Nov. 8 ballot we endorse in the following races:

42nd Assembly District. This is one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the state, covering West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles and southern parts of the San Fernando Valley. The Democratic candidate, Wally Knox, is a veteran labor lawyer and elected member of the Los Angeles Community College District who won a hotly contested primary on a law-and-order platform. Still, he believes the “three-strikes” law should be amended to focus better on truly violent offenders, and he opposes the immigration initiative. He’s right about both.

His opponent is Bob Davis, a West Hollywood swimming pool contractor who calls himself a libertarian Republican who believes in “limited decentralized government.” His philosophical consistency on the issues is appealing, even if he is politically out of sync with the district.

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We endorse Knox. We are concerned, however, about how independent he would be in Sacramento, having raised more than $600,000 in campaign funds from among his many contacts in organized labor. That notwithstanding, Knox is better qualified and more reflective of the district.

43rd Assembly District. This district includes Glendale, Burbank, Hollywood and Los Feliz. For the last five months it has been represented by Republican James Rogan, who won a special election to fill Pat Nolan’s unexpired term following Nolan’s guilty plea in a corruption case. The Democratic challenger is Adam Schiff.

Because both men have similar professional backgrounds in criminal justice, the usual hoary game of upmanship on crime is not being played. Rogan was a prosecutor and a Glendale Municipal Court judge; Schiff was an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. Both are thoughtful and intelligent.

Ideologically, however, they contrast. Rogan is a conservative who opposes virtually all forms of gun control. He supports Proposition 187 and, on the basis of one evening spent with the Border Patrol, has made inflammatory statements about the motivations of Mexican immigrants. Schiff is a moderate who wants to revisit the state tax structure so the burden is distributed more evenly. We endorse Schiff.

Assembly District 44. This district runs through La Canada-Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Sunland, Tujunga, San Marino and Altadena. The knock on incumbent Republican Bill Hoge is that he has become the puppet of horse racing and gambling interests. He has raised $140,000 from horse owners, racing associations, card clubs and a major Las Vegas casino. Hoge sits on the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, which considers all gambling bills in the Assembly, and tried to push through the Assembly no fewer than eight bills that would have benefited the gambling and horse racing industry.

His Democratic challenger, Bruce Philpott, is a former police chief of Pasadena who is widely credited with bringing community-oriented policing to that city. As a law enforcement professional, he has specific ideas on improving the state’s controversial “three-strikes” law that should be heard in Sacramento. We endorse Philpott.

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53rd Assembly District. Debra Bowen is the incumbent in this district, which stretches from Venice south through Marina del Rey, El Segundo and Torrance. She has sponsored campaign-reform legislation (which, alas, died), and this issue will remain a priority for her if she is reelected. Bowen has a reputation as a legislator who stood up to the Democratic leaders in Sacramento when she disagreed with them.

Julian Sirull is Bowen’s Republican opponent. He is a political newcomer with a background in business administration, specifically accounting and insurance. He has some good ideas on making California’s regulatory environment friendlier to business. But he hasn’t made a case for replacing Bowen.

69th State Assembly District. This district covers Anaheim and Santa Ana. Mike Metzler, a Democrat who is president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, is a reasonable and moderate candidate, thoroughly knowledgeable on the issues of jobs, education and housing. He is our preference over Jim Morrissey, his Republican opponent.

70th State Assembly District. Marilyn C. Brewer, a Republican, has the insight and experience as a businesswoman and a staff assistant to Supervisor Tom Riley to merit the seat over Democratic opponent Jim Toledano in this district, which covers Newport Beach, Irvine and Laguna Beach.

36th State Senate District. This suburban district covers western Riverside County and northern San Diego County. Although heavily Republican in registration it has been represented for the last several years by a Democrat, Robert Presley, widely admired as one of the most effective legislators in Sacramento. Presley must retire due to term-limits laws and has endorsed Riverside County Supervisor Kay Ceniceros, a Democrat. She has a solid record in local government and can take credit for such noteworthy achievements as bringing Metrolink commuter rail trains to Riverside County. Her Republican opponent, Ray Haynes, is regarded even by many Republicans in the district as too rigidly right-wing. We endorse Ceniceros.

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