The Times recommends

With far fewer Californians expected to vote in Tuesday’s election than did in the Feb. 5 presidential primaries, each person who votes packs proportionally greater clout.

County and judicial elections are nonpartisan -- candidates who win more than 50% of the vote in each race are declared the winners. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers will face each other in runoffs Nov. 4, on the same ballot as the presidential election. State legislative elections are partisan primaries, so top finishers from each party face off in November.

The Times has endorsed in two statewide ballot measures, all 17 Los Angeles Superior Court races, the L.A. County district attorney’s race, the three county supervisorial contests and several legislative primaries.

Full endorsements can be viewed at www.latimes.com/elections. Summaries of endorsements are reprinted here.

State Senate

District 23, Democratic primary: Fran Pavley. The ex-Assemblywoman is an environmental hero and a quiet but effective advocate.

District 29, Republican primary: Robert “Bob” Huff. He holds fast to his conservative principles but can engage his colleagues across the aisle in constructive debate.

Assembly

District 40, Democratic primary: Bob Blumenfield. Of the four high-profile candidates in this race, he is the best prepared to get real work done.

District 46, Democratic primary: John Perez. We would have been happier if political bosses hadn’t chased other candidates from this race, but Perez has a good grasp of policy.

District 52, Democratic primary: Isadore Hall. The best of four candidates in this race.

Judge of the Superior Court

Office No. 3: Daniel P. Ramirez

Office No. 4: Ralph W. Dau

Office No. 35: Juan Carlos Dominguez

Office No. 41: Michael Villalobos

Office No. 55: Hector M. Guzman

Office No. 69: Serena Raquel Murillo

Office No. 72: Hilleri Grossman Merritt

Office No. 82: Cynthia Loo

Office No. 84: Pat Connolly

Office No. 94: Michael J. O’Gara

Office No. 95: Patricia Nieto

Office No. 101: Daniel S. Lopez

Office No. 102: Jose Sandoval

Office No. 119: Jared D. Moses

Office No. 123: Kathleen Blanchard

Office No. 125: James N. Bianco

Office No. 154: Michael V. Jesic

County offices

District Attorney: Steve Cooley. Although he promised to leave after two terms, voters should grant him a third because of his enlightened approach to prosecuting criminals.

Supervisor, District 2: Bernard C. Parks. The former L.A. police chief would be a careful steward of county government.

Supervisor, District 4: Don Knabe. Neither of two challengers makes a good case for rejecting the incumbent.

Supervisor, District 5: Michael D. Antonovich. The senior supervisor drew no serious opposition.

State ballot measures

Proposition 98: No. This initiative promises to prevent public agencies from seizing private property by using eminent domain and turning it over to other private parties. That’s a good move, but the eminent domain provisions just provide cover for the measure’s real purpose: to repeal rent control laws.

Proposition 99: Yes. Some protection is better than none. This measure blocks only the public taking of private primary residences for private development. Business and agricultural property deserve protection too but won’t get it in this initiative.