Another law enforcement agency backs Villaraigosa
SACRAMENTO — Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday received his second major endorsement from law enforcement in his 2018 bid for governor, giving him some influential and wellfunded allies in a tightening race.
The California Police Chiefs Assn. announced its endorsement at a morning news conference a month after Villaraigosa was backed by the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, the largest law enforcement organization in the state with 70,000 members.
“As a mayor of Los Angeles for eight years, he tackled crime in one of the most challenging cities in the United States,” Gardena Police Chief Edward Medrano, president of the association, said at the news conference.
The endorsement comes after a poll showing Villaraigosa virtually tied with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Assn., said his organization plans to launch an independent expenditure committee to back Villaraigosa’s campaign.
That committee could help Villaraigosa contend with the significant advantage Newsom has in fundraising, as well as increase Villaraigosa’s appeal to moderates across the state.
Medrano said the police chiefs have some concerns about Newsom, the current front-runner in the race. He said Newsom had advocated for strong criminal justice reforms in recent years but has not given enough consideration to whether they have been effective.
Both law enforcement organizations also opposed the 2016 statewide ballot measure legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, a proposition Newsom strongly supported.
During Villaraigosa’s eight years as mayor, he hired hundreds of police officers and violent crime plummeted in the city. He has made his record one of the pillars of his campaign.
Medrano said that with violent crime on the rise in the state, along with increased homelessness and a greater need for mental health care, the police chiefs saw Villaraigosa as the best candidate to address those concerns.