The Times’ recommendations
With voting already underway, here are The Times Editorial Board’s recommendations in the races we followed. Today is the last day to request a mail-in ballot, and election day is Nov. 6. The full endorsements can be found at latimes.com/endorsements. And
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board offers endorsements in the races it has closely followed.
Congress U.S. SENATE Dianne Feinstein
Feinstein is a senator from a more civil and productive era of governance and has accomplished a great deal. California should reelect her and elect more candidates like her who know when to stand firm on matters of principle and when to negotiate to get things done. It is doubtful that challenger Kevin de León, unwilling by his own admission to compromise, would be nearly as effective in today’s Senate.
State offices GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom
As lieutenant governor and mayor of San Francisco, Newsom has developed a broad and deep understanding of California’s policy challenges and a record of leadership in addressing them. Republican businessman John Cox, by contrast, offers a record of unsuccessful campaigns and few fleshed-out policy statements — and no experience in government.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Ed Hernandez
The job has few duties beyond being governor-in-waiting. But Hernandez wrote legislation of substance and knows his way around state government. He is better prepared to step into the top job than is Eleni Kounalakis, a Democratic Party donor who’s never held elected office but served as ambassador to Hungary.
SECRETARY OF STATE Alex Padilla
The incumbent has done a solid job and should be kept on for a second four-year term. Republican challenger Mark Meuser alleges that California and the nation have been corrupted by mass voter fraud — charges not supported by evidence.
CONTROLLER Betty Yee
Yee has served well in her first term as the state’s bill-payer and auditor. She helped tame the out-of-control Board of Equalization, and is trying to focus the Legislature’s attention on tax reform.
TREASURER Fiona Ma
Ma helped blow the whistle on cronyism and corruption at the Board of Equalization. As treasurer, she would be a careful steward of the state’s financial portfolio and fiscal condition.
ATTORNEY GENERAL Xavier Becerra
Gov. Jerry Brown tapped Becerra to fill the vacancy created when Kamala Harris left for the Senate. As California’s lawyer, Becerra has helped defend against Trump administration attacks on public safety funding, clean car standards, affordable healthcare, immigration protections and net neutrality. Voters should grant him a full term.
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER Steve Poizner
Poizner was an able and innovative insurance commissioner for four years ending in 2011, earning a reputation as an advocate for consumers, not insurance companies. This isn’t the right job for rival Ricardo Lara, who lacks experience with insurance regulation.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Tony Thurmond
Thurmond has an unwavering commitment to at-risk students and a deep understanding of the obstacles they face. He is a slightly stronger candidate than his opponent, Marshall Tuck.
Appellate courts SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
Yes Voters should retain each of the two high court justices on their ballots: Schwarzenegger appointee Carol Corrigan and Brown appointee Leondra Kruger. Each has served with distinction.
COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICES
Yes Retention is warranted for all 17 intermediate-level appellate justices in the Second District, which includes the county of Los Angeles and four counties to the north. The same is true for the justices in the Fourth District, serving Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Imperial counties.
State measures PROPOSITION 1
($4-billion bond for housing) Yes
This bond is a worthy effort to alleviate the state’s housing crisis. It would finance mortgages at low interest rates for veterans and help fund construction of apartments and houses for some 30,000 lower-income apartment dwellers.
PROPOSITION 2
(Mental health funding for housing) Yes
Californians already approved a “millionaire’s tax” to fund mental health services, but a lawsuit is keeping the state from spending the money on the most fundamental element of treatment for the homeless mentally ill: supportive housing. This measure clears that obstacle without increasing the tax.
PROPOSITION 3
($8.877-billion water bond) No
Not all water bonds are created equal. This would have all Californians pay for projects that benefit only a few interests or regions, chiefly Central Valley agriculture.
PROPOSITION 4
($1.5-billion children’s hospital bond) Yes
The state’s low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates make it close to impossible for children’s hospitals to upgrade their buildings to meet state seismic standards. Proposition 4 helps fill that gap while also enabling hospitals to expand capacity.
PROPOSITION 5
(Property tax transfer) No
This measure is a gift to wealthy homeowners who want to move to new homes yet keep their old (lower) property taxes, and to the real estate industry, which wants more property transfers and the commissions they bring. Cities, counties and school districts would pay with reduced tax revenue and with reduced services.
PROPOSITION 6
(Gas and vehicle tax repeal) No
This latest tantrum from the anti-tax crowd would ensure that roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure keep deteriorating. It’s a ballot measure only a pothole could love — and anyone who believes that a $130-billion maintenance backlog can be fixed by magic.
PROPOSITION 7
(Permanent daylight saving time) Yes
Passage of Proposition 7 would empower the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote, to express its desire to shift to year-round daylight saving time. But an actual shift requires an act of Congress.
PROPOSITION 8
(Fee caps at dialysis clinics) No
Placed on the ballot by a healthcare workers union that’s having trouble organizing at two major dialysis chains, this measure would cap dialysis center revenues but do nothing to enhance patient care. It could well drive some clinics out of business.
PROPOSITION 10
(End restrictions on rent control) Yes
Proposition 10 would not impose rent control anywhere, despite what people on both sides say. But it would repeal the state law that restricts cities’ ability to enact or expand rent control laws. Cities should have that option as part of their efforts to slow displacement.
PROPOSITION 11
(Ambulance and emergency workers) Yes
This measure would make clear that emergency responders working for private ambulance companies must remain reachable during paid work breaks so that they can provide help when needed. It would maintain the status quo.
PROPOSITION 12
(Cage-free animal housing) Yes
Proposition 12 strikes a blow against needless animal cruelty by requiring cage-free quarters for egg-laying chickens and other animals being raised for food.
L.A. city measures MEASURE B
(Study municipal bank) No
This measure wouldn’t actually establish a public bank or empower the city to study the question beyond what it can already do. This may be the most half-baked measure to come out of City Hall in years.
MEASURE E
(Align election dates) Yes
Measure E would align city election dates with state election dates. If you’re thinking you already voted on this, you did. But then the state moved its primaries from June to March, so the city has to change again. This time officials remembered to include language making it unnecessary to go back to voters if the state changes its dates again.
MEASURE EE
(Align election dates) Yes
Measure EE does for school elections what Measure E does for city elections. The cost of not using the proper wording in 2015 when voters first made the change? $3.1 million.
L.A. County offices SHERIFF Jim McDonnell
Reforming the Sheriff ’s Department is a long, complicated process. But McDonnell remains the better candidate to do it, given his experience leading big law enforcement agencies. Challenger Alex Villanueva has no such experience.
ASSESSOR Jeffrey Prang
This county office fell into chaos and corruption, but under Prang things have settled and it is operating well. Voters would be wise to stick with him.
L.A. County measure MEASURE W
(Storm water capture) Yes
Measure W begins the desperately needed replumbing of Los Angeles for this century. It would provide projects to clean runoff of urban gunk and supplement our water supply, rather than continuing the illegal and hazardous flushing of dirty stormwater into the ocean.
L.A. Superior Court OFFICE NO. 4 Alfred A. Coletta
Coletta is a well-regarded and experienced trial lawyer and should make an excellent judge.
OFFICE NO. 16 Sydne Jane Michel
A prosecutor with the Redondo Beach City Attorney’s Office, Michel is the better choice in this judicial runoff.
OFFICE NO. 60 Holly L. Hancock
Like most of the best judicial candidates, Deputy Public Defender Hancock is an experienced trial lawyer who exhibits the demeanor and expertise to preside over a courtroom.
OFFICE NO. 113 Michael P. Ribons
Ribons is a civil practitioner and the better of two choices.