Re-elect Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis
Under the California Constitution, there isn't much for the lieutenant governor to do. They serve as acting governor if the governor leaves the state and they become governor if the governor's position becomes vacant.
In the case of a tie vote in the state Senate, they serve as tie-breakers. The lopsided makeup of the state Senate nullifies that latter obligation.
Lieutenant governors do serve on various state boards, including of the state's higher education systems.
But in brief, they don't have much to do.
Assessing whether a lieutenant governor is doing a particularly stellar job, then, can be a challenging task.
However, you still want someone in that office who is competent and decent because of the possibility they could, conceivably, become governor.
By that standard, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis passes with flying colors and we endorse her re-election.
We endorsed Kounalakis four years ago over then-state Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West
Covina, who vowed to use the office as a bully pulpit to advocate for single-payer health care.
Kounalakis, a former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary with extensive business experience as a housing developer, took a more pragmatic approach to the office and emphasized her interest in reducing the cost of and boosting access to higher education.
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation, Assembly Bill 928, sponsored by Kounalakis, which will streamline the path from community colleges to the Cal State and University of California systems.
In a recent meeting with our editorial board, Kounalakis' emphasis on practical matters and working constructively to solve problems came through.
Kounalakis understands the very practical need for California to invest in water infrastructure, including reservoirs and dams.
Given her background in housing development, she also no doubt understands both need for more housing in California but also the regulatory hurdles and government-imposed barriers to meeting our state's housing needs.
While there's only so much she can directly do on any of these fronts from her current position, Kounalakis' smart and pragmatic approach to the office serves the state well.