INCUMBENTS DESERVE SUPPORT IN SIX RACES
The San Diego Union-tribune Editorial Board isn’t necessarily inclined to support incumbents. In a state with persistent problems, automatically re-electing people and expecting different results may not be the wisest thing to do. That said, we think a half-dozen local state lawmakers deserve voters’ support in the March 3 primary election.
In state Senate District 39, which includes much of San Diego north of State Route 94, the coastal cities of Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach, and part of unincorporated Rancho Santa Fe, incumbent Toni Atkins, D-san Diego, didn’t even draw a challenger. No wonder. Atkins, the former Assembly speaker, is now president pro tempore of the Senate. No other California lawmaker has had both posts in nearly 150 years. The former San Diego councilwoman is the first legislator to hold both leadership positions since 1871 and the first woman and the first openly gay lawmaker to lead the state Senate. Her landmark accomplishments reflect the deep respect that so many in Sacramento — and San Diego — have for her leadership abilities.
The editorial board has had its policy disagreements with Atkins over the years, but we acknowledge how effective she is at advancing her agenda. In one high-profile case in 2017, we opposed Atkins’ effort to implement single-payer health care in California with a vague bill that didn’t detail how to pay for the costly shift. Luckily, she lost that one. But Atkins’ skillful support of a 2019 bill introduced by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-san Diego, that set a higher standard for when police could use lethal force in California was crucial to it becoming law. The list of good laws she’s helped pass is long.
In Assembly District 71, which includes El Cajon, Ramona, East San Diego County and part of south Riverside County, Republican incumbent Randy Voepel has earned another term. Like other GOP lawmakers, the former Santee mayor doesn’t have much clout in a statehouse dominated by Democrats. But the Vietnam veteran makes a strong conservative case for minimal housing regulations, and is a good fit with his district on issues like low taxes and support for the military and fellow veterans.
In Assembly District 75, which includes communities along Interstate 15 from Escondido to Temecula and northeast San Diego County, Republican incumbent Marie Waldron is the best option. The Assembly Republican leader can’t get much legislation passed in Sacramento, but in an email survey she completed for us she offered astute takes on how the California Environmental Quality Act has contributed to the state’s housing crisis and how the shortage of mental health and substance use counselors complicates efforts to reduce homelessness.
In Assembly District 76, which includes coastal communities from Encinitas to Oceanside and inland Vista, Democrat Tasha Boerner Horvath merits another term. The former Encinitas councilwoman has emerged as a leader in shaping how the state responds to global warming and deserves praise for helping organize the successful effort to prevent Tri-city Medical Center from closing emergency psychiatric beds. Her moderate views on state taxes — and keeping property taxes reasonable — are welcome. Her answers to our email survey were among the most thorough and thoughtful of any candidate in six statewide races.
In Assembly District 79, which includes part of central and south central San Diego, La Mesa and unincorpated south county communities, the aforementioned Weber has not only earned another term, she’s earned a spot in history. The San Diego Democrat will long be remembered for her law changing California’s use-of-force standards. And her determination to bring badly needed reforms to the state’s public schools is inspiring in a state in which too few Democrats take seriously the education reform movement. We recognized Weber as our 2019 San Diego Person of the Year and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in 2020.
In Assembly District 80, which includes part of central and southwest San Diego, Chula Vista and National City, Democratic incumbent Lorena Gonzalez is an easy choice. Already a 2022 secretary of state candidate, Gonzalez is a dynamo, driving important legislation on issues from paid sick leave to school vaccinations to the sexual harassment of housekeepers and janitors. It was no surprise that Politico called her “the nation’s most ambitious progressive.” Her boldness can go too far, though. Her sweeping 2019 law affecting gig workers is causing grief for thousands of people it was supposed to help. But to her credit, she’s trying to fix its flaws.