LOS ANGELES – Today, Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), who represents Angelenos in the San Fernando Valley, threw his support behind George Gascón to be LA County’s next District Attorney.
“There is so much at stake in this election,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “We need to put the era of mass incarceration in the rear-view mirror, and George has a track record of safely reforming our institutions and holding the powerful accountable. Over his decades-long career in law enforcement he has stood up to protect women, families, immigrants, and the rule of law. He’s the best choice to be LA’s next DA.”
“Congressman Cárdenas supported both articles of impeachment because he knows how important it is to stand up to the powerful and uphold the rule of law,” said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascón. “From his work in DC to here in LA, Tony knows a bully when he sees one, and I’m proud to have him in my corner as we work to advance the interests of our entire community, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”
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George Gascón grew up in Los Angeles after his family immigrated from Cuba. An army veteran, Gascón served as a Los Angeles Police Department Officer for 30 years, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations. In 2006 he became Chief of Police in Mesa, Arizona, where he stood up to the hateful and anti-immigrant policies of then Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In 2009, then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Gascón Chief of Police. Newsom turned to Gascón again in 2011 when he tapped him to be District Attorney to fill the seat vacated by an outoing Kamala Harris who had been elected Attorney General. During his tenure Gascón implemented reforms that are being duplicated across the country while overseeing violent crime and homicides drop to rates not seen in 50 years. After being elected to two terms, Gascón returned to Los Angeles to care for his elderly mother and to be closer to his two daughters and grandchildren in Long Beach. Gascón is married to Fabiola Kramsky, a three-time Emmy Award winning journalist and recipient of the “Premio Nacional de Periodismo,” the highest recognition given to journalists in Mexico.