LOS ANGELES–Today, George Gascón was joined by Dolores Huerta, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, and former Senator Richard Polanco to urge people to vote in an election that, from top to bottom, is of extraordinary consequence for the Latino community. Assemblymember Cristina Garcia and the Mayor of Long Beach, Robert Garcia, also announced their endorsements of Mr. Gascón, and Ms. Huerta and Senator Polanco reiterated their support for Mr. Gascón. A recording of the press event is available here. Mr. Gascón also released his plan following the press event to ensure resolution parity for the undocumented.
“For Latinos, the race for Los Angeles District Attorney is the most important contest facing Angelenos,” said Dolores Huerta. “As the largest county in America – home to an estimated one million undocumented immigrants–the policies set by the LADA can enhance or diminish the lives of a county that is 48% Latino. One candidate in this race has stood up for our community, and there’s one candidate in this race with whom Latinos should stand. That’s George Gascón.”
“Los Angeles deserves a District Attorney that takes public corruption seriously,” said California State Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (AD-58). “The indictments and guilty pleas of corrupt LA city officials were obtained by federal prosecutors, not the District Attorney, and the big drop in public corruption prosecutions, especially in Southeast Los Angeles County, suggests we need a new watchdog to restore the public’s trust and protect taxpayer resources. George Gascón is the candidate we can trust for this vitally important role.”
“We are in a moment where we need change, and George is the right person to deliver the change we need,” said Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach. “George lives in Long Beach, has deep roots in this community, and he is compassionate, kind, and has a deep sense of moral justice. I’m proud to support him.”
“George Gascón brings the experience of a prosecutor, a chief of police, and the Assistant Chief here of the LAPD,” said former Senator Richard Polanco. “It is with great enthusiasm and passion that I ask all county voters in LA to join me in supporting George Gascón. There are those who talk about change and there are those who step up and make change. George has stepped up time and time again, and it is a pleasure to support a man who will lead with passion and compassion.”
“We must address the disparate impact that the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has had on the Latino community,” said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascón. “Equal justice for all is a bedrock principle of this nation, and there’s nothing equal about a system of justice that is mired by systemic racism.”
Gascón’s immigration policy paper leans on the expertise of members of his policy committee and focuses on the need for resolution parity for undocumented immigrants who become justice involved. His approach will ensure immigrants are not subject to double suspicion, double punishment, or a deprivation of due process. This is not to grant leniency to immigrant offenders, but rather to mitigate punishments that can end up being far harsher than what the law was designed to mete out.
Click here to read more about his approach to undocumented immigrants who become justice involved.
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George Gascón is the Democratic Party’s nominee. He is endorsed by the LA Times and the LA Daily News, Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Black Lives Matter cofounder Patrisse Cullors, labor leader and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, and former Chief of the LAPD Charlie Beck. Click here for a full list of his supporters.
Mr. 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 outgoing 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.