LOS ANGELES – Today, California State Senator Holly J. Mitchell (SD-30) announced her endorsement of George Gascón to be LA’s next District Attorney. The endorsement comes on the heels of major endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Julián Castro, while incumbent DA Jackie Lacey’s support continues to soften amidst growing backlash and protests over her failure to hold police accountable for excessive force. In announcing her support, Senator Mitchell said:
“George Gascón is a trailblazer in creating reforms that improve public safety and was the only District Attorney that supported statewide measures to prevent overuse of police force. I am proud to endorse Gascón for District Attorney for Los Angeles County and trust in his commitment to bring accountability and equity to our justice system.”
“Senator Mitchell has been a committed advocate for all Angelenos,” said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascón. “Mitchell passed over 80 bills to address housing discrimination, economic inequality, education and more. She has worked tirelessly to reform our criminal justice system, and I am so humbled to have her support.”
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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 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.