LOS ANGELES – Today, United States Senator Kamala Harris threw her support behind George Gascón to be LA County’s next District Attorney.
“George Gascón is a proven leader of national significance when it comes to reforming our criminal justice system,” said U.S. Senator Kamala Harris. “As DA of San Francisco, George led fights to reform the Three Strikes Law, decrease the state prison population and get people convicted of nonviolent offenses greater opportunities to get their lives back on track. As DA of LA County, I know George Gascón will work every day to keep our communities safe and demand real accountability from our justice system and real justice for every Angeleno.”
“Senator Harris’ dogged advocacy ‘for the people’ of California shows she has never lost sight of what it means to be a prosecutor,” said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascón. “It means seeking justice, taking on powerful people and entrenched institutions, and working to lift up those of us who are less fortunate. Whether it’s the big banks that steered us into a crisis or President Trump, her energy and courage are ensuring the wealthy and well-connected are held accountable. I’m incredibly honored 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 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.