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Gov. Brown, Sen. Price
How much are endorsements – even classy ones – worth to a political candidate, especially when he is competing in a wide-open race with six opponents and no incumbent?
Mike Feuer, who has many fewer rivals as he challenges evidently vulnerable Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich in next Tuesday’s primary election, believes they are gold.
Mr. Trutanich, who has many fewer than Mr. Feuer, demurs, naturally.
Locked in a murky scramble for Jan Perry’s old seat in the hugely redesigned 9th District of the Los Angeles City Council, state Sen. Curren Price (D-Culver City) agrees with Mr. Feuer, not with those who say fewer does not matter.
In the last two days, Andre Herndon of the Price campaign has sought to corner needed attention with announcements that his candidate is vigorously endorsed by California’s best-known politician, Gov. Brown, and by the state’s least known, least watched, least written about, least recognized and perhaps least significant politician, believed to still be living in or around Sacramento, Gavin Newsom.
This Mr. Newsom swears he used to be the quirky mayor of San Francisco. More recently, he has been invisible as the lieutenant governor of America’s largest state.
Mr. Brown, who is not known to be campaigning for the man he praises so highly, said:
“He is a champion for working people, quality education, small business and public safety. He believes deeply in effective, responsive government. The City of Los Angeles would really benefit from his leadership.”
Mr. Newsom said:
“I admire Curren’s tenacity and toughness in tackling the big problems facing all Californians and working to ensure access to quality education, healthcare and fundamental civil rights for all. Curren understands what it takes to create jobs, foster innovation and help grow local businesses.”
Moving closer to home, Mr. Price may learn next Tuesday whether his most crucial support by far came from his most important hometown backer, Herb Wesson, the strongly liked and often reviled President of the City Council.
The irony of Mr. Wesson’s endorsement is that he was, arguably, both the principal architect and the stealthiest player in last year’s fracturing of the 9th District. The reshaping was a carefully drawn scheme that subtracted desirable plots from the 9th and, possibly by coincidence, sprang up in Mr. Wesson’s backyard.
