Election 2020: The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board’s complete election endorsements
Below is a summary of The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board’s major endorsements for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election. This list will be updated as endorsements are published.
Endorsements, like editorials, represent the collective opinion of the Editorial Board. Board recommendations are not always unanimous and do not necessarily reflect the individual opinions of board members.
The Bee’s opinion section operates independently from the news section. Reporters do not participate in Editorial Board deliberations or weigh in on its decisions. They may observe candidate interviews.
The board includes California Opinion Editor Gil Duran, Sacramento Bee President and Executive Editor Lauren Gustus, Bee Opinion Columnist Marcos Bretón, Deputy California Opinion Editor and Editorial Cartoonist Jack Ohman.
City of Sacramento Measures
Measure A (mayoral accountability): Yes
“Sacramento faces real crises, and our city needs a real mayor to confront them.”
Measure B (redistricting commission timeline exception): Yes
This noncontroversial measure gives the city’s redistricting commission more time to work after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. It has no official opposition.
“A smorgasbord of bad, bloated and bureaucratic ideas that could make Sacramento a more expensive place for renters.”
Sacramento City Council
Sacramento City Council, District 2: No endorsement.
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board withdrew its endorsement of incumbent Councilman Allen Warren after a Bee investigation revealed that he has failed to pay over $200,000 in property taxes. We wrote: “As someone entrusted to help decide how taxpayer dollars get spent, Warren should know better than to play the deadbeat when it comes to his own taxes. It’s not clear why he’s running for office again instead of taking a break from public life to get his business affairs in order.” Read our full editorial here.
Sacramento City Council, District 8: Mai Vang
“Vang is a change agent, and also a skilled politician who has developed a strong base of support among local and state elected leaders.”
Note: The Bee Editorial Board endorsed Vang in the primary election and our endorsement stands in the general election as well.
Sacramento City Unified School District School Board
Area 3, Christina Pritchett: “Pritchett understands the fiscal crisis that SCUSD is facing.”
Area 4: Jamee Villa: “[Villa] brings experience in her work with California’s retirees to discussions about benefits and … also will charge toward critical fiscal reform.”
Area 5, Chinua Rhodes: “[Rhodes] has done a year’s worth of preparation for this race and who is prepared to work first for students.”
Area 7, Jessie Ryan: “She fully understands the challenges in unifying SCTA and the district.”
Click here to read all of The Editorial Board’s SCUSD endorsements.
State Assembly:
7th Assembly District: Kevin McCarty
8th Assembly District: Ken Cooley
Both McCarty and Cooley are experienced and effective legislators who deserve re-election.
Statewide propositions
Proposition 14 (stem cell bond): Yes
Proposition 15 (“split roll” commercial property tax reform): Yes
Proposition 16 (racial equity): Yes
Proposition 17 (restore voting rights): Yes
Proposition 18 (17-year-olds voting in primaries): Yes
Proposition 19 (property tax transfers/fire funding):Yes
Proposition 20 (overturn prison reforms): No
Proposition 21 (rent control): No
Proposition 22 (gig worker rules): No
Proposition 24 (digital privacy): Yes
Proposition 25 (bail reform): Yes
Sacramento County
Sacramento County Supervisor District 3: Gregg Fishman
“Fishman believes the board can do better to hold Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones accountable, and was critical of the sheriff’s decision in August 2018 to lock former Inspector General Rick Braziel out of the Sheriff’s Department.”
Elk Grove
Elk Grove Mayor: Bobbie Singh-Allen
“Elk Grove voters have an obvious best choice for mayor: Bobbie Singh-Allen.”
Congress
U.S. House, 4th Congressional District: Brynne Kennedy
“She’s a sensible and thoughtful candidate to replace Rep. Tom McClintock, who is seeking a sixth — and, if the past is any indication, politically fruitless — term.”
U.S. House, 6th Congressional District: Doris Matsui
U.S. House, 7th Congressional District: Ami Bera
“Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, and Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, face no serious threats to re-election this year. Both are smart elected leaders with a track record of focusing on issues that matter to their districts.”
Note: The Bee endorsed both Bera and Matsui in the primary, and our endorsements stand in the general election as well.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 8:49 AM.