State Senator Anna Caballero should be California’s next attorney general
As legislators serving the Central Valley of California, we are closely following the various names being floated as possible appointments for California Attorney General. The attorney general is California’s top law enforcement and justice official, and we hope Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints a strong and capable leader, an ally in the significant efforts we have begun with him to advance the cause of social and economic equity in the Central Valley, and in all of California.
We are pleased to see 12th District State Senator Anna Caballero’s name on the list of possible appointees. Senator Caballero is a trusted and reliable partner and a tireless champion for the Valley. While we would be disappointed to lose her as a legislative colleague, we firmly believe that she possesses the qualities and experience necessary to be an effective attorney general.
Senator Caballero brings a track record of accomplishment and credibility to advance the causes of justice and equity, and she has the unique capacity to enroll non-traditional allies alongside advocates who have traditionally been supportive of this agenda. She has been a bridge builder and a unifying force with an ability to bring diverse groups and people together to address the challenges we collectively face.
Caballero became the first female and first Latina mayor of Salinas with the support of farm workers for whom she provided legal representation; of organized labor, whose organizing drives she openly supported and of progressive Democrats who shared a vision for a more just political infrastructure in the Salinas Valley. She earned that support by providing free legal services to farm workers and their supporters as an attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance. She then established the first fully bilingual private law firm in the Salinas Valley and San Benito County; a law firm whose goal was to provide affordable access to the private bar for farm workers and other low-income working families.
Caballero’s leadership accomplishments allowed her to build upon her initial coalition. When Caballero ran for the State Assembly, she did so with the strong backing of the agricultural and business communities. In 1996, the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce awarded her the “Athena” award for “entrepreneurial excellence.”
She received this support while never wavering in the struggle for social justice, which included organizing a team of private attorneys to represent arrested farm worker strikers.
From mayor to state senate, Caballero has been supported by law enforcement throughout a career which includes practicing criminal defense law for over twenty years. In 2019, she received several commendations from law enforcement including the Joe Farber Award from the Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Additionally, Caballero has considerable executive experience at the state level, serving as Secretary of the California Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency, a department with over 6,000 employees and a $4.6 billion operating budget.
For Caballero, social equity is not just a political issue, it is a personal mission. Raised in a company-owned copper mining community in Arizona, Caballero’s personal experiences led her to swear a personal oath to become an attorney in order to help abused and poorly treated working families. She has carried that commitment throughout her professional and political career.
We appreciate Senator Caballero’s vision and voice for a more equitable rural California. If she does not receive the appointment for attorney general, we know she will effectively continue her efforts in the coming years.
But we urge Newsom to ask more of her and offer her the position of California Attorney General.
This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 6:00 AM.