Los Angeles DA Candidates on the State of the Campaign

With only 12 days to go, the dozen people who hope to be the next (or continue to be) Los Angeles County District Attorney have pushed their campaigns into overdrive.

With so many candidates, even a seemingly small bump could have a major impact, especially if there is a low voter turnout on March 5.

There are about 5.7 million registered voters in the county – 3 million Democrats, 1 million Republicans, about 200,000 Greens and American Independents, and about 1.5 million “no party preference” people.

Primaries have typically drawn a turnout of about 28% over the past decade or so, but the number this time may be lower.  As of Wednesday, only 193,000 of the ballots mailed out – every voter got one – have been returned; that’s about 3%.

Clearly the turnout will be much higher than that, but it may not hit the average.  At a 20% turnout, that ‘s about 1.2 million votes cast, which means a shift of only about 12,000 votes means a 1% shift and that would be critical in such a crowded field.  

In theory – and this will not happen and is mentioned only to illustrate the point – dividing the votes equally means 8.5% for each candidate, so 1% one way or the other makes a major difference.

The polls have shown current DA George Gascon leading the field with about 15% of the vote with challengers Jon Hatami, Eric Siddall, Nathan Hochman, Jeff Chemerinsky, Debra Archuleta, John McKinney, and Maria Ramirez all having shown in second place in one poll or another.

The top two vote getters continue on the November runoff vote.

And the “undecideds” are still most likely at least one-third of the vote, meaning, again, the race is still extremely fluid, more than giving hope to the other candidates:  Daniel Kapelovitz, David Milton, Lloyd Masson, and Craig Mitchell.

Since the race remains so unpredictable so close to Primary Day, the Globe thought it would be a good idea to ask the candidates what they were thinking about the state of the race and what they were hearing on the campaign trail.

All of the candidates were invited to participate and submit a statement – Hatami, Milton, Siddall, Gascon, Chemerinsky, and Masson did not reply.

And now for those who did (note – the Globe talked directly to McKinney, hence it “reading” differently, and either format was appreciated):

Deputy District Attorney John McKinney:

“I feel great about the campaign,” McKinney said.  “We’re right there in it.”

McKinney said he is hearing over and over again on the campaign trail that people are “tired of indiscriminate rule breaking” at every level.

“I’m hearing a lot of dissatisfaction,” McKinney said.

Specifically, the public is especially upset about the concept of “cite and release,” i.e. basically getting a ticket for a crime and then being able to just wander off.

“People want accountability immediately after a crime” to make sure the encounter with law enforcement has at least some negative effect that would reduce the likelihood of them simply crumpling up the ticket and heading off the rob another store, McKinney said.

Judge Craig Mitchell:

“With a little more than two weeks to go, some thoughts that I revisit often:

My time spent talking with residents of Los Angeles County has made it very clear that they want Gascon out; that they feel crime has gotten worse; that homelessness, addiction and mental illness are crying out to be addressed, but the current DA has done nothing to address these issues.  The current DA lacks the necessary experience to address criminal justice reform in a common sense, meaningful way.  He subscribes to a certain ideology that governs all of his policy decisions.

I am somewhat frustrated by voters who want to know my position on immigration, the conflict in the Middle East and abortion.  The DA has no jurisdiction to address these issues.  I appreciate voters who ask me about issues related to the criminal justice system.

There are several credible candidates, and several that I find lacking.  My concern is that the political process has not lent itself to distinguishing between the two.

The candidate with the most money is least likely to be able to defeat Gascon in the general election.  Furthermore, this challenger (author’s note: Mitchell is apparently referring to Hochman here) has been less than forthright with respect to his legal practice for the last 10 years.  He touts his time as an U.S. Assistant Attorney General but never acknowledges that for the last ten years he has chosen to represent rich, white-collar criminals.”

Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Kapelovitz:

“I’m the dark horse candidate. But this election is no slam dunk for anyone. The 10 candidates that are almost identical will likely split the vote 10 ways. If so, I’ll be Gascón’s challenger in November. And based on my prior campaigns and my work as an artist and filmmaker, I have more name recognition than anyone but Gascón.

I already consider my campaign a huge success. I’ve met so many incredible people – including some of my opponents. Being a candidate gives me a great excuse to walk up to anybody and speak with them about their concerns.

As the candidate who has handled more cases, done more trials, and been in more courtrooms since Gascón took office than all of my 11 opponents combined, I also get to explain to the people what is really happening in the courts.

I’ve exposed how the fearmongers have misled the public into believing that people are never charged, which has actually caused an uptick in property crimes. In terms of mass incarceration, Gascón is only slightly better than his predecessor, and the other 10 candidates are worse than he is. Most of his directives are improvements, but they aren’t implemented because he has no control over his deputies and he hasn’t hired any new ones.

I was shut out of the early debates, so the campaign’s momentum didn’t pick up until I was allowed to participate in the “Waldorf Hysteria.” Sadly, much of the media is ignoring my campaign: The rightwing media can’t handle my ideas of truth, justice and equality, and the leftwing media has chosen Gascón. I thank the California Globe for understanding what journalism is all about – presenting all viewpoints.

I entered the race later than most. I decided to run after I could no longer take the DA’s truly outrageous conduct. I’m not making that mistake again. You are reading it here first: I am running again in four years – either as the incumbent or as the top challenger.”

Judge Debra Archuleta

“Timing is everything, or so they say.  I entered the District Attorney’s race just over four months ago, one of the last candidates to do so.  Despite my late arrival, I have been fortunate to gain momentum ahead of the March 5th primary thanks to strong support from communities across Los Angeles County, if recent polls are any indication.

Are we safer now than we were three years ago?  This question strikes a chord with many voters, as does my ambition to restore integrity to the District Attorney’s Office.

I am tough on violent crime and believe that public safety must be the District Attorney’s top priority.  At the same time, I advocate for reforms to address many of the troubling social issues that underlie crime, namely addiction, mental illness, and homelessness.  After 26 years as a prosecutor and 7 years as a judge, I have the experience and the discretion to impose meaningful consequences for violent and/or repeat offenders while pursuing alternative measures when appropriate for first-time offenders or those struggling with addiction and mental illness.

I am fortunate to be picking up steam at such a critical point in the race.  My unique experience prosecuting violent criminals and now working with our society’s most vulnerable children and families as a judge makes me the right candidate to defeat George Gascón.  I hope to serve Los Angeles County as its next elected District Attorney.”

Deputy District Attorney Maria Ramirez

“The 2024 District Attorney race is truly unprecedented based on the sheer number of challengers and the glaring weakness of the incumbent. With only two weeks until the Primary, the race to unseat DA Gascon is wide open and the vast majority of voters undecided. The District Attorney race is supposed to be non-partisan, but as a 33-year veteran of the LADA, I have been disheartened by how much politics and ideological rhetoric has played a role in this race instead of what matters to voters.

The hope that I feel for a positive outcome in this race comes from the very people who live in our County. As the elected District Attorney, I will serve them and be guided by their stories.

Whether it was meeting a party delegate who was formerly incarcerated as a juvenile but who believed that there must be accountability for criminal behavior…or the owner of Ruben’s

Bakery, the victim of a mob smash and grab, who was more concerned about his workers’ fear and lost income than he was of his own financial losses – these are the stories that give me hope.

I know that that the voters of L.A. County will not be guided by politics but by a sincere desire to elect a strong leader who has the best interests of our communities at heart. 

As District Attorney, I will do everything in my power to keep Angelenos safe from crime and propel Los Angeles County forward.”

Attorney Nathan Hochman

“The public is adamant that they want change in the DA’s Office and they want a strong, independent and experienced leader who will restore public safety as the next District Attorney of Los Angeles County. I am that leader. There is incredible momentum and enthusiasm about my campaign. I see that in my interactions with community groups, crime victims, law enforcement, business owners and residents throughout the county. This enthusiasm has fueled my record-breaking fundraising and strong polling results that have shown I will beat George Gascon by 15% to 20% in November. 

I have spent the past 10 months arguing the most important case of my career – that George Gascon’s policies are a danger to Los Angeles County and I am the best candidate to defeat him and rebuild the D.A.’s relationship with law enforcement, with line prosecutors and with the public. The voters are the jury, and I am confident that when they sit down and evaluate the evidence, they will return their verdict by marking the box on their ballots next to Nathan Hochman for District Attorney.”