California senators, representatives back different candidates in LA DA race

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris on Tuesday endorsed former San Francisco district attorney George Gascón's bid to unseat incumbent Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the latest twist in an increasingly heated race heavily focused on proposed changes in the criminal justice system.

"George Gascón is a proven leader of national significance when it comes to reforming our criminal justice system," Harris said in a statement. "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."

Harris is the second African American and female politician to support Gascón. Last week Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, also pledged her support for Gascón saying, "Los Angeles needs a 21st century system of justice. We need George Gascón."

Along with endorsements from police and deputy district attorney unions, Lacey has received support from well-known Democratic leaders including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

As the battle to control the largest local prosecutor's office in the U.S. heats up, a potential divide between traditional Democrats and progressives continues to emerge. All three candidates, including former deputy public defender Rachel Rossi, are Democrats.

Despite being African American herself and receiving Harris' endorsement in 2012, Lacey has been consistently characterized by the Gascón campaign and Black Lives Matter as being a traditional "tough on crime" prosecutor and that she protects police officers accused of using excessive force.

"The failure to hold police accountable ... suggests Jackie Lacey is more interested in justifying excessive force than ensuring justice is applied equally," Gascón said in a statement shortly after receiving Waters' endorsement.

Gascon succeeded Harris as San Francisco DA, when she became California's attorney general. In her recent bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for president, Harris faced criticism similar to what has been leveled against Lacey regarding prosecution of law enforcement and handling of criminal charges.

"In her career, Ms. Harris did not barter or trade to get the support of more conservative law-and-order types; she gave it all away," wrote Lara Bazelon, a law professor and former director for the Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles, in a New York Times op-ed last September.

Sen. Kamala Harris (New York Times News Service)

Harris defended her record, saying she fought to decriminalize many drug offenses, highlighted what she said was bias in some areas of criminal justice, and sought to lower prison populations.

After attending a hostile debate in Los Angeles last month, where protesters from Black Lives Matter and other groups shouted at Lacey and even rushed the stage, Lacey said in a statement she would assess debate invitations as they come. She was absent from a subsequent candidate forum which included Gascón and third candidate Rachel Rossi.

"DA Lacey will evaluate future debate requests as they come in, and will consider attending future debates where the host committee is impartial and has a concrete plan of action to ensure the event remains safe for candidates and the public alike," the statement reads.

After the statement was released, several news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, reported Lacey said she would not attend future debates.

Lacey's campaign declined to comment on Harris' endorsement Tuesday but did respond to the claim made by the Los Angeles Times and other publications.

"DA Lacey will continue to evaluate debate invites on a case-by-case basis and fully plans on further debates and forums in the general election," spokesman Maclen Zilber said in an email.

In her statement Tuesday, Waters said, "For decades the Los Angeles criminal justice system has divided Angelenos into two separate classes, communities of color and everyone else. George Gascón has demonstrated his commitment to equal justice, having reduced the sentencing disparity between African Americans and Caucasians by half, eliminating the conflict of interest that existed when police investigated themselves in the aftermath of a police shooting, and by holding officers accountable who used excessive force."

If none of the candidates receives at least 50% percent of the vote in the March 3 primary, the two leading candidates will advance to a runoff in November.