LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey loses endorsement from Rep. Adam Schiff

Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey is losing support of the Democratic establishment. This weekend, Rep. Adam Schiff withdrew his endorsement of Lacey. Mayor Garcetti is also re-considering his endorsement.

The race is already neck-and-neck between Lacey and former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón. Now with new calls for criminal justice reform, Lacey faces more scrutiny. And Gascón has won support from former presidential candidates, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

James Quealey, LA Times reporter covering crime and policing, says of Schiff’s decision, “He basically cited the push for criminal justice reform nationwide in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. He said this was a singular moment to address these issues. And as a result, he was pulling his endorsement of Lacey.”

Schiff endorsed Lacey after she announced her election bid in 2019, before she faced major opposition.

Schiff stopped short of endorsing Gascón.

In two separate interviews, Garcetti has seemingly walked back his endorsement, but hasn’t done it officially. He said he might revisit the issue in a few weeks.

Lacey hasn’t commented about Garcetti’s statements, but Quealey says she did defend her record of criminal justice reform, including instituting mental health diversion programs and cutting down on juvenile prosecutions.

But he says the crowds protesting outside Lacey’s house in Granada Hills have grown broader, including one that happened over the weekend and another scheduled later today.