10:15am |
“We’re very pleased our fundraising is right on track and our campaign continues to gain momentum,” said Lara. “Our campaign has received continuing support from a broad range of donors and I have the backing of several leading elected officials, community leaders, LGBT groups and organized labor. We will continue to work aggressively to raise the necessary funding and develop the grassroots support needed to mount a successful campaign.”
January 12, 11:00am | Equality California PAC, the political arm of one of the state’s leading organizations on LGBT issues, announced its backing for Assemblymember Ricardo Lara for the newly drawn 33rd State Senate seat. Lara had previously received Equality California’s endorsement in 2010 and has a 100% pro-LGBT voting record.
“Equality California is proud to support these candidates who have consistently demonstrated support for Equality California’s mission to secure full and lasting equality,” said Suzy Jones, Chair of the Equality California Candidate Political Action Committee, in an earlier press release announcing the endorsement of Lara and several other candidates. “The leadership these individuals have shown through the passage of comprehensive reforms is evidence of the critical advocacy role they play in our fight for equality and their positive impact on the lives of LGBT Californians.”
“I am proud to have the support of Equality California,” said Lara, who has also earned the support of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. “I thank them for recognizing my work in the Legislature and I look forward to continuing the fight for equality in the State Senate.”
January 11, 10:40am | The California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) Caucus today announced its endorsement of Ricardo Lara for the newly created 33rd Senate District, calling him a thoughtful and pragmatic leader.
“From the minute Ricardo was elected to state office he began working with his colleagues and experts throughout the country to promote diverse coalition-building within the LGBT community. He is a thoughtful and pragmatic leader who champions sound policy recommendations and the California Legislative LGBT Caucus is proud to support him,” said State Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus. “If elected, Ricardo will be the first openly gay person of color in the State Senate and California will once again prove itself a leader in being a true representative governing body.”
“It is an honor to have the support and collaboration of my colleagues at the California Legislative LGBT Caucus,” said Lara. “Although we have made great strides toward justice and equality throughout the country, we still have a lot of challenges to overcome as a state. I am looking forward to doing my part in the State Senate to fight for true equality for all Americans.”
January 5, 11:00am | The United Farm Workers of America (UFW) today endorsed Ricardo Lara for the 33rd Senate District citing his “proven commitment to put Californians back to work as a great asset for the people of the state.”
“Ricardo has proven to be a strong advocate for working families in the Legislature. He has fought for workers rights and in his first year in office played a critical leadership role in passing new protections for farm workers. His leadership in the Assembly to help bring union jobs and investments to the Greater Los Angeles area also shows he understands the economic needs and challenges our state is facing. Ricardo Lara is the type of leader we need in the Senate. The UFW is proud to endorse Ricardo Lara for the 33rd Senate District,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers of America.
“It is an honor to receive the endorsement of the UFW, an organization that has inspired me since I was a child to fight for equality and justice for all workers,” said Ricardo Lara. “Their support has energized my commitment to the working families I represent every day in Sacramento and will keep me accountable to countless others whose hard work puts food on all of our tables.”
December 14, 10:30am | Claiming that Lara understands “the needs of California working families,” the Teamsters Joint Council 42, the parent body of 22 Teamster Local Unions that represents some 200,000 workers in Southern California, Southern Nevada, and the Pacific Rim, has endorsed him for his bid to the 33rd State Senate district.
Assemblymember Lara can add Teamster to his other list of labor organization endorsements, including the California Nurses Association and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 78.
December 5, 9:30am | California State Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg today announced his strong support for Assembly Member Ricardo Lara’s candidacy for the newly drawn 33rd State Senate seat.
“Ricardo’s represents the next generation of California’s leaders. He is steadfast in fighting for job creation, advocating for access to higher education and is a champion of environmental justice issues,” said President Pro Tem Steinberg. “Ricardo is the kind of smart and energetic leader we need in the State Senate.”
Elected to the State Senate in 2006, Steinberg’s Senate colleagues elected him to lead the State Senate as President Pro Tempore in August 2008. Prior to joining the Senate, Steinberg served in the State Assembly from 1998 to 2004.
To date, several State Senators have joined Pro Tem Steinberg in supporting Ricardo Lara for Senate including Ron Calderon, Lou Correa, Kevin De Leon, Ed Hernandez, Mark Leno, Alan Lowenthal, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Alex Padilla, Michael J. Rubio and Juan Vargas.
December 1, 10:30am | Saying Ricardo understands that government must work with and for working people, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 78, the state’s oldest continuously operating trade union, today announced their endorsement of Ricardo Lara for the newly drawn 33rd State Senate district. Local 78 represents more than 2,000 members employed in the plumbing industry.
“Ricardo understands that government must work with and for the working people that are the backbone of our economy,” said Gary Cook, business manager of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 78. “We look forward to working with Ricardo in the Legislature to help get our state back on track.”
November 22, 12:45pm | Senator Alan Lowenthal endorsed Assemblymember Ricardo Lara for the newly created 33rd Senate District today citing his “tenacity and skill as his most valuable asset for the people of California.”
“Ricardo has emerged as one of the most prolific Legislators in the Assembly… [H]e introduced significant and timely legislation that increased access to education, protects tax payers, and makes local government more accountable,” said Senator Alan Lowenthal. “His work with the Select Committee on Financial Empowerment and new developments in Los Angeles County will bring tangible opportunities to the region in the form of jobs. I am proud to add my support to Ricardo’s bid for the 33rd Senate District.”
Senator Alan Lowenthal represents the 27th Senate District, which includes the communities of Artesia, Avalon, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Florence-Graham, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Lynwood, Paramount, Signal Hill, South Gate, and Willowbrook.
Ricardo currently represents the 50th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Commerce, Cudahy, Lynwood and South Gate along with portions of Downey, Walnut Park and Florence-Graham. He serves as Chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Select Committee on Financial Empowerment and serves as a member of the Appropriations, Higher Education, Banking and Finance, and Water, Parks and Wildlife committees.
The newly drawn 33rd Senate District includes the cities of Vernon, Huntington Park, Maywood, Bell, Cudahy, Bell Gardens, South Gate, Lynwood, Paramount, and Signal Hill, along with portions of Lakewood, Long Beach, and the unincorporated communities of Walnut Park and Florence-Graham.