Democratic incumbent Rob Bonta beats Republican Nathan Hochman in California attorney general race
U.S.—Rob Bonta, the Democratic candidate for California attorney general, has announced his campaign to defeat Republican Nathan Hochman in the June 5 primary.
Bonta, a professor of constitutional law and former state legislator, is a former prosecutor and legal adviser in the office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013.
Hochman beat Bonta in the 2013 special election, the first time a Republican had beaten a Republican in the race for attorney general in more than a decade.
“In years past, we’ve elected Republicans to the attorney general’s office in California — and to date, we have never seen another person with the qualifications and character of Rob Bonta,” said Bonta.
Hochman, a former Navy lawyer, has also received endorsements from the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, which support his position as the only candidate in the race who can win statewide.
He said Hochman’s campaign would focus on creating jobs.
Hochman said he would introduce a new campaign ad featuring an officer who has been shot by a man who then shoots themselves.
“They’re the ones to defend cops — these are the people who are protecting the citizens day in and day out in the field that we work with right here in the LAPD,” Hochman said.
“They need to be heard,” he added.
Hochman, who was elected to state Sen. Josh Newman’s seat in 2012, said he would continue to fight for California’s law enforcement and defense efforts in the federal court system.
Bonta, a professor of law at Stanford Law School and constitutional scholar, is also endorsed by the California Center for Reproductive Health, and the League of Women Voters in southern and central California, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
According to The Associated Press, Bonta is the only candidate in the race to win statewide endorsements from a major political party.
Bonta
