Senate primary candidate endorsement: Kamala Harris

This board endorses Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate in the upcoming U.S. Senate primary. Harris has the experience, tenacity and high profile necessary to be outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer’s successor.

As California’s attorney general, Harris has already played a prominent role on the national stage, most notably when she fought big banks to get California more money from a national settlement on foreclosure abuse. Because of Harris’ efforts, California received more than it was originally supposed to receive, thus bringing some justice to homeowners following the 2008 financial crisis. This kind of grit and determination is exactly what California and our nation needs.

Harris’ positions on higher education issues and actions she has taken in her role as California’s attorney general prove her to be a strong advocate for college students. Harris supports President Barack Obama’s call for free community college, and she also supports increasing the size of Pell Grant awards. As state attorney general, she prosecuted for-profit colleges, such as Corinthian Colleges, that misled students and did not provide them with adequate skills to compete in the job market.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who is also running for the position, is another fine candidate. Sanchez’s decision to vote against the disastrous 2003 Iraq War is an example of the prescient kind of decision-making that all policymakers, including Harris, should take note of. However, in spite of Sanchez’s strengths, Harris remains the superior candidate because of her statewide experience and larger national profile.

California, as a result of its size and international prominence, is a state with a tradition of producing politicians of a national caliber. Harris, who was even touted as a potential Supreme Court nominee, would be a continuation of that trend.