Historically Democrat newspaper refusing to endorse Kamala Harris
A historically Democratic newspaper has declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
The Los Angeles Times, which has exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates since then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008, has decided not to endorse Harris and former President Donald Trump. according to Semafor.
Two people familiar with the discussions said that editor-in-chief Terry Tang told the LA Times editorial board earlier this month that the newspaper would not endorse a candidate for president.
She reportedly said the decision came directly from the newspaper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a doctor who made his fortune in healthcare.
The editors were said to be backing Harris for the most powerful position in America when the decision was made. Newsweek reports.
LA Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has reportedly made the decision not to issue endorsements for this year’s presidential election
The Los Angeles Times has exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates since then-Senator Barack Obama ran for office in 2008.
But then the paper released its statements of support on a statewide and national level last weekThe only mention of the presidential race was in the first line, which said it’s “no exaggeration that this could be the most consequential decision in a generation.”
The editors did not explain their decision not to endorse the presidential election, although they noted at the bottom of the page that “the editorial team selectively endorses the elections and chooses the most consequential races to make recommendations.”
A spokesperson for the newspaper told Semafor: “We do not comment on internal discussions or decisions regarding editorials or statements of support.”
Still, the decision not to publish a presidential endorsement marks a departure for Harris’ home state newspaper, which she edited from the 1880s through 1972, when the paper endorsed Richard Nixon for reelection months after the Watergate hotel burglary — a decision that was then publisher Otis Chandler said he later regretted it.
Editors were reportedly preparing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the nation’s highest office when the decision was made
However, it started publishing endorsements again in 2008, when Obama ran for president.
Since then, the editorial board has exclusively endorsed Democratic candidates for the nation’s highest office.
But in 2020, Soon-Shiong decided to ditch the editorial again after it planned to endorse Senator Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primaries.
It would later support Biden for president over Trump.