Labor Council: No City Attorney Endorsement

Published: Thursday, September 4, 2008 11:18 AM PDT

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The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, an umbrella organization that represents more than 100 local unions, won't endorse either of the candidates for city attorney, the group's political director, Evan McLaughlin, just told me.

McLaughlin said the organization doesn't find either of the candidates -- incumbent Mike Aguirre or Superior Court Judge Jan Goldsmith -- acceptable so it will not be endorsing either.

"Aguirre has made an unprecedented attack on pension benefits and Goldsmith attacked the prevailing wage as a legislator, so neither is acceptable to us," McLaughlin told me.

Organized labor is a powerful political force in the county and the Labor Council has been closely watched for its endorsement in the city attorney's race. The organization did not go to great lengths to publicize its non-endorsement, which was buried in a press release about other Labor Council endorsements in unrelated races.

Goldsmith has campaigned on an apolitical platform, vowing to sweep politics out of the City Attorney's Office. He has won over some prominent local Democrats in the process, including winning the endorsement of organized labor's favored candidate in the June primary election, Council President Scott Peters.

But Goldsmith's rhetoric has not won over the members of the Labor Council, McLaughlin told me. His attacks on the state's prevailing wage whilst serving as a state legislator are still etched in the minds of many Labor Council members, McLaughlin said.

"That's definitely an issue. Any time you try to weaken the standard of living for workers, our members will take notice," he said.

-- WILL CARLESS