California’s Former Democratic State Senate Leader Endorses Larry Elder

Gloria Romero, the former Democratic leader in the California state Senate, endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder in a video released Monday.

Her endorsement comes as polls show a tossup race between Elder and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead of the state’s Sept. 14 recall election. Elder has emerged as the frontrunner among dozens of Republican candidates and has been sharply critical of Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our public schools need big change. I’m Gloria Romero; I was the majority leader of Democrats in the state senate,” she said in the video. “I believe in charter schools and and school choice. So does Larry Elder — but not Gavin Newsom. He shut our public schools while he sent his kids to private schools.”

“Yes: I’m a Democrat. But the recall of Newsom is not about political party. It’s about Newsom. Larry Elder for governor,” she adds.

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Romero led Democrats in the state Senate from 2001 until 2008.

Elder entered the race in July, months after most of the other candidates, and surged to the front of the GOP field. He has campaigned on repealing all mask and vaccine mandates in the state.

“When I get elected, assuming there are still mask mandates and vaccine mandates, they will be repealed right away and then I’ll break for breakfast,” he told supporters earlier in August.