Buscaino Endorses Furutani in State Senate Bid

Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino on Wednesday announced his endorsement of Warren Furutani in California’s 35th Senate District.

The endorsement is noteworthy because Buscaino and Furutani ran against each other for L.A. City Council in 2012. Buscaino is the most popular local elected official in the Harbor area, which includes San Pedro and encompasses the largest bloc of voters in the district.

“I know the importance of working collaboratively with the state government and I trust that Warren Furutani will be a valuable asset in Sacramento,” said Buscaino. “Warren will be a great collaborator on many important issues we share, including redevelopment of the L.A. Waterfront.”

“Joe Buscaino is trusted and beloved by his constituents,” said Furutani. “His endorsement sends a powerful signal to voters and it’s an enormous vote of confidence.”

Former Assemblymember Furutani and a fellow Democrat, former Assemblymember Steve Bradford, are seeking the seat currently held by Sen. Isadore Hall (D-Compton), who is running for Congress.

The Buscaino endorsement comes on the heels of the most recent fundraising report, which revealed that in the period ending June 30, Furutani outraised Bradford by nearly 30 percent, despite being in the race for less than three months. In contrast, Bradford’s total was collected over a 6 month period.

The 35th Senate District includes Carson, Compton, West Compton, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Long Beach, Torrance, San Pedro, Watts, Willowbrook, and Wilmington.