Quick Take
We write endorsements because we believe a strong, trustworthy, independent and nonpartisan local news organization owes its community a stand-back, whole view of the candidates and measures before us, based on extensive one-on-one interviews. And, on your behalf, we look for four factors in making our recommendations: voting and other decision-making records, experience, judgment and political skills – and how the candidacy (or measure) meets the moment.
At Lookout, we offer our endorsements as a way of fulfilling our overall mission: We look out for Santa Cruz County and you. That community betterment ethos drives our reporting, our company and our culture.
This editorial view builds on all the work our newsroom staff – which is not involved in the endorsements process – has done in this and each election cycle. Our Election 2024 news pages have been robust through the run-up to this vote. Our three election forums, also available in video form, each saw a near-doubling of in-person attendance since our 2022 events and gave voters the chance to hear directly from the candidates and advocates in a moderated, conversational environment. Our Community Voices opinion section provides candidates and advocates another forum to make their cases and also allow you to voice your views in letters to the editor.
We write endorsements because we believe a strong, trustworthy, independent and nonpartisan local news organization owes its community a stand-back, whole view of the candidates and measures before us. We also believe voting matters and informed votes are necessary for democracy.
Our editorial board is made up of Community Voices Editor Jody K. Biehl and Ken Doctor, Lookout’s founder and CEO. Between us, we’ve got more than 70 years of journalism experience. We have spoken with the candidates and advocates one on one, off the record, to better gauge how well they might serve all of us. We try to probe deeply on your behalf, to better understand questions that might not have been well-enough answered in the campaign so far.
Our effort is decidedly nonpartisan. We are looking both for clear positions on the issues before us and that harder-to-nail-down quality of independent leadership. How, when confronted with new issues, or twists on the current ones, are those who ask for power likely to meet them?
In these endorsements, broadly, we look at these four criteria in making our recommendations:
- Record: particularly voting records and other decision-making history that tells how someone is likely to face upcoming issues.
- Experience: certainly elective office or political experience, but well beyond, as we look to those who bring knowledge of how effective management and change happen.
- Judgment, political skills: the softer skills that indicate how well someone might navigate getting their agenda done.
- How the candidacy (or measure) meets the moment: Politics, as is life, is much about timing. How well does a candidate or measure match with what we need now?
Agree or disagree, please participate in our democracy. Community Voices is open for your letters.
For the upcoming election, here is our list of endorsements:
➤ No on Measure M —we don’t want new barriers to much-needed housing
➤ Manu Koenig for District 1 county supervisor
➤ Kristen Brown and Kim De Serpa for District 2 county supervisor
➤ Monica Martinez and Christopher Bradford for District 5 county supervisor
➤ For Santa Cruz City Council, Kalantari-Johnson, Trigueiro, O’Hara and Brunner
➤ On Measure N, a yes to our community and individual health
➤ Yes on Measure H — Live Oak School District needs long-term investment