Senate Majority Leader & Others Endorse Muratsuchi for State Superintendent

LOS ANGELES — With momentum growing behind his campaign for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, on July 16, California Assembly education committee Chair Al Muratsuchi continued to consolidate endorsements as Lena Gonzalez, California Senate majority leader and chair of the California Latino legislative caucus declared her support. 

Sen. Gonzalez joined an array of labor unions and state legislators from across California who have announced their early endorsements of Muratsuchi, underscoring his leadership and reputation as an advocate for students and educators. 

Senate majority leader Lena Gonzalez announced her endorsement of Assemblymember Muratsuchi with the following statement of support:

“A son of immigrants and first generation college graduate, Al Muratsuchi knows firsthand that public education is the key to the American Dream. As Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, I appreciate the strong leadership Al has demonstrated in joining me to fight to keep ICE out of our schools and support our immigrant students and English learners. I’m proud to endorse his campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.”

Recently, Assemblymember Muratsuchi released the following statement in launching his campaign for State Superintendent:

“I am running for State Superintendent to fight for public education and to fight for our students, educators, and schools.  As an educator, former local school board president, and now state lawmaker and education policy chair, I have been fighting for decades for public education in California. Now, as our students face ongoing challenges, especially from a Trump Administration that is attacking public education and our most vulnerable students, we need to fight to defend our students and our schools.

“That’s why I’m running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction – to dedicate not only my decades of leadership experience, but also my life experience as a son of immigrants, the product of public schools, a first-generation college graduate, and a public school parent.   

“Throughout my public service, I have worked hard to transform California public schools to promote the success and well-being of every student, regardless of who they are and where they live. I have delivered increased education funding, authored a $10 billion statewide school bond, championed universal preschool and afterschool programs, fought to raise teachers’ salaries, supported community schools, mental health services, and free meals for low-income students, and delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in career technical education to teach real-world job skills.

“But California clearly needs to do more to ensure every student has the opportunity to attend a good public school and to receive the support they need.  I look forward to traveling throughout the state in the months ahead to listen and learn more about the challenges facing our students, teachers, and schools and delivering real solutions to the challenges we face.”

To date, Muratsuchi has announced the following early list of endorsements:

• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36
• Marine Clerks Associates ILWU Local 63
• U.S. Congressmember Ted Lieu
• California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas
• California Treasurer Fiona Ma
• Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell
• Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn
• California Senate Majority Leader and California Latino Legislative Caucus Chair Lena Gonzalez
• State Senator Bob Archuleta
• State Senator Maria Elena Durazo
• Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Buffy Wicks
• Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur
• Assembly Local Government Committee Chair and Latino Caucus Vice Chair Juan Carrillo
• Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee Chair Mike Gipson
• Assembly Rules Committee Chair Blanca Pacheco
• Assembly Majority Whip Mark Gonzalez
• Assembly Budget Subcommittee Chair Gregg Hart
• Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Chair Pilar Schiavo
• Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula
• Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Chair Damon Connolly
• Assembly Assistant Majority Leader Robert Garcia
• Assembly Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee Chair José Luis Solache
• Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Esmeralda Soria
• Former Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting

Al Muratsuchi is an educator, former local school board president, and State Assemblymember who is a longtime champion for California’s students, educators, and schools. Throughout his service, Muratsuchi has fought to transform public schools to promote student success and the well-being of every child, regardless of who they are and where they live.

As chair of the assembly education committee, Muratsuchi makes education policy impacting California’s nearly six million public school students. In the Legislature, Muratsuchi has led the fight for billions in increased funding for our schools, universal preschool and afterschool programs, closing the digital divide, mental health services, and free school meals for low-income students. He has authored groundbreaking legislation that delivers for all California students, including a $10 billion statewide school bond, raising teachers’ salaries, fighting book bans, and teaching real-world skills for future jobs.