County Party Chair Urges Sacramento Area, Elk Grove Elected Democratic Party Members to Rescind Schubert Endorsement

April 9, 2018 |  

In a sign of the current political climate and as a fallout following the shooting death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento, the Chair of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) has called on several elected party member in the Sacramento area to rescind an endorsement in the race for Sacramento County District Attorney.

Terry Schanz has called on 20 elected party members to rescind their endorsement of Ann Marie Schubert, who is running for her second term as Sacramento County District Attorney. Although the office appears on the ballot as a non-partisan, Schubert has been closely aligned with the Republican Party, while her opponent the June primary, Noah Phillips, has been associated with the Democratic Party. 

"As Chair of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, I call on all elected Democrats in Sacramento County to rescind your endorsement of Republican District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert," Schanz said in the statement.  

Among reasons cited by Schanz is that Schubert "actively works to undermine values of equality, inclusion, freedom of expression, and justice for all residents, both in her conduct in office and her political allegiances. She is neither fit for duty nor deserving of endorsement for re-election."

The 20 elected Democratic officeholders include all of the Sacramento City Council, the three Democrats on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, and two of the three Democrats on the Elk Grove City Council, Stephanie Nguyen, and Darren Suen.  

Nguyen declined to comment on Schanz' request and Suen did not reply to an email inquiry.  Nguyen and Suen joined their Elk Grove City Council colleagues and Republicans Steve Detrick and Pat Hume in the endorsement, while Mayor Steve Ly has not endorsed any candidate. 

Other prominent elected area Democratic officials endorsing Schubert include Assemblymembers Jim Cooper (Elk Grove), and Ken Cooley (Rancho Cordova), and State Senators Bill Dodd and Cathleen Galgiani, whose districts cover portions of Sacramento County.  

Following the March 18 shooting of Clark in the south Sacramento Meadowview neighborhood, the district attorney's office in downtown Sacramento has been the site of several vocal protests condemning police use of force and calling for Schubert to indict the police officers involved in the shooting. Protesters also dogged Schubert yesterday as she received an award from a crime victims rights group on the footsteps of the Capitol.    

On Thursday, the DPSC will consider endorsing Phillips and Milo Fitch, who is running for Sacramento County Sheriff against two-term incumbent Scoot Jones. Phillips and Fitch have been recommended by the DPSC executive board and to secure the endorsement they must receive 60-percent of eligible member voters.    

Schanz ended his statement saying "I respectfully call upon our elected Democrats to represent the people of Sacramento courageously, and rescind their endorsements of DA Schubert publicly and immediately."