June Election Results See Two CANP-Endorsed Candidates Advance to November

Following shortly after the adoption and implementation of the Association’s new endorsement policy, both CANP-backed candidates for statewide office have qualified to advance to the November General Election.

Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom was the top vote-getter in the race for Governor, comfortably outpolling the second-place finisher, Republican businessman John Cox. Newsom garnered 33.5 percent of the ballots cast in the June 5 Primary compared to 25.5 percent for Cox. That represented a margin of just over 550,000 votes.

Also advancing to a November runoff was Sen. Ed Hernandez, who placed second in the race for Lieutenant Governor. Hernandez will square off against fellow Democrat Eleni Kounalakis, who received 24.2 percent of the vote compared to 20.6 percent for Hernandez (a margin of roughly 230,000 votes). 

CANP announced its endorsement of Newsom on May 24. The announcement marked the culmination of a process that included the submission of candidate questionnaires and followup interviews. That process reflected an endorsement policy adopted by CANP in March, a non-partisan approach to officially supporting candidates for elected statewide and/or legislative offices.

In a statement announcing the endorsement, CANP praised Newsom for recognizing that “California needs to do more to address its provider shortage by, among other policies, establishing new pathways for nurse practitioners to practice to the full extent of their education and training.”

CANP’s endorsement of Hernandez came long before the adoption of a formal endorsement policy. The 12-year state legislator and practicing optometrist has been a longtime proponent of expanded access to health care. In that capacity, he has frequently partnered with CANP in efforts to alleviate barriers to nurse practitioner practice.

Under California’s primary system in which the top two finishers advance regardless of party affiliation, the Lieutenant Governor’s race is one of two in which two Democrats will vie for the seat in November. The other is the U.S. Senate race pitting incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein against former State Senate President pro Tem Kevin De Leon.

Though Newsom and Hernandez are thus far the only candidates to receive CANP’s endorsement, the announcement of those endorsements has spurred inquiries from other office-seekers. “CANP isn’t committed to making an endorsement in every race on the ballot,” said Ullrich, “but the fact that we have additional candidates seeking our endorsement speaks to how much our support is coveted by those pursuing elected office.”

For more information on Gavin Newsom, please visit gavinnewsom.com. For more information on Ed Hernandez, please visit edhernandez4ca.com.