First published in the Sept. 23 print issue of the San Marino Tribune.
Though San Marino resident David Lozano finished in the middle of the pack of candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recent unsuccessful recall attempt, it seems clear Lozano is a lot closer to the beginning of his career in public service than the end.
“Absolutely,” Lozano exclaimed when asked if he will pursue the governor’s post in the general election in November 2022.
Lozano finished 25th among the 46 candidates trying to take over Newsom’s job in the Sept. 14 recall, which Newsom easily survived. As of Monday, the “no” votes in the election topped the “yes” votes by 63.4% to 36.6%, according to figures released by the California Secretary of State’s Office. In Los Angeles County, 70.7% of the voters said “no” — 1,760,953 in all.
Lozano received 16,428 votes, ninth among the 24 Republican candidates, and plans to challenge for the seat again.
“I feel fabulous about my performance and about my campaign team’s performance,” said Lozano on Monday. “I did not decide to enter the race for governor until the very last second, but when we did, my team and I jumped right into action.
“I had the benefit of having a best friend who was a professional cinematographer, another best friend who was a past candidate for governor herself, and so many campaign supporters who simply just wanted to help out and see me get my name out there and get my message to the people of California. It was just an incredible adventure and journey.”
Lozano said the recall provided him with a primer for the next race.
“I was always planning to run for governor in the regular election,” he said. “But once the recall was validated and it was going to happen, I could not pass up the opportunity for the people of California to begin to learn who I was.
“I knew there wasn’t enough time to raise enough donation money to run a real campaign to beat an incumbent, and I knew the people of California would not believe it would be fair to remove a sitting governor out of office before he completed his term with such a small amount of time left to serve. The time to replace a governor properly is during a regular election — and that is when the people of California are going to be able to have the time to really get to know David Lozano and what my policies are and what my solutions are for California. That is when they will vote for me as their next governor.”
On Sept. 14, Lozano made the short drive to Valentine Elementary School along with his wife, Dawn, and elder son, Christopher, to vote for the 63-year-old attorney who claimed he was uniquely qualified to lead California, which has the largest budget of any state, and tackle what he considers its No. 1 problem: homelessness.
Lozano crafted a plan to build three cities, each with the capability of housing more than 50,000 homeless. He also vowed to implement police reform, protect veterans, press for legal immigration, reduce state and local taxes and implement water management standards. He will carry the plan, which he calls “A New Hope,” forth into the next election cycle.
“I plan to bring this idea to the ‘front door’ of every Californian in the state,” Lozano said, “so that by the time the regular election comes around, everyone in California will know and understand exactly what it’s all about, how it works, how it is funded and why it will solve homelessness — not only in California — but in every state across the country.”
A primary election will be held in June 2022, and only the top two vote-getters — regardless of party preference — will move on to the general election for governor. A write-in candidate will only move on to the general election if the candidate is one of the top two vote-getters in the primary election.
Lozano has been an attorney for the last 28 years, specializing in finance, civil litigation, bankruptcy law and negotiations. Prior to attending law school, he spent six years in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and two years as a reserve police officer for Monterey Park.
Lozano graduated in 1976 from San Gabriel High School after prepping at St. Therese School in his native Alhambra. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at Cal State Los Angeles, where he was elected to the student government board of directors. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he received the Thurgood Marshall Award and Distinguished Academic Achievement Award and was chosen to be a student legal analyst for the Connecticut legislature. Lozano was also the first sophomore in the school’s history to be elected student body vice president.
Lozano thanked “every single person who voted for me” in the election.
“Because you believed in me — you believed that I could lead this state — you believed that I could govern the people of California and that I could solve California’s problems,” Lozano said. “I am honored by that trust and belief. You all, at some point, must have visited my website and read about my solutions, saw my videos, and believed that I could implement the ideas explained there. I am here to tell you that everything there can become reality. All I need is your continued support.”
Lozano promised fresh leadership if he is elected.
“California has always been a leading state in our nation,” he said. “And it will be once again. All it needs is a great leader who has the knowledge, experience and integrity to provide real solutions for our state’s most pressing and concerning problems. I am that leader. Hold on tight, California, the best is yet to come.”
Christopher Lozano graduated from San Marino High School in 2020. The Lozanos’ other son, William, is a senior at SMHS.
Lozano said the chief lesson he learned from his recent campaign is to “never give up.”
“Never hesitate,” he continued. “Keep going. Keep your head up. Keep pounding away.”
