San Marino resident David Lozano is following up on an ambitious promise he made in September. He’s once again running for governor of California.
Lozano’s first foray into the political landscape took place in September, when he attempted to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsome in the 2021 recall election. Lozano finished 25th among the 46 candidates trying to take over Newsom’s job in the Sept. 14 recall vote, which Newsom survived.
However, the experience gave Lozano the incentive to continue his efforts to “return the ‘great’ to the Great State of California” label.
“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.”
Lozano’s No. 1 issue and primary focus is to end homelessness with his project called “A New Hope.”
“This is what all Californians have been waiting for as they have witnessed this daily human tragedy ravage the entire state,” Lozano said. “We must tackle this immense problem because it creates further issues that deeply impact residents. With almost 30% of America’s homeless population living in California, our resources are tapped beyond measure. Public safety is directly affected because our first responders are dealing with an influx of calls regarding transients, even though conservatorship laws prohibit them from removing vagrants and their belongings while violent crimes are underway. We have over 160,000 people living on the streets suffering from mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction without being provided the appropriate treatment they desperately need.”
Lozano said “A New Hope” will deliver the solutions needed because it derives from Finland’s “Housing First” program that has almost eliminated that country’s homelessness problem.
Lozano said he has addressed homelessness with empathy and respect.
“Our society has rejected these individuals, wishing for them to be removed without concern for their health, belongings and dignity,” he said. “If we can respect these people and their belongings, we have the beginnings of building their trust and cooperation in resolving the world we call homelessness.”
If elected governor, Lozano said that “every single homeless person that lies on our streets today, over 160,000 people on our sidewalks, in tents, on park benches, under bridges, along our beaches, on roadways, can be housed, cared for, fed and rehabilitated in hopes of returning one day back to society.”
Lozano said that not all homeless people want to be rehabilitated, and his plan addresses that issue “with some changes to conservatorship laws, the establishment of local care centers, and consolidating the inefficient homeless programs we currently have.”
As part of “A New Hope,” three new cities would be built to house more than 50,000 homeless people in each city.
In addition, three new commercial and residential communities would be created made up of tens of thousands of regular citizens and their families, such as nurses, educators and business people, who will assist and educate the homeless and help rebuild their lives.
“All while we, the people of California, clean up our cities, streets, parks and beaches and restore our great state back to where it once was,” he said.
In addition to ending homelessness across the state, Lozano also vows to implement police reform, put an end to violent crime and protect veterans. He would also work to allow only legal immigrants into California, reduce state and local taxes and implement water-management standards.
Lozano said he “firmly believes” that the three projected communities as outlined in his project will provide people with a place where they will voluntarily want to go and call home.
Lozano has been an attorney for the past 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 in Monterey Park.
Lozano graduated in 1976 from San Gabriel High School after prepping at St. Therese School in his native Alhambra. He earned a 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 law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Connecticut, 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 and his wife, Dawn, have two children. Christopher Lozano graduated from San Marino High School in 2020, while William is a senior at SMHS. His home was recently “flocked” with flamingoes, which he happily paid to have removed in a traditional campaign to support San Marino High School’s Grad Night.
“My law enforcement background, combined with my legal experience, is the foundation of my qualifications as a leader and future governor and a source of creative and innovative solutions,” Lozano said. “In addition to the expertise needed to address our state’s most concerning issues, as a native Californian, I also have the passion and determination to return California to a leading state in our nation.”
Primary elections will be on June 7. Lozano is a registered Republican.
