Statement on Negative Campaigning in the Primary Election

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

 

We believe that negative attacks in a primary election only serve to make voters cynical and leave them uninspired.

That is why during our endorsement interviews, we asked Phil Angelides and Steve Westly about their intentions to run a positive campaign. Both candidates assured us they would not be the first candidate to launch a negative campaign.

We are deeply disappointed that with his most recent television commercial, Steve Westly has broken that commitment.

If Phil Angeldies had been the first to break that commitment, even though he is our endorsed candidate, we would express the same disapproval. We strongly believe that a negative campaign damages both candidates and pushes voters away on Election Day.

We urge Steve Westly to reconsider the course he has chosen and call on him to remove the negative attack ad he is running.

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