RIVERSIDE — The Mark Takano campaign announced Thursday that he has received the endorsement of Sen. Barbara Boxer, one of California’s most respected public officials.
“Mark Takano is the kind of leader the people from the 41st Congressional District need in Washington to help create jobs, protect Social Security and Medicare from Republican attacks and end the right-wing war against women’s health care,” said Boxer, a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus’ leadership team and chair of two Senate committees.
“In addition, Mark’s first-hand experience as a public school teacher will help Congress understand the struggles students face in our changing economy so that we can make the investments in education and job training we need to stay competitive.”
“I am honored to receive the support of Sen. Barbara Boxer in my campaign to be a new voice for the Inland Empire in the U.S. House,” said Takano. “Sen. Boxer has been a leader on issues that matter dearly to local families, and I look forward to working with her in Congress.”
Takano also has the support of such prominent leaders as Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Other endorsers include Service Employees International Union; Bill Hedrick, Democratic nominee in the 44th Congressional District in 2008 and 2010; Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Non-Partisan Political League; school district board members Kathie Allavie of Riverside Unified, William Hulstrom of Perris Union High School, Cleveland Johnson of Moreno Valley Unified, and Erasmo “Memo” Mendez of Jurupa Unified.
Takano was elected to the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees in 1990 and re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2004 and 2008. He is the longest-serving current board member and one of the longest-serving Democratic elected officials in Riverside County. Takano has worked as a teacher in the Rialto Unified School District for the past 23 years.
He is running in the newly created 41st Congressional District, which includes Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris and Jurupa Valley. The district has a 7 percent voter registration advantage for Democrats. The Republican candidate is Riverside County Supervisor John Tavaglione.
Takano won Democratic primaries in the 43rd Congressional District in 1992 and 1994. He lost to Republican Ken Calvert in 1992 by a slim margin, less than 550 votes. Calvert is now seeking election in the redrawn 42nd Congressional District.