For the first time in over 20 years, the Los Angeles Times will not endorse a candidate in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, a decision reportedly directed by the paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, according to a report by Semafor on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Times editorial board had traditionally endorsed Democratic candidates and was expected to follow suit this year.
In its October 14 list of electoral endorsements, the editorial board described the 2024 election as “the most consequential election in a generation” but made no endorsement for the presidential race, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Sources familiar with the situation revealed that the board had planned to endorse the Democratic nominee until Soon-Shiong instructed them earlier this month to refrain from doing so.
The Los Angeles Times has a history of endorsing Democratic candidates in every presidential race since supporting former President Barack Obama in 2008. However, before that, the paper endorsed Republican candidates until the 1970s, when it faced backlash for backing former President Richard Nixon. From the mid-1970s until 2008, the paper abstained from making presidential endorsements.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Times declined to comment on the internal discussions or decisions regarding editorial endorsements.
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This is not the first time Soon-Shiong has made such a move. In 2020, the paper refrained from endorsing a candidate in the Democratic primary after the editorial board initially planned to support Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. However, the Times did endorse Joe Biden in the general election that year.
The decision by the Los Angeles Times follows a similar trend seen with other organizations. In September, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters also decided not to endorse a presidential candidate, citing internal polling that showed 56% of its members supported Republican nominee Donald Trump, despite the union’s historic backing of Democrats.
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