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L.A. Times editorials editor quits over decision to withhold presidential endorsement

The Los Angeles Times has decided not to endorse a nominee for president in the upcoming 2024 election. On Wednesday, the paper's editorials editor resigned, saying the "non-endorsement undermines the integrity of the editorial board." File Photo by Mike Nelson/EPA-EFE
The Los Angeles Times has decided not to endorse a nominee for president in the upcoming 2024 election. On Wednesday, the paper's editorials editor resigned, saying the "non-endorsement undermines the integrity of the editorial board." File Photo by Mike Nelson/EPA-EFE

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The editorials editor of the Los Angeles Times resigned Wednesday after a decision by the newspaper's owner not to endorse a nominee for president.

"The non-endorsement undermines the integrity of the editorial board and every single endorsement we make, down to school board races," Mariel Garza wrote in her resignation letter to the newspaper's executive editor.

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"People will justifiably wonder if each endorsement was a decision by a group of journalists after extensive research and discussion, or through decree by the owner," Garza added.

The L.A. Times, which has endorsed a Democratic candidate for the past four elections, recently published the paper's current endorsements with no endorsement for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump for president.

On Tuesday, Semafor reported the decision to withhold endorsement of either candidate was made by the paper's owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong.

Earlier this year, Soon-Shiong -- who purchased the 142-year-old newspaper for $500 million in 2018 -- laid off nearly a quarter of the Times' newsroom staff following heavy financial losses due to reduced readership. The job cuts included reporters, editors and columnists.

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On Oct. 11, Soon-Shiong informed the paper's editorial board that the Times would not be making an endorsement for president. According to Garza, the board had intended to endorse Harris.

"I didn't think we were going to change our readers' minds -- our readers, for the most part, are Harris supporters," Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review. "We're a very liberal paper. I didn't think we were going to change the outcome of the election in California."

Hours after the L.A. Times' non-endorsement, the Trump campaign called the newspaper's decision "the latest blow" for Harris.

"In Kamala's own home state, the Los Angeles Times -- the state's largest newspaper -- has declined to endorse the Harris-Walz ticket, despite endorsing Democrat nominees in every election for decades," the campaign said. "Even her fellow Californians know she's not up for the job."

On Wednesday, Soon-Shiong explained his decision in a post on X, saying the Editorial Board failed to draft policy statements on each candidate.

"The Editorial Board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the positive and negative policies by each candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation," Soon-Shiong wrote.

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"In this way, with this clear and non-partisan information side-by-side, our readers could decide who would be worthy of being president for the next four years," he added. "Instead of adopting this path as suggested, the Editorial Board chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision."

This is not the first time an organization has declined to endorse either presidential nominee in the upcoming election.

Last month, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters board announced it would not endorse either candidate after internal polling showed nearly 60% of the union's members support Trump.

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