Bloomberg Campaign Press Release - California Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber Endorses Mike Bloomberg for President

Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and National Leader on Policing Reform Cites Mike's Bold Progressive Record to Improve the Lives of Black Americans

SAN DIEGO — Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and California Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego), who led the passage of a policing reform bill in the state legislature that set a national standard for the use of force, today endorsed Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg for president. Her announcement comes as Californians participate in early voting and prepare to head to the polls on Super Tuesday, March 3.

"Californians have two more days to decide who they will choose to take on Donald Trump, and the stakes could not be higher," said Assemblymember Shirley Weber. "Mike is the only candidate with a real track record of not just talk but action on issues important to Californians — gun safety, public health and the environment. And he is the only candidate who has put forth a bold, progressive agenda to improve the lives of Black Americans — the Greenwood Initiative. We need smart and steady leadership to restore the damage of the last four years of the Trump Administration, and to uplift communities that have been ignored for too long. Mike is the only one with demonstrated experience to get the job done."

"Dr. Shirley Weber has committed her career to creating opportunities for everyone, befitting someone born in a town named Hope," said Mike Bloomberg. "She is a leader not just in southern California but across the Golden State. As the head of the California Legislative Black Caucus and a legislator, she has led on issues that are at the heart of my campaign, including improving education, reforming criminal justice, and fighting for equal rights and economic justice. I'm honored to have her endorsement."

Assemblymember Weber was named the 2019 "Person of the Year" by the San Diego Union-Tribune for her work on a state bill that sets a stricter standard on the use of force. An advocate for education access and quality, Weber is also Professor Emerita and co-founder of the Africana Studies Department at San Diego State University.

She joins more than 100 current elected California officials who have endorsed Mike's candidacy, including State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Congressmen Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Harley Rouda, and Pete Aguilar, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Compton Mayor Aja Brown, and Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas. Last week, NAACP Chapter President Reverend Amos Brown endorsed Mike at an event in San Francisco.

In January, Mike Bloomberg announced the Greenwood Initiative, a plan to address the systemic bias that has kept many Black Americans from building wealth. The Initiative lays out a path to the creation of 1 million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-owned businesses in the next decade. The plan also includes a $70 billion investment in the country's 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods. He also released a comprehensive plan to restructure our country's criminal justice system which will protect people at every touchpoint in the justice system. As president, he will break the cycle of violence and curb police use of force, address injustice in the courtroom and reform excessive sentencing, re-imagine our prisons and focus probation on reintegration, and help people re-enter society with dignity and a renewed sense of optimism.