Swanson for Supervisor Post

In filling the lone open seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the voters have a clear choice on Nov. 5. Gordana Swanson is a reform-minded former mayor of Rolling Hills. Her opponent, Don Knabe, could be expected to continue in the tradition of his boss, retiring Supervisor Deane Dana, whose policies reflected a heavy reliance on big-money developers and other special interests. Both of the candidates in the nonpartisan contest are Republicans.

Swanson gets The Times’ recommendation because she has relentlessly attacked the mismanagement and excesses of county government, especially the bloated salaries of top bureaucrats. Her approach, professionalism over politics, is needed.

A businesswoman and environmentalist, Swanson is well-suited to represent the sprawling and diverse 4th Supervisorial District, which includes Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Long Beach, other coastal communities, and cities such as Norwalk and Signal Hill.

While Knabe, Dana’s veteran chief deputy, is a knowledgeable insider, he is too closely linked with “business as usual” in the Hall of Administration. Swanson would be a more independent voice. The Times endorses Gordana Swanson.