Los Angeles Times won't endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since 2008: report

The LA Times editorial board has endorsed every Democratic presidential candidate since Obama in 2008

Outnumbered - Tuesday, October 22

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The Los Angeles Times will not endorse a presidential candidate this year, according to a new report.

Semafor's Max Tani reported Tuesday the paper’s editorial board will not endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since endorsing then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008, adding the decision came from the owner himself.

"But according to two people familiar with the situation, executive editor Terry Tang told editorial board staff earlier this month that the paper would not be endorsing a candidate in the presidential election this cycle, a decision that came from the paper’s owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a doctor who made his fortune in the healthcare industry," Tani wrote.

Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times declined to comment to Fox News Digital. (AFP PHOTO/GABRIEL BOUYS)

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An L.A. Times spokesperson declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the report, saying, "We do not comment on internal discussions or decisions about editorials or endorsements."

The L.A. editorial board issued presidential endorsements from the 1880s through 1972, only returning to the practice to endorse Obama in 2008. Since then, they have exclusively endorsed Democratic presidential candidates. 

Obama on DNC stage

The LA Times has largely endorsed Democratic candidates like former President Barack Obama since 2008. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Tani also reported Soon-Shiong, who bought that paper in 2018, previously overruled the editorial board in 2020 after it had planned to endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary. 

After initially choosing Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "at the last minute Soon-Shiong overruled its leadership and said there would be no endorsement in the primary race."

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The editorial board later endorsed Joe Biden for president.

Schiff on NBC

The Los Angeles Times endorsed other Democratic candidates for Congress. (Screenshot/NBC News)

The L.A. Times released its statewide and nationwide endorsements last week, including Democratic candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.

Authored by Lindsay Kornick via FoxNews October 22nd 2024