There’s no mystery who should win Sacramento’s 6th Assembly District race | Opinion

Assemblymember Maggy Krell is a Democrat from Sacramento who occupies the lonely middle of her party. A former prosecutor with the state attorney general’s office, Krell isn’t afraid to propose legislation that includes tougher punishments for crime.

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She also isn’t afraid of liberal Democratic Party leaders who too often reject even modest attempts to stiffen the penalties for crimes. For this reason and others, The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board endorses Krell in her re-election campaign to continue representing the Assembly’s 6th District. Most of the 6th District is north of Highway 50, including downtown, Arden-Arcade, Natomas and Rio Linda.

Krell crushed her lone opponent in the June primary, Jagtar Singh, winning 85% of the vote. Because the top two vote-getters in a primary qualify for the November general election, district voters face the same choice again.

As The Bee said in its endorsement of Krell in May, “She is fast emerging as a force to be reckoned with in Sacramento. Her intelligence and calm demeanor are a particularly helpful tonic inside local politics in Sacramento, where disagreements on major issues have created too many political fault lines.”

Krell’s passion is protecting children from California’s sex trade. This put her at odds with Democratic Party leadership last year, her first full year in office.

Along with Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, Krell championed Assembly Bill 379, which sought to make it a felony for adults to solicit 16- and 17-year-olds. Her party leaders objected. Refusing to back down, Krell was removed as co-author of the bill, creating a backlash that led to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and others realizing they were on the wrong side of this issue.

In the end, after this mess became a public relations nightmare for Democrats, cooler heads prevailed. The bill language was tweaked so that the solicitation of a minor under 18 can be charged as a felony if the person solicited was a victim of human trafficking or if the person solicited was more than three years younger than the defendant at the time of the offense. The bill passed and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten in Sacramento because Krell rightly stood her ground and because many Democrats don’t legislate in partnership with Republicans. Democratic supermajorities in both houses have created leadership silos that are not healthy for democracy or California. That’s why legislators such as Krell are important in Sacramento.

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There are already some big political personalities in town, and Krell has already made a name for herself. But we hope she will also emerge as a leading voice on pressing issues such as homelessness, downtown redevelopment and strained relations between the city and county of Sacramento.

Krell doesn’t have to worry about this election. Her challenge is to make the most of her potential.