In the upcoming November election, one of the races attracting significant attention from Korean Americans in California is the LA County District Attorney election. Current District Attorney George Gascón, who has pushed for radical judicial reforms, is facing growing criticism, and two recall attempts have been made against him, both of which were unsuccessful.
On July 23, the Korea Daily interviewed Nathan Hochman, an independent candidate who came in second in the March primary for the District Attorney position. With 34 years of experience as a federal prosecutor and attorney, he criticized the current District Attorney for implementing policies that grant immunity to criminals. He stated that if elected, he would immediately work to restore the rule of law. He also mentioned his awareness of the security issues in Koreatown, promising to make it a place where Korean Americans who have moved out would want to return.
The following is an edited excerpt from the interview:
– In recent interviews, you’ve expressed confidence in winning against Gascón by 10 to 20 percentage points. Are you still optimistic about this goal and your chances of winning the election?
“We are cautiously optimistic. Early polls are useful to show where we stand right now, but I tell my team to treat it as if we are 10 to 20 percentage points down, not up. We are going to work extremely hard between now and November 5 to win this election.”
– In the March primary, Gascón received nearly 25 percent of the vote, while you garnered about 16 percent. Hatami (13.23 percent), Ramirez (7.14 percent), and McKinney (5.97 percent) have officially endorsed you, according to a recent media report. Are you reaching out to other candidates for their support? Where do you think the remaining votes will go, to you or Gascón?
“It’s crucial to understand that in the March Primary, Gascón received only 25% of the vote, a historic low for a district attorney candidate. This essentially means that 75% of voters rejected him. My job is to unify this 75%, which spans across every political, demographic, and geographic line in the county.
I have received six endorsements, including three from the office—Hatami, McKinney, and Ramirez—as well as Judges Mitchell, Milton, and Lloyd Masson. We’ve managed to bring together a very broad coalition across the political spectrum to support my candidacy. People consistently emphasize that the role of district attorney is not about politics but about who has the experience, the game plan, and the ability to keep families safer.
George Gascón lacks experience; he has never personally prosecuted or defended a single criminal case in his life. I have 34 years of experience as a prosecutor and defense counsel, handling hundreds of cases. Gascón has a record of public safety failures, with violent crimes, property crimes, and hate crimes all rising by double digits.”
– According to media reports, some has analyzed that older voters and Republicans were over-represented in the primary, suggesting that the November election results could significantly differ, potentially favoring Gascón. What are your thoughts on this analysis?
“Since March, we have been reaching out and talking to voters of all ages and political affiliations. I’ve been engaging with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, as well as Black, White, Latino, and Asian communities across different religions and geographic areas. What I can tell you is that these groups don’t agree on much, but they do agree on one thing: George Gascón has failed them. Two-thirds of them feel less safe today than when he took office, and they are ready for change.”
– The opposite camp is framing you as a former Republican, pointing out that you ran as a Republican candidate two years ago. How do you respond to this?
“They tell me that it’s not about politics; their decisions are based on their safety. On the issue of politics, if you look at my political journey and George Gascón’s, you’ll see something interesting. He’s not running on his experience and record of public safety, which has been a failure. Instead, he’s trying to frame the election by saying, ‘Since Donald Trump is a Republican, you should vote for a Democrat.’
The reality is, I spent my first 20 years as a Democrat, my next 20 years as a centrist Republican, and now I am an Independent running for a non-partisan position. Party affiliation won’t even be on the ballots. You actually want your District Attorney to be independent of politics. Gascón was a Republican for over 30 years and has only been a Democrat for 13 years. I am on record saying I didn’t vote for Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and I won’t be voting for him in 2024. And by the way, I have been pro-choice my whole life.”
– I would like to hear more about your policies in detail from now on. You have criticized Gascón for being more sympathetic to criminals than victims.
“When Gascón came into office in 2020, he implemented nine special directives on his first day, in his first hour, that changed the course of criminal justice. Among these directives, one stated he wouldn’t prosecute misdemeanors against juveniles, essentially announcing that juveniles stealing items under $950 wouldn’t be prosecuted. I would reverse that on day one.
I reject extreme policies. You have to consider the defendants and their backgrounds, the crime committed, and the impact on the victim. There are non-prison alternatives for punishment, but you can’t do what Gascón has done and pretend that crimes aren’t being committed. That is a license to steal in our society, and I stand strongly against it. It’s also a license to harm people in our society.”
-If elected, what changes would you prioritize starting on Day 1?
“We will aggressively tackle fentanyl-related murders. Drug dealers peddling fentanyl are not just selling drugs; they are dealing in death. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams can kill you in two minutes. We need to go after fentanyl dealers and treat them as murderers, which is what they are.
I will also address hate crimes, which have increased significantly. Hate criminals need to understand that if they engage in these crimes, they will be prosecuted and sent to jail. If you attack the Asian community, Jewish community, Latino or Black community, LGBTQ community, or any group based on race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, you will go to jail.”
– You see a lot of them in the MacArthur Park neighborhood.
“MacArthur Park used to be a beautiful place, a desirable location where people would go for picnics and spend their weekends. It had a beautiful lake in the middle and was surrounded by thriving stores. People wanted to live there. Now, MacArthur Park looks like a scene from The Walking Dead. The people there often look like zombies.
Gascón’s policy is to not prosecute for using meth, heroin, or fentanyl, even though these drugs are 100 percent illegal. It’s not because the law has changed or because it can’t be proven; it’s simply because he doesn’t believe in prosecution.”
– Some say we need to accept this new environment and learn to live with it. Do you agree with this perspective?
“The key question is, what era do we want to return to? I don’t suggest going back to the 1960s or 1970s; I suggest returning to 2014. That year was considered our safest in the last 50 years. The DA’s office and law enforcement were effectively doing their jobs. Victims knew that if they called 911, not only would someone pick up the phone, but they could actually get justice for their suffering. Criminals understood that if they committed a crime, they would serve the time dictated by law. The system deterred them from committing crimes.”
– According to our paper’s analysis of LA Koreatown’s crime rate based on LAPD statistics, violent crimes have actually dropped in recent years. However, many Korean Americans we spoke to doubt these statistics, stating that they feel more unsafe in recent years. What do you think is the reason for this discrepancy between the statistics and how people feel?
“Take property crimes, for example. People are stealing items, but I’ve talked to many store owners who say they are no longer calling the police. So, the numbers you hear about shoplifting, auto thefts, and other property crimes don’t reflect reality because people aren’t reporting them. They feel it’s a waste of time, and they don’t even need a police report for insurance purposes, as filing a claim can lead to policy cancellation or higher deductibles. Any statistics showing a decrease in the crime rate do not align with people’s experiences.”
– Koreatown store owners are considering closing due to issues with the homeless. Can something be done?
“Absolutely. There are laws on the books dealing with trespassing and loitering, and it depends on what the homeless person is doing, whether they are on drugs, but Gascón is not enforcing them. Because he is not enforcing these laws, the police see no point in arresting someone for an offense that the DA’s office will not prosecute. We need the DA to work with law enforcement to enforce what are called quality-of-life crimes. These are offenses that, while not violent or involving large-scale theft, still destroy businesses, public sidewalks, and parks.
The individuals causing these problems are a small number relative to the larger population. They don’t have the right to commit crimes and destroy the community. We need to treat them humanely at all times, but we also need to enforce the laws to protect our society.”
– Many Korean Americans have settled in LA, making it the U.S. city with the highest Korean population. However, in recent years, many Korean Americans, especially with kids, are moving further away from the city for their family’s safety and their children’s education. What are your thoughts on this?
“Absolutely. The government’s number one promise to everyone is to ensure their safety. Without safety, you can’t do much else. Why would businesses create more jobs here if it’s unsafe? Businesses will move. It’s hard to focus on education if kids can’t safely go to school. It’s hard to focus on healthcare when you’re worried about your safety. Safety is the bedrock obligation.
George Gascón has forgotten that. Fairness and safety should work together in the criminal justice system, not be opposed to each other. I would work on both simultaneously. I am convinced that what initially drew Korean Americans here can draw them back again. If you feel unsafe, you’re naturally going to choose somewhere else to live—why wouldn’t you? We need to keep Korean Americans here and attract more to the City of Angels.”
– Is there any final message you would like to share with our Korean-American voters?
“The Korean-American community is one of the most important communities in LA County. I understand why, in the last couple of years, they have been very concerned about their safety. We have had a district attorney enacting social experiments that favor criminals over victims, putting everyone’s safety at risk. We can fix that. I can fix that. I will bring my 34 years of experience in criminal justice to work with prosecutors, law enforcement, and the community to directly tackle violent crimes, property crimes, and hate crimes. My goal is to restore safety not just in Koreatown but throughout the entire county.”
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
