---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
# Alex Johnson Attack Mailers Draw Ire of Two Important Backers
July 31 2014
Written by Yana Gracile.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
EDUCATION POLITICS-Recent campaign material supporting **Alex Johnson** that questions the record of his opponent in the LA Unified District 1 school board race, **George McKenna**, are rattling two of Johnson’s high profile supporters, U.S. Congresswoman **Janice Hahn** and former Congresswoman **Diane Watson**.
“I do not support the negativity that has come out,” Watson told **LA School Report**. “I never have done that. Trying to scandalize and demean an opponent running is not the way I work, and that’s not what I agreed to.”
Watson said she has reached out to Johnson’s campaign, insisting that her name and image not be used in any negative materials.
So far, none of the negative material (examples are [here](http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/campaign_literature/0717%20Mail1.pdf%20) and [here](http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/campaign_literature/alexjohnson_mailer4_R31.pdf%20)) from the campaign has included the names of Watson or Hahn. **Fred MacFarlane**, a spokesman for the campaign said he believed they were responding to pro-Johnson material from an outside group. The campaign is barred by law from contacting outside groups, regarding their campaign activities.
“I let the person I endorse, Alex Johnson, know that this scurrilous materials that had been put out on one’s opponent, they can’t use my name, they can’t use my picture,” said Watson, who served five terms in the House, through 2011.
Watson was an early supporter of McKenna, at a time the school board had not decided whether to fill the board seat by appointment or by election. McKenna said then he only wanted the seat if appointed, leading Watson to offer support for Johnson.
After the board voted to stage an election, McKenna became a candidate, but Watson kept to her word and stayed in the Johnson camp.
What she objected to were three recent mailings from the Johnson campaign, attempting to deflate McKenna’s accomplishments over his 35 years as an administrator and educator.
Claiming that the mailers were trying to address the [“myth” of McKenna](http://laschoolreport.com/johnson-campaign-goes-negative-citing-the-myth-of-mckenna-lausd/%20), Johnson’s campaign said the aim was to expose the “real” McKenna.
Hahn, a second-term House member, expressed her concern over the negative campaigning against McKenna to the website [CityWatch](http://www.citywatchla.com/recent-posts-lead-stories/7248-the-assassination-of-george-mckenna%20), which quoted her as saying, “Politics can get really dirty sometimes and this looks like one of those times.”
Hahn did not respond to numerous attempts to reach her at her Washington, D.C. office.
MacFarlane said neither woman has asked to be removed from the list of Johnson supporters.
*(Yana Gracile posts at [LA School Report](http://laschoolreport.com) … where this report was first posted.)*
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 62
Pub: Aug 1, 2014
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/115 "Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/114 "McKinney Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Email
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
### [Prosecutor, Democrat, City Attorney? McKinney Makes His Case to Los Angeles Voters](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
ELECTION 2026 - The race for LA City Attorney has been laced with political accusations and allegations that when close…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
### [The LA Watchdog’s 2026 Voter Guide](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
LA WATCHDOG - My recommendations are influenced by the need for truly balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, long ter…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
### [The Fools’ Blame Game](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
THE VIEW FROM HERE - Angelenos do not use elections to plot a wiser course of conduct for Los Angeles, but rather they…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
### [California Film Tax Credits Aren’t Enough. The Guilds Need to Change Too.](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
LONNIE’S VIEW - California used to be the center of the movie and television universe. If you wanted to make movies, yo…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
### [Here’s What Zionism’s Got To Do With It](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
ICAN - The anonymous website “BHUSD Watch” recently published a long, detailed article about the current BHUSD board an…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)