Jerry Hill endorses state Senate candidate Josh Becker

State Sen. Jerry Hill wants Josh Becker to be his successor, Becker’s campaign announced this morning, Feb. 5.

Becker, a Democrat from Menlo Park running to represent Senate District 13, which runs from South San Francisco to Sunnyvale, announced via email that, out of the seven candidates running for the position, he had won the endorsement from Hill.

Hill, the seat’s incumbent, is ineligible for reelection due to term limits. He was in a policy meeting and not immediately available to confirm the information today, according to his spokesperson Leslie Guevarra.

“I’m excited and honored to have his endorsement,” Becker said in an interview.

Calling Hill “one of the most respected state officials we’ve ever had,” Becker said, “It means a lot to me to have his support and confidence that I’m the right person to represent this region.”

Becker added that he believes he earned the endorsement from Hill because he’s an independent thinker.

“It’s a big priority of his to have people that are independent and willing to take on the big power players in Sacramento,” he said.

In a statement he provided to Becker’s campaign, Hill praised Becker as an innovator and collaborator.

“He’s got his priorities focused on the right issues,” Hill wrote, noting that those priorities include figuring out how to provide more housing in “appropriate places” that’s affordable; tackling traffic that clogs the area’s streets and highways; and taking on climate change in the region and state.

Becker, Hill writes, “has a wealth of experiences that will serve him well in Sacramento,” such as working on Capitol Hill, being appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown to a state commission and winning Gov. Gavin Newsom’s endorsement for the seat.

“Josh is well-rounded, experienced and someone who can get things done,” Hill said.

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