Endorsement: Re-elect Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis

Under the California Constitution, there isn’t much for the lieutenant governor to do.

She or he serves as acting governor if the governor leaves the state and becomes governor if the governor’s position becomes vacant.

In the case of a tie vote in the state Senate, they serve as tie-breakers. The lopsided makeup of the state Senate nullifies that latter obligation.

Lieutenant governors do serve on various state boards, including of the state’s higher education systems.

But in brief, they don’t have much to do.

Assessing whether a lieutenant governor is doing a particularly stellar job, then, can be a challenging task. However, you still want someone in that office who is  competent and decent because of the possibility they could, conceivably, become governor.

By that standard, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis passes with flying colors and we endorse her re-election.

We endorsed Kounalakis four years ago over then-state Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, who vowed to use the office as a bully pulpit to advocate for single-payer health care.

Kounalakis, a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary with extensive business experience as a housing developer, took a more pragmatic approach to the office and emphasized her interest in reducing the cost of and boosting access to higher education.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation, Assembly Bill 928, sponsored by Kounalakis, which will streamline the path from community colleges to the Cal State and University of California systems.

In a recent meeting with our editorial board, Kounalakis’ emphasis on practical matters and working constructively to solve problems came through.

Kounalakis understands the  very practical need for California to invest in water infrastructure, including reservoirs and dams.

Given her background in housing development, she also no doubt understands both the need for more housing in California and also the regulatory hurdles to meeting our state’s housing needs.

While there’s only so much she can directly do on any of these fronts from her current position, Kounalakis’ smart and pragmatic approach to the office serves the state well. You’d want someone with her temperament and insight in the room as major policy decisions on these issues are being made.

In speaking with our editorial board, Kounalakis did not shy away from the fact that she is interested in someday seeking the governorship herself. If she does so, we encourage her to maintain her focus on finding practical solutions to the state’s challenges.

Kounalakis does face a Republican challenger in this race, but can find no evidence that a serious campaign is being waged.

Either way, though, we believe Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has lived up to her campaign promises from four years ago. She has earned re-election and your vote.