( – promoted by Lucas O’Connor)

At a press conference this morning, San Francisco Police Commissioner and former Democratic candidate Joe Alioto Veronese threw his support to Mark Leno for State Senate.

Veronese was joined by Mayor Gavin Newsom, Assessor Recorder Phil Ting, School Board President Mark Sanchez, Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Sean Elsbernd, former Treasurer Susan Leal, and Firefighters Union President John Hanley.

Leno also announced the weekend endorsements of the California Nurses Association and the California Teachers Association. Leno spoke on how this is clearly a two person race between Leno and former Assemblyman Joe Nation. The campaign’s momentum since the CDP convention highlights how the progressive community is uniting to keep this seat from falling into the hands of a candidate who doesn’t even support single-payer health insurance and voted against Sheila Kuehl’s bill.

“As we look forward to the election of former State Senator Jackie Speier to congress tomorrow — fingers are crossed, we think she’ll do very well — I’m reminded that when Senator Speier was moving forward her landmark privacy legislation, consumer privacy legislation, that Joe Nation again not only would not support it, but was carrying legislative water for the banking and credit card industry that Jackie was trying to reform.”

Leno went on to remind people of Nation telling the papers that it was a “mistake” for Mayor Newsom to courageously advance marriage equality. As the sponsor of the first resolution in the country opposing invading Iraq, Leno also reminded voters of Nation’s opposition to a timetable for withdraw.

Video and more pics after the jump.

Mayor Gavin Newsom

Assessor Recorder Phil Ting

Mark Sanchez, who pointed out that he’s a Green Party member and they don’t usually support Democrats but he’s supporting Mark Leno.

You too can Mark Leno.