Everything we have seen during the long 2020 campaign to fill the state Senate District 15 seat confirms what we thought from the beginning: Ann Ravel is the candidate with the strength of character and respect to make a difference on the most important issues facing Californians.

Those qualities earned her the endorsement of former President Barack Obama.

Voters take note. For starters, Obama rarely makes endorsements in races featuring one Democrat against another. It’s also significant that the former president’s endorsement was the only one he made in any of California’s state Senate races.

Ravel’s opponent in District 15 — which includes Cupertino, Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and part of San Jose — is Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese. He and labor unions backing him have spent tens of thousands of dollars on fliers and campaign ads featuring photos of him shaking hands with Obama and trying to make the case that he, too, had a working relationship with the president.

There’s evidence to suggest it’s credible, to an extent. But even if true, Obama’s endorsement is a clear indication that he knows Ravel is the better choice for voters.

Obama recognized the same qualities we have observed in Ravel’s work at the local, state and federal level. That’s why Obama nominated her in 2013 to the Federal Election Commission, the agency charged with ensuring compliance with campaign finance laws and regulations. It’s also telling that when Obama learned that Ravel was contemplating resigning from the FEC in 2016, he called her in for an Oval Office meeting and pleaded for her to stay on the job, which she did, in order to continue her work for fair elections.

Ravel’s entire life has been devoted to championing fairness and looking out for the needs of those she serves. A graduate of Willow Glen High School in San Jose, she earned a law degree from UC Hastings College of Law and eventually became Santa Clara County Counsel, where she served for 11 years. It takes courage for a county counsel to take on Big Tobacco and lead-paint companies, but she did both, successfully seeking reimbursement for the public health costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses and for removing lead paint from public buildings,

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her as chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission in 2011. She revamped the commission and then led the investigation into the Koch brothers’ use of dark money to try to pass Proposition 32, which would have limited political contributions by way of payroll deductions. Ravel filed the lawsuit that led to a $1 million civil settlement, the largest campaign fine in state history.

That’s precisely the kind of leader California needs in the state Senate.

Her opponent has better name recognition and would be a hard worker for labor causes in Sacramento. But does the California Legislature really need another state senator who is beholden to labor and would vote as he’s told by union leaders? With Cortese, there should be no question that is what he would do if elected.

We have watched and admired Ravel’s work for the better part of the last two decades. She’s independent, effective and unafraid to speak truth to power. Obama recommends her to District 15 voters. So do we.