California has more Congressional Districts than most states. Here is the outcome of the California U.S. House Elections in 2022. This blog focuses on Congressional Districts 21 through 30. It also includes a 22nd District Special Election.
California’s 21st Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 21st Congressional District:
California’s 21st congressional district (or CA-21) is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is located in the San Joaquin Valley and includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties. The district is currently represented by Democrat Jim Costa.
Following redistricting in 2022, the 21st district is in Fresno County and Tulare County. The new 21st district includes the majority of Fresno, the north side of Visalia, and all of Sanger, Selma, Kingsburg, Parlier, Reedly, Orange Cove, Dinuba, Orosi, Cutler, Farmersville, Woodlake and Exeter.
Ballotpedia provided information about Jim Costa:
Jim Costa (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 21st Congressional District. He assumed office January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 2025.
Costa (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Costa served in the California State Assembly from 1978 to 1994 and in the California State Senate from 1994 to 2002.
Jim Costa was born in Fresno, California. Costa earned a B.A. in political science from California State University at Fresno in 1974. His career experience includes working as a farmer.
Jim Costa did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Ballotpedia provided information from Jim Costa’s 2020 campaign website:
Issues & Legislation
Fighting for Water
The San Joaquin Valley needs water to survive. Our Valley’s jobs and way of life are at stake, and it is my top priority to ensure that our farmers, workers, and communities receive the water we need to get our economy going again.
We are making progress, and each day is a new opportunity to secure more water and take on the critics of our Valley. This page will provide you with background on the water crisis, along with news and updates on my ongoing efforts to increase the flow of water to our Valley.
Producing Results
boosting the water allocation to Valley farmers over the past two years and continue to push for more. I fought hard for better science to be used so that we take a look at all the factors affecting the decline of the Delta, not just the pumps. Our Valley has been winning that fight and now the federal agencies are going back to the drawing board. I also worked with my colleagues in Congress to secure funding for the Valley and expedite water infrastructure projects like the California Aqueduct/Delta Mendota Canal Intertie project, which had been backlogged for more than 25 years. Last Congress, I also introduced H.R. 1251 the More Water for Our Valley Act, which continues my efforts to find commonsense solutions to California’s broken water system…
…Improving Education
Education is the key to the future success of our children and promoting long-term economic opportunity across the Valley. Providing access to a high quality and affordable education is essential for our children to compete in today’s ever-evolving workforce and to ensure that they can make the kind of living our parents fought to provide our generation. To make good on these goals, our students must have the resources, schools and teachers they need in order to graduate high school prepared for college or career.
A good education begins early on. As a result, I’ve fought to support programs like Head Start and Early Head Start in our Valley. For instance, I’ve worked to secure nearly $14 million for the Head Start program operated by the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission. I also supported $3.3 million to strengthen Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Kings County…
Ballotpedia provided information about Michael Maher:
Michael Maher (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Maher also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the special primary on April 5, 2022.
Michael Maher was born in California. Maher has served in the U.S. Navy since 2020. His career experience includes owning a business and working as an FBI special agent.
Michael Maher did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Michael Maher’s website:
Maher’s campaign website stated the following:
DEFEND OUR WATER RIGHTS
REDUCE TAXES ON OUR FAMILIES
SECURITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY
PRO-LIFE”
Ballotpedia provided information on Matt Stoll:
Matt Stoll (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. Stoll lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Stoll also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. Stoll lost in the special primary on April 5, 2022.
Stoll completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I am a small business owner of 20 years in Visalia, and a former Navy fighter pilot.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
A: Balancing the budget and keeping America strong
Ballotpedia provided information about Eric Garcia:
Eric Garcia (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the special primary April 5, 2022.
Garcia also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Garcia registered with the Democratic Party following the 2020 election. He previously ran as a candidate with no party preference.
Eric Garcia was born in Fresno, California. Garcia served in the United States Marine Corps from 2005 to 2012. He earned his B.S. from the University of Phoenix in 2017. Garcia’s career experience includes working as a therapist.
Eric Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Ballotpedia provided information from Eric Garcia’s campaign website:
HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
“With over 45,000 Californian’s lost to COVID-19 in under a year, defeating the devastating pandemic clearly must be Congress’s number one priority. First and foremost, the federal government must speed up the delivery of the vaccine in a fair manner, first to those most vulnerable.
Once we defeat the virus, we need to address our broken healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the inequalities in our system and exposed what had been clear to many of us: healthcare should be a human right. But due to the endless profiteering in our system, healthcare is more expensive in America than anywhere else in the world.
This is why Eric is a passionate supporter of Healthcare for All and will fight for its implementation in Congress to ensure that everyone can affordably access the care they need. Just like almost every democracies throughout the world, America must ensure cost is never a barrier for someone getting the treatment they need…
December 21, 2021: GVWire posted an article titled: “Costa Will Run for Re-election in New Fresno-Centric District” From the article:
Congressman Jim Costa announced he is running for his 10th term in 2022, this time in the newly-drawn district centered in Fresno.
“I’ve spent my career working to ensure everyone has a chance to be part of a strong middle-class and has what they need to raise their families in safe, healthy communities,” Costa said Tuesday afternoon in a news release.
December 21, 2021: GVWire posted an article titled: “Costa Will Run for Re-election in New Fresno-Centric District” From the article:
Congressman Jim Costa announced he is running for his 10th term in 2022, this time in the newly-drawn district centered in Fresno.
“I’ve spent my career working to ensure everyone has a chance to be part of a strong middle-class and has what they need to raise their families in safe, healthy communities,” Costa said Tuesday afternoon in a news release.
ural and underserved communities, delivering cleaner air and protecting critically needed access to water for our families and farmers requires steady, battle-tested leadership.”
Costa will run in California’s 21st District, which covers most of the city of Fresno, western Fresno County, and parts of Tulare County – including Dinuba, and the northern half of Visalia…
February 8: Jim Costa’s website posted news titled: “California Governor Gavin Newsom Endorses Jim Costa for Congress”. From the news:
Today, Congressman Jim Costa’s campaign for re-election announced that California Governor Gavin Newsom has endorsed Congressman Costa.
Governor Newsom said: “Congressman Costa and I have always worked well together for the people of the San Joaquin Valley and California. From investing in the state’s infrastructure to building a much needed medical school, we’re focused on building a better, brighter future for the people of the valley and our great state.”
Gavin Newsom was first elected Governor in 2018 and has helped navigate California through an unprecedented series of crises, including devastating wildfires, an economic downturn, and the worst pandemic in 100 years. Prior to his election as Governor, Newsom served as Lieutenant Governor of California.
Congressman Jim Costa said: “I am incredibly honored to receive the support of Governor Gavin Newsom. I know that together, we can continue ensuring our Valley’s families and all Californians have the tools and resources live in thriving neighborhoods, send their children to safe schools, and have access to clean air and water. I am looking forward to another term in Congress and delivering even more for our Valley.”…
Ballotpedia posted the results of the Nonpartisan primary for U.S.House California District 21:
- Jim Costa (D): 46.9% – 32,490 votes
- Michael Maher (R): 26.5% – 18,334 votes
- Matt Stoll (R): 16.6% – 11,520 votes
- Eric Garcia (D): 10.0% – 6,903 votes
The New York Times posted California 21st Congressional District Primary Election Results:
- Jim Costa (Democrat): 33,331 votes – 46.9%
- Michael Maher (Republican): 18,830 votes – 26.5%
- Matt Stoll (Republican): 11,804 votes – 16.6%
- Eric Garcia (Democrat): 7,127 votes – 10.0%
- Total reported: 71,092 votes – 95% reported
October 4: Fresno Bee posted an article (via MSN) titled: “Costa and Maher didn’t see eye to eye in Fresno. Here’s what happened with a debate” From the article:
A miscommunication led to the cancellation of a debate on Monday night between Congressman Jim Costa and Republican challenger Michael Maher.
The Central Valley Veterans Action Alliance late on Monday night voted to endorse Maher for the November election.
On Monday afternoon, Maher’s campaign released a statement saying the retired U.S. Navy serviceman and former special FBI again had been informed on Sunday night that Costa, D-Fresno, wouldn’t be “showing up” to the debate.
The debate had been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 509 in Fresno. It was organized by the Central Valley Veterans Political Action Alliance, which has organized multiple debates in prior years.
“This debate has been put off and pushed back far too many times, and my campaign was given no justifiable reason for Costa’s absence,” Maher said in a statement. “Congress is currently out of session, and Costa’s schedule should allow him to appear before his constituents and my fellow veterans.”
However, Alfreda Sebasto, consultant for Costa’s campaign, late on Monday said there was no debate.
“It’s hard to imagine the Congressman was not aware of this,” he told The Bee.
Dan Payne, a retired U.S. Marine officer and director of the Central Valley Veterans Political Action Alliance, was able to clarify what transpired. He said he didn’t want to make Costa’s office look bad.
Payne said he called Sebasto about three weeks ago, and left a voicemail with all the details for the debate, asking her to call back with any questions, but he says he never heard from her. He said he figured she was fine with all the details.
“In Jim’s defense, I did not follow up with a second phone call or an email,” he told The Bee late Monday.
Payne recently learned that Costa had a previous engagement that had been planned for the past six weeks, and that Costa knew nothing of Monday’s debate…
November 10: The Sacramento Bee posted an article titled: “Rep. Jim Costa leads race in newly drawn Fresno-area congressional district” From the article:
Rep. Jim Costa is well on his way to a 10th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, as he leads his Republican challenger by almost 10 percentage points in Fresno’s newly drawn district.
A moderate “Blue Dog” Democrat, Costa, 70, has represented Fresno area in Congress since 2005.
Costa almost 55% of the votes in the newly drawn 21st Congressional District, according to the Associated Press, with more than 73% of the votes counted. His challenger, businessman and veteran Michael Maher, gathered 45.1%.
The Fresno native is part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group that looks for common ground. He is also a prominent member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a collection of moderate Democrats who press for “fiscally responsible” legislation…
Ballotpedia posted that results for the General Election for U.S. House California District 21:
- Jim Costa (D): 54.8% – 56,118 votes
- Michael Maher (R): 45.3% – 46,281 votes
- Total votes: 102,399
California’s 22nd Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 22nd Congressional District
California’s 22nd congressional district is a district in California. It is represented by David Valadao, who formerly represented California’s 21st congressional district from 2013 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023. It was one of 18 districts that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election while being held by a Republican in 2022
Following redistricting in 2021, the district is still in the San Joaquin Valley. It includes most of Kings County and parts of Tulare and Kern Counties. It includes the east side of Bakersfield; the west and south sides of Tulare, the south side of Hanford; and all of Porterville, Lindsay, Shafter, Wasco, Delano, McFarland, Arvin, Lamont, and Corcoran. The new 22nd is a majority-Latino district.
Ballotpedia provided information about David G. Valadao:
David G. Valadao (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 22nd Congressional District. He assumed office January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Valadao (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Valadeo served in the California State Assembly, representing the 30th District from 2010 to 2012.
Candidate Profile: David G. Valadao
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- U.S. House (2013-2019)
- California State Assembly (2010-2012)
Biography: Valadao was born and raised in California, and his parents came to the U.S. from Portugal. Valadao received his diploma from Hanford High School and attended the College of the Sequoias. He worked as regional leadership council chairman for Land O’ Lakes Inc. As of the election, Valadao worked on his family farm.
KEY MESSAGES
The following messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more information on how we identify key messages, click here.
Valadao’s campaign ads said he was ranked one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and was an independent problem-solver. They said he worked with both parties to bring water to the valley and make healthcare more accessible. Valadao’s ads said he stood up to his own party to protect DREAMers.
Valadao’s campaign website said, “We need to protect our water, make health care more affordable and accessible, work to bring new jobs and new job training to the Central Valley, and stand up for seniors and veterans to ensure they get the benefits they deserve.”
Valadao’s ads said Cox was the most corrupt member of Congress. They said Cox used his office to hide a conflict of interest and didn’t pay taxes he owed.
Ballotpedia provided information about Rudy Salas:
Rudy Salas (Democratic Party) was a member of the California State Assembly, representing District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Salas (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Rudy Salas earned a degree in political science and history from the University of California at Los Angeles in 2000.
Ballotpedia provided information about Chris Mathys:
Chris Mathys (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Mathys was previously a 2018 candidate for New Mexico Public Regulation Commission District 5. Mathys lost the primary on June 5, 2018.
Chris Mathys was born in San Diego, California, and grew up in Sanger, California. He graduated from Fresno State in 2015 and received his graduate degree from the University of the Southwest in 2018. Mathys served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 1995. His career experience includes working in commercial real estate and cattle ranching. He has been associated with the National Rifle Association, American Legion, Valley Taxpayers Coalition Inc., and the Knights of Columbus.
Mayths completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m a Conservative Republican running for California’s 21st Congressional District against David Valadao who voted to impeach President Trump. I support President Trump 100 percent and believe he worked hard to make American a better place.
I grew up on a farm in Sanger near Fresno, Ca where my parents instilled my love of God, family, country, and the value of hard work. My education includes graduating from Fresno State and then I received an MBA from the University of the Southwest located in Hobbs, New Mexico.
My proudest achievement is serving in the army in the Southern Command in Panama. My experience in the military has taught me as Americans we have the right to keep and bear arms, that freedom is not free, and for America to be strong, we must enforce our borders. And make sure immigrants come to America legally to work and not to take advantage of our benefits.
As part of my training in the Army and college education, I learned to speak Spanish fluently which has been very useful as I campaign throughout the district.
My business background is in commercial real estate and lending with Oro Financial of Ca. Inc. in Fresno and cattle ranching at Mercey Ranch in Firebaugh which was founded 100 years ago by
(Ballotpedia posted a box here that says “Spanish-basque settlers.” It is unknown what, exactly Chris Mathys wrote.)
I have been involved in government as a conservative member of the Fresno City Counsel and with the Valley Taxpayer’s Coalition, Inc. which monitored wasteful government spending. I would be honored to have your vote.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
1 Defend our conservative values by making sure republicans in name only like David Valadao and Liz Cheney who voted to impeach President Trump do not represent us in congress.
2 Voter integrity is vital in holding free and fair election. We must stop voter fraud and make sure that only American citizens vote.
3 Building more water storage projects like the Temperance-Flat dam so farmers and ranchers have a stable water supply instead of releasing water into the ocean.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Government mandates including executive orders are adversely impacting our freedoms and liberties. We should not be told by the government that we have to be vaccinated, cannot go to church, or forcing our children to stay at home. This is not who we are as free Americans. We have always been a nation founded by Judeo-Christian values as Americans, we are capable of making our own decisions without government interference. I am most passionate about reducing government mandates and regulations. Farmers and ranchers can’t get enough water and the government uses the Delta Smelt as a reason to reduce the flow of surface water. We can build a high speed rail project but don’t have the resources to build a new dam.
(Ballotpedia posted a box here that says “My position has always been, less government and fewer regulations.” It is unknown what Chris Mathys wrote.)
Ballotpedia provided information about Adam T. Medeiros:
Adam Thomas Medeiros (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Adam T. Medeiros was born in Sao Miguel Island, Azores. His professional expertise includes owning and operating a hair salon. Medieros has served as a board member of the King’s County Office of Education. He has also volunteered with his local church and with youth sports. Medeiros is affiliated with the Sons of Liberty and Full Gospel Businessmen.
Adam T. Medeiros completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I am a family man, businessman, and public servant. I immigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal when I was a child and grew up on a dairy farm where my father milked cows. My wife and I have been married for nearly 40 years and we have three grown children and seven grandchildren (with one more on the way). As a small business owner, I am self-employed and own and operate a salon in Hanford. I served on a local school board for many years and in 2018, was elected to the Kings County Board of Education, where I currently serve as Vice President. I have been an active member in my community and have been involved in youth ministry and prison ministry, and have coached youth soccer, football, and basketball. I am a Christian conservative and feel that I can represent the farms, families, and business in this district and want to do my part to ensure a stable country for our future generations.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I support the Constitution, civil liberties, and law and order.
- Water and Energy. We must ensure proper water storage and allocation, as a nation become more energy dependent.
- Parents Rights. Parents (not the Government) are responsible for the upbringing of their children. Parents must be allowed to protect their children’s health and education and I support the School Choice Initiative.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Currently, we are seeing an emerging trend of communist and socialist agendas growing in our country. We are a free nation and We the People must keep government accountable to uphold our Constitutional rights. I am passionate about helping Congress restore the group we have lost and will fight for increased liberties and decreased government mandates.
June 10: The Fresno Bee posted an article titled: “California Republican who voted to impeach Trump Falls behind Democrat in election returns”. From the article:
A competitive midterm election in California’s San Joaquin Valley came into focus Tuesday night with a Democratic state lawmaker taking on one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress.
The Associated press said that the Democratic Assemblyman Rudy Salas of Bakersfield would advance to the primary to the November general election in the 22nd Congressional District at 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time Tuesday.
They had yet to call it for incumbent Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, as of 6:06 a.m. Wednesday. Salas, 45, had 48.3% of the votes then. Valadao, also 45, had 25.6%.
Fewer than 30% of the votes have been counted.
Analysts say the election in the Central Valley’s new 22nd, which captures Hanford to Shafter, is a toss up…
…The party of the president historically does worse in midterm elections. And with Biden’s approval rating slipping in the wake of inflation and pandemic issues, experts predict more of a “red wave” in 2022…
…Adam Thomas Medeiros, a businessman and a member of the Kings County Board of Education, and Chris Mathys, a pro-Trump conservative who was on the Fresno City Council, are both running as Republicans in the 22nd district…
The Fresno Bee posted an updated view of the vote count on June 24:
- Rudy Salas (D): 24,092 votes – 45.4%
- David Valadao (incumbent) (R): 13,583 votes – 25.6%
- Chris Mathys (R): 12,273 votes – 23.1%
- Adam Medeiros (R): 3,150 votes – 5.9%
- The AP estimated the 96.9% of the votes were counted.
June 26: Los Angeles Times (via Yahoo! News) posted an article titled:”California Republican Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach Trump, survives primary” From the article:
GOP Rep. David Valadao, one of the most endangered Republican congressional incumbents in the nation, has survived the California primary and will advance to the November ballot.
Valadao, of Hanford, will face Assemblymember Rudy Salas, a moderate Democrat, in the contest to represent the 22nd Congressional District in the general election. The Central Valley district includes parts of Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties.
Valadao, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, faced challengers from is right. But Trump didn’t publicly attack Valadao. And former Fresno City Councilman Chris Mathys and Kings County Board of Election Trustee Adam Medeiros were not able to secure Trump’s endorsement or raise significant campaign funds.
Mathys came surprisingly close to Valadao after Democrats spent six figures on television ads boosting his candidacy because they believed he would be a weaker foe in the general election.
Now Valadao will face significant challenges in the general election. The district already tilted blue, but after redistricting, Democrats have a 17-point voter registration edge…
October 11: Washington Examiner (via MSN) posted an article titled: “Rep. David Valadao’s Democratic challenger drops out of debate at eleventh hour” From the article:
California GOP Rep. David Valadao is slated to be the only candidate in attendance at Wednesday’s scheduled debate after Democratic state Assemblyman Rudy Salas unexpectedly pulled out of the event, saying he would not appear onstage with the California Republican due to his frustrations over a campaign ad alleging he had supported raising prescription drug prices.
Salas told KGET 17 News, the Bakersfield-based NBC affiliate station that was set to hold the debate, he felt Valadao should apologize for a National Republican Congressional Committee ad that targets his vote on a bill placing a few on opioid manufacturers prior to him participating, arguing that the criticism is misleading, despite having agreed to the debate two months ago.
Valadao, a leading centrists Republican who defeated T.J. Cox (D-CA) in 2020 after losing the seat he held for three terms in 2018, declined to apologize, blasting Salas for opting not to debate ahead of Election Day…
“My argument is, well, no, you’re taxing people who need this drug for quality-of-life issues, cancer patients and others, and you’re taxing them to pay for other people’s mistakes, and that’s not appropriate,” he told the Washington Examiner.
“We were offered other debates, and every time, as soon as we get to the point where we say ‘yes’ to a debate [following the discussion of terms with respective stations], within hours, his team would be, like, “OK, no, we’re not going to do it.” It’s almost like they are waiting for use to say, they’re hoping we would say no first.”
In lieu of the initial debate plans, the station is now scheduled to hold a 30-minute discussion with the GOP congressman, with the station leaving the door open for Salas to change his mind…
November 8: Bakersfield.com posted an article titled: “Valadao takes early lead over Salas” From the article:
Rep. David Valadao pulled ahead of his Democratic challenger, Assemblyman Rudy Salas, in early results Tuesday night in the hard-won race for California’s 22nd Congressional District.
In a contest seen as one of the tightest and most important in the nationwide battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Hanford Republican was ahead of the Bakersfield Democrat, 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent, with 60.9 percent of districts reporting.
“I always knew this race was going to be tight,” Valadao said by text message at 9:13 p.m. “I’m optimistic about our start but we still have a long way to go.”
The race was notable for the money it attracted from across the country as it was for the negative campaign ads that proliferated on television and the internet. It was, in a sense, a repeat from two years prior, when Valadao narrowly defeated former Rep. T.J. Cox, the Democratic incumbent, in the race for what was then the 21st Congressional District.
Redistricting gave the district more of a Democratic advantage, with 43.4 percent of voter registrations to 26 percent Republican and 22.7 percent stating no party preference…
Ballotpedia posted the results of the General Election for U.S. House California District 22:
- David G. Valadao (R): 51.7% – 52,065 votes
- Rudy Salas (D): 48.3% – 48,709 votes
Rep. David Valadao, (R-Calif.) is projected to win in California’s 22nd congressional district, keeping his political life alive for another term despite voting to impeach former President Trump following the Capitol riot.
The Associated Press called the race on Monday, nearly two weeks after Election Day.
Valadao, who currently represents the Golden State’s 21st Congressional District, bested Democrat Assemblymember Rudy Salas in a contentious contest that was rated a “toss up” by Cook Political Report. He moved to the 22nd following redistricting…
…The race for the 22nd district came under scrutiny this cycle after Democrats poured money into the GOP primary, propping up Valadao’s Trump-aligned candidate Chris Mathys. Trump himself, however, never endorsed Mathys…
…Similarly, Salas in-part tried to sell himself as independent on the campaign trail. One of his ads tout a vote he took in 2017 against a transportation plan that would have raised gas taxes. He was the only Democrat in the state Assembly to oppose the measure, which led to him losing a committee chairmanship…
…According to California news outlet CalMatters, the state’s 22nd district trends toward the middle: That 43.4 percent of its residents are registered Democrats, 26 percent are registered Republicans and 22.6 percent do not have a party preference.
The bulk of the election, however, focused on issues important to voters in the Central Valley district, including agriculture, water issues and the economy. The candidates’ differences on the issue of abortion were also highlighted – Salas is in favor of allowing the medical procedure, and Valadao is opposed…
November 21: The New York Times posted an article titled: “David Valadao, a Republican Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Wins Re-election” From the article:
Representative David Valadao, Republican of California, won re-election on Monday, according to The Associated Press, managing to survive politically after his vote to impeach former President Donald J. Trump, a move that cost some of his Republican colleagues their seats.
Mr. Valadao defeated Rudy Salas, a Democratic state assemblyman, in a competitive district in the Central Valley that became more difficult for Republicans after newly drawn boundaries tilted it more to the left. The outcome was decided nearly two weeks after Election Day, with Mr. Valadao leading by more than three percentage points…
…Mr Salas had drawn about 20 points more votes than Mr. Valadao in the open primary – which included candidates of any political affiliation – but the Republican was able to beat two Republican challengers. The race was always going to be tight; Mr. Valadao, who first represented the district from 2013 to 2019, had narrowly won back the seat in 2020 by less than a point over Representative T.J. Cox, a Democrat.
By the final month of the campaign, Republican political action committees, including the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, spent more than $11 million in advertising for Mr. Valadao, according to the nonpartisan political tracking organization California Target Book…
November 22: The Guardian posted an article titled: “Republican who voted to impeach Trump re-elected to US House”. From the article:
A Republican who voted to impeach Donald Trump in the House of Representatives has won re-election in California, making him only the second of the 10 to do so still in Congress.
David Valadao was called the winner of his competitive race with Democrat Rudy Salas late on Monday, almost two weeks after Election Day.
With his party having already secured control of the House, albeit narrowly, his result was significant only for the survival of his political career after turning on the former president…
…Valadao released a statement on Monday night thanking his campaign staff and acknowledging his opponent, but not mentioning Trump, or his vote for his impeachment.
“I am once again humbled by the Central Valley’s support and faith in me,” the statement said.
“I commend Rudy Salas for running a strong campaign and his service to our community in the state assembly.”…
California’s 22nd District Special Election
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 22nd Congressional District Special Election:
The 2022 California’s 22nd Congressional District special election took place on June 7, 2022, with the primary election on April 5, 2022. California’s 22nd Congressional District became vacant when Republican Devin Nunes resigned on January 1, 2022, to become the CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group.
Governor Gavin Newsom scheduled the special election for June 7, 2022, with the primary election on April 5, 2022. The election was held using a nonpartisan blanket primary, a system where all candidates ran in the same primary, and if no candidates receives a majority of votes, the top-two candidates then advance to the general election. No candidate received a majority in the primary, so Republican Connie Conway and Democrat Lourin Hubbard advanced to the runoff.
Ballotpedia provided information about Connie Conway:
Connie Conway (Republican Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 22nd Congressional District. Conway assumed office on June 14, 2022. Conway left office on January 3, 2023.
Conway (Republican Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. Conway won in the special general election on June 7, 2022.
Conway was a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing District 26 from 2012 to 2014 and District 34 from 2008 to 2012. Conway served as Minority Leader from 2011 to 2014.
Connie was born in Bakersfield, California, and lives in Tulare, California. Conway graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School. Her career experience includes working as the California executive director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Connie served as a state president of the Cities, Counties, and Schools Partnership and as president of the California State Association of Counties.
Ballotpedia provided information about Lourin Hubbard:
Lourin Hubbard (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the special general election on June 7, 2022.
Lourin Hubbard was born in Bakersfield, California. Hubbard graduated from Bakersfield High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University at Fresno in 2013. Hubbard’s career experience includes working as an operations manager and racial equality officer with the Central Valley Quality Control Board.
Lourin Hubbard completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I was born and raised in the Central Valley. I was raised by a single mother and lots of unofficial aunts and uncles, so I know the importance of community to the success of our future. I am an activist for environmental justice and racial equity in the community and as such I understand firsthand the issues and challenges facing the people of this district. I am guided by the principle that everyone, not just the privileged and affluent, deserve access to opportunity and the freedom to pursue their own happiness. My experiences have taught me the importance of speaking truth to power and garnering community attention so we can push our elected officials to act on fixing the environment, expanding SNAP benefits, and access to healthcare. If given the opportunity I will never stop fighting for the people I represent. Change only happens when people with big ideas, integrity, and the backbone to fight for what they believe step forward.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Healthcare is a fundamental human right. No one should have to choose between buying food, medicine, or the health of their family. Yet we are forced to make those choices every day. We must ensure every American has health coverage and access to the highest quality healthcare.
- Rather than leading the world’s climate and energy policy, the U.S. has fallen behind not only our developed-world allies, but even rising powers such as China and Brazil. The Central Valley can become the leader of renewable energy for the country and leading the green Industrial Revolution and create the jobs of the future.
- In oder to begin to address the inequities in our communities, we must have equitable access to quality education. From early education through adult education, we must build and maintain an affordable, quality education system accessible to all residents.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: I was born and raised in the Central Valley. I was raised by a single mother and lots of unofficial aunts and uncles, so I know the importance of community to the success of our future. I am an activist for environmental justice and racial equity in the community and as such I understand firsthand the issues and challenges facing the people of this district. I am guided by the principle that everyone, not just the privileged and affluent, deserve access to opportunity and the freedom to pursue their own happiness. My experiences have taught me the importance of speaking truth to power and garnering community attention so we can push our elected officials to act on fixing the environment, expanding SNAP benefits, and access to healthcare. If given the opportunity I will never stop fighting for the people I represent. Change only happens when people with big ideas, integrity, and the backbone to fight for what they believe step forward.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Healthcare is a fundamental right. No one should have to choose between buying food, medicine, or the health of their family. Yet we are forced to make those choices every day. We must ensure every American has health coverage and access to the highest quality healthcare.
- Rather than leading the world’s climate and energy policy, the U.S. has fallen behind not only our developed-world allies, but even rising powers such as China and Brazil. The Central Valley can become the leader of renewable energy for the country and leading the green Industrial Revolution and create the jobs of the future.
- In order to address the inequities in our communities, we must have suitable access to quality education. From early education through adult education, we must build and maintain an affordable, quality education system accessible to all residents.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about the healthcare reform and expanding access to care for every single American. Healthcare is an area of policy that affects all of us and can directly lead to improving our quality of life. I have lived without consistent healthcare and I have seen the impacts of lack of healthcare. We have all witnessed the meteoric rise to the cost of healthcare. The lack of access continue to drive individuals, families, and businesses past their breaking point all while insurance companies continue to gain billions of dollars in profits. We have had a healthcare system in this country that provided guaranteed health care for millions of seniors for more than 51 years, called Medicare. I believe it is past time we expand Medicare to include everyone in our health system. So that we can end [sic] health disparities. We can reign in out of control costs, guarantee that everyone has access too [sic] quality care and that no family in the US goes bankrupt because a family member got sick.
Ballotpedia provided information about Matt Stoll:
Matt Stoll (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. Stoll lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Stoll also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. Stoll lost in the special primary on April 5, 2022.
Matt Stoll lives in Visalia, California. Stoll served in the U.S. Navy. His career experience includes owning a business and working as a fighter pilot.
Matt Stoll completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
I am a small business owner of 20 years in Visalia, and a former Navy fighter pilot.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Keep America strong
- Fight for water
- Balance the Budget
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Balancing the budget and keeping America strong.
Ballotpedia provided information about Eric Garcia:
Eric Garcia (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the special primary on April 5, 2022.
Garcia also ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Garcia registered with the Democratic Party following the 2020 election. He previously ran as a candidate with no party preference.
Eric Garcia was born in Fresno, California. Garcia served in the United States Marine Corps from 2004 to 2012. He earned his B.S. from the University of Phoenix in 2017. Garcia’s career experience includes working as a therapist.
Eric Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Balloted provided information from Eric Garcia’s campaign website:
HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
With over 45,000 Californians lost to COVID-19 in under a year, defeating the devastating pandemic clearly must be Congress’s number one priority. First and foremost, the federal government must speed up the delivery of the vaccine in a fair manner, first to those most vulnerable.
Once we defeat the virus, we need to address our broken healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the inequities in our system and exposed what has been clear to many of us: healthcare should be a human right. But due to the endless profiteering in our system, healthcare is more expensive in America than anywhere else in the world.
That’s why Eric is a passionate supporter of Healthcare for All and will fight for its implementation in Congress to ensure that everyone can affordably access the care they need. Just like almost every democracies throughout the world, America must ensure cost is never a barrier for someone getting the treatment they need.
Additionally, Eric is committed to lowering skyrocketing prescription drug prices and boosting funding for mental health services as well as incentivizing medical healthcare providers to work in underserved and rural communities by an increased student loan forgiveness program.
ECONOMY
The economic ramifications of the pandemic have also put a spotlight on the devastating inequities in our economy.
At a time when millions of working and middle-class families throughout the country are struggling to put food on the table, and falling further behind on paying their bills, millionaires and billionaires have been getting richer and richer, aided by tax cuts and gigantic loans from the federal government.
This cannot continue. That’s why Eric is committed to building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
That starts with providing aid to the working families and small businesses that have been devastated over the course of the past year and are in dire need of help. In Congress, Eric will be committed to rebuilding and promoting small and new businesses, including tax credits for small businesses so they can pay fair wages and build for the future.
Additionally, we must past a comprehensive infrastructure package that provides desperately-needed funding to transportation, water, and energy projects in underserved communities like the 22nd District. To fund these programs, and restore equity in our tax system, we must also repeal the Trump tax hike on working and middle-class families, and raise taxes on the highest earners…
Ballotpedia provided information on Michael Maher:
Michael Maher (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 21st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Maher also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. He lost in the special primary on April 5, 2022.
Michael Maher was born in California. Maher has served in the U.S. Navy since 2020. His career experiences includes owning a business and working as an FBI special agent.
Michael Maher did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Michael Maher’s website:
“GROW OUR ECONOMY
DEFEND OUR WATER RIGHTS
REDUCE TAXES ON OUR FAMILIES
PRO-LIFE”
Ballotpedia provided information on Elizabeth Heng
Elizabeth Heng (Republican Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 22nd Congressional District. She lost in the primary on April 5, 2022.
Heng also ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent California. She did not appear on the ballot for the primary on June 7, 2022.
Elizabeth Heng was born in Fresno, California. Heng earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Yale University. Heng’s career experience includes working as the CEO of The New Internet, a deputy campaign manager to former U.S. House Representative Ed Royce, an event coordinator with the Republican National Committee, the chief of protocol and member outreach with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the director of congressional staff volunteers for former President Donald Trump’s (R) inauguration ceremony.
February 18: The Sun Gazette posted an article titled: “Former fighter pilot Stoll ready to fight for the Valley in Congress” From the article:
Retired Navy fighter pilot Matt Stoll said he wants to continue fighting for America but this time he’ll be doing it from the ground instead of in the air.
Stoll is among six candidates and four Republicans vying to serve out the rest of the year in the 22nd Congressional District, vacated by longtime Representative Devin Nunes in January, before new, redrawn districts take effect in December. An F-18 Hornet fighter pilot, Stoll retired from military service in 2019 after 20 years including flying 44 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stoll said he is pro-Trump yet pro-Choice and believes entrepreneurial innovation, a capitalist economy and hard work are the bedrocks of the country and things worth fighting to preserve.
“I’m here to battle for our Constitution, our way of life, champion the capitalist system, and protect our liberties,” Stoll said.
Stoll said he was not interested in running for election until the last few years of being a business owner employing 18 people. Stoll owns a property management business, Visalia Landscape and Tree Company, Inc., and runs a retail shop, Garden World, in Visalia.
“I often say that I have combat experience in the military, which is evidenced by my record, but I think the next combat experience I have is the most relevant an that is my war in the business community, because its is its own battle,” Stoll said.
He said California has some of the most stringent regulations on private businesses, a huge bureaucracy to enforce them, yet few people dedicated to helping businesses navigate the government to find answers to their questions and sees the same things happening at the federal level…
…Stoll understands finishing out Nunes term before new districts take effect doesn’t give him much time in Washington, possibly as little as two months, which is why he said he will also be running in the June 7 primary for the new 13th Congressional District in California. Stoll had not filed for the office as of press time, but the nomination period does not end until March 11. He says he wants to be part of a “red tsunami” of Republicans he thinks will be taking back the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm election this November…
March 14: GV Wire posted an article titled “These 6 Want to Replace Devin Nunes in Congress. Where do They Stand?” From the article:
This is Heng’s second run for Congress. She lost to Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, in 2018.
Heng, 37, grew up in Fresno and attended Sunnyside High School before earning degrees at Stanford and Yale. She worked as a congressional staffer in Washington, DC before returning home and launching The New Internet, a web browser geared toward privacy.
“I am a conservative, I’m a constitutionalist, but I’m very pragmatic,” said Heng. “At the end of the day, having anybody on far extremes, I think, is bad for the country. I think the majority of the population is in that 80 percent in the middle range and they just want to see things done for our government to begin functioning again,” she said.
“I’m fiscally conservative and I believe that all the policies that I will work on is moving the bar so that we can get work done for the Central Valley here, moving water policies, immigration bills, and then helping with our education system and alleviating kind of the challenges with our business climate.”
The daughter of Cambodian refugees, Heng believes in immigration reform.
“Both parties, I believe, have failed at creating an immigration policy that actually works. We need more agricultural workers here in the Valley and we need to increase H2-A visas. We need increase H1B visas for DACA children that are here in the United States. This is no fault of their own,” Heng said…
…Garcia Making Second Run
Eric Garcia, 34, is a Marine veteran who rose to the rank of sergeant. He previously ran for the CD 22 seat in 2020 but did not advance beyond the primary.
Garcia grew up in a farming family in the Central Valley. He is a trained therapist but said he is waiting until after election to start a practice.
“If I had to give myself any kind of label, I would say (I am a ) progressive (Democrat) because I have these ideas to make things better, I want to move forward. I don’t want to stay in the past or stay stagnant because once you’re stagnant in nature, you start to die, so you always have to evolve for the environment. Things change, so you have to change with them. Otherwise, you’ll be left, get left behind,” Garcia said.
GV Wire scheduled an interview with Maher, who later canceled, citing a scheduling conflict…
April 5: Ballotpedia posted the results of the Special nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 22:
- Connie Conway (R): 35.2% – 30,248 votes
- Lourin Hubbard (D): 19.4% – 16,636 votes
- Matt Stoll (R): 16.2% – 13,882 votes
- Eric Garcia (R): 14.4% – 12,401 votes
- Michael Maher (R): 8.7% – 7,466 votes
- Elizabeth Hung (R): 6.2% – 5,284 votes
June 2: Los Angeles Times posted an article titled: “Meet the young, ambitious Black man who wants Nunes’s old House Seat” From the article:
…Hubbard is competing in a special election runoff on June 7 to serve the remainder of Devin Nunes’s term, which ends in early January. The 33-year-old Democrat faces an uphill climb for several reasons, not least the tiny share of Black voters in a district that historically voted Republican.
Hubbard is also trailing the favored GOP candidate in fundraising. And he is trying to pull off a win where even seasoned Democratic politicians haven’t succeeded in more than two decades…
…”He definitely has the odds stacked against him,” said Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor at Fresno State University. “This is still a Republican-leaning district.”
Political analysts had predicted that someone with a familiar name would advance to the runoff with front-runner Connie Conway, a Republican endorsed by former President Trump. But Hubbard managed to place second in April’s special election, garnering 16,905 votes from Fresno and Tulare counties’ voters in the district…
…The California Democratic Party endorsed Hubbard in the spring election. But he said that the “conversation I had with the party after… confirmed there is no calvary that is coming.”
“I learned and I saw it early on [that state party officials] were busy fighting among themselves, that they couldn’t – they weren’t – going to help me,” the Fresno resident said.
He voted for Barack Obama that fall and in 2012, but didn’t officially become a Democrat until years later when, as he said, the state Department of Motor Vehicles prompted him to update his voter registration.
He voted for Barack Obama that fall and in 2012, but didn’t officially become a Democrat until years later when, as he said, the state Department of Motor Vehicles prompted him to update his voter registration.
The Washington Post posted “California 22nd District special election results” From the article:
According to The Washington Post: Republican Connie Conway and Democrat Lourin Hubbard are running to fill the congressional seat opened by former congressman Devin Nunes (R), who retired from Congress at the end of last year to join Trump Media and Technology Group. The district was eliminated in the redistricting process this year, so the winner will only serve for the remainder of Nunes’s term, which ends in January.
- Connie Conway: (Republican) 70,985 votes – 62.2%
- Lourin Hubbard: (Democrat) 43,297 votes – 37.8%
Rep. Connie Conway (R) was sworn into office on Tuesday, one week after she won a special election in California to finish out former Rep. Devin Nunes’s (R) term in the House.
Nunes, who was first elected to the House in 2002, announced in December that he was resigning from Congress to become the CEO of former President Trump’s new media and technology company, Trump Media & Technology Group. He officially departed the lower chamber in January.
Conway, who previously served as a county supervisor and the Republican leader of the California State Assembly, won the special election last week to represent the Golden State’s 22nd Congressional District. She bested Democrat Lourin Hubbard.
With an estimated 76% of votes counted, Conway led Hubbard by more than 20,000 votes, according to The Washington Post.
Democrats have an 11-seat majority in the House, 200-209.
Conway’s time in the House will be short, as she was elected to finish Nunes’s term. Under the new congressional lines, her current district will be split into neighboring areas, and the latest 22nd District will be heavily Democratic.
Conway has already decided she will not run for a full term, saying, “I’m term-limiting myself right from the start,” according to Roll Call.
In 2019, Trump chose Conway to serve as California executive director of the Farm Service Agency at the Department of Agriculture. In addition to working in politics and government, Conway was previously a businesswoman and was involved in the health care industry…
California’s 23rd Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 23rd Congressional District
California’s 23rd Congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is represented in the 118th United States Congress by Jay Obernolte.
Following the 2020 United States redistricting cycle, the district is anchored in San Bernardino County, and also includes parts of Kern and Los Angeles counties. It is mostly within the Mojave Desert. Cities in the new 23rd district include Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Twentynine Palms, Big Bear Lake, California City, Loma Linda, Yucaipa, southern Redlands, and small portions of Highland and San Bernardino.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 23rd congressional district is located in the region in the region of the state covering the Mojave Desert. It encompasses the majority of San Bernardino, and parts of Kern and Los Angeles Counties.
San Bernardino County is split between this district and the 25th district, the 28th district, the 33rd district, and the 40th district. The 23rd 28th and 33rd are partitioned by San Bernardino National Forest, Manzanita Rd, Highway 15, Cajon Blvd, W Kenwood Ave, Highway 215, W Meyers Rd, Ohio Ave, Pine Ave, Bailey act, Highway 206, Devils Canyon Rd, Cloudland Truck Trail, Cloudland Cutoff, Hill Dr, W 54th St, E Hill Dr, Bonita Vista Dr, Sterling Ave, Argyle Ave, E Marshall Blvd, Rockford Ave, Lynwood Dr, La Praix St, Orchid Dr, Denair Ave, Highland Ave, Orchard Rd, Arroyo Vista Dr, Church St, Greensport Rd, Florida St, Garnet St, Nice Ave, Crafton Ave, 5th Ave, Walnut St, 6th Ave, S Wabash Ave, E Citrus Ave, N Church St, Southern California Regional Rail A, Tennessee St, Highway 10, California St, E Washington St, and S Barton Rd.
The 23rd and 25th are partitioned by Power Line Rd, Telephone Pole Line Rd, Cadiz Rd, Arizona & California Rail, San Bernardino National Forest, East Mojave Heritage Trail, Sunflower Springs Spur, Sunflower Springs Rd, Needles Freeway, Mountain Springs Rd, Goffs Rd, and Walter Rd.
The 23rd district takes in the cities of Victorville, Barstow, Twentynine Palms, Adelanto, Yucaipa, Loma Linda and Apple Valley, as well as the town of Yucca Valley.
Kern County is split between this district and the 20th district. They are partitioned by the Mojave-Barstow Highway, Treescape Rd, Oak Creek Rd, Anajanette Avenue, 70th St W, Highway 58, Homer Hansen Private Rd, Aerospace Highway, Redrock Randsburgs Rd, Garlock Rd, Iron Canyon, and Union Pacific. The 23rd district takes in the city of California City.
Los Angeles County is split between this district, the 27th district and the 28th district. They are partitioned by the Angeles National Forest, Linda Mesa Rd, San Gabriel Mountains, Fort Teton Rd, 121st St E, 123rd St E, 126th St E, Highway N6, Highway 138, 136th St E, Longview Rd, E Avenue S, 140th St E, Avenue S, 140th St E, Avenue H, 120th St E. The 23rd district takes in the census-designated place Lake Los Angeles.
Ballotpedia posted information about Jay Obernolte
Jay Obernolte (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 8th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Obernolte (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 23rd Congressional District. He won the general election on November 8, 2022.
Jay Obernolte was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lives in Big Bear Lake, California. Obernolte graduated from Edison High School in 1988. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science from the California Institute of Technology in 1992, a masters degree in artificial intelligence from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1997, , and doctorate in public administration from California Baptist University in 2020.
Obernolte’s career experience includes owning a video game development studio and working as a video game developer. He served on the Big Bear California, airport board of directors.
Jay Obernolte did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Ballotpedia provided information from Obernolte’s 2014 campaign website:
Make Government Work
- Excerpt: “We need to stop funding programs that have outlived their usefulness and eliminate wasteful spending on projects that don’t deliver a return on investment.”
Bring Innovation To Government
- Excerpt: “I understand that there are functions only government can provide, but if we don’t bring innovation to government, we risk losing our ability to provide those functions, along with extinguishing the strong economy we need to pay for them.”
Return Local Control
- Excerpt: “I’m a strong believer in local control, and in Sacramento, I’ll fight to protect our local governments.”
Overcome Economic Challenges
- Excerpt: “I understand that greater regulation fundamentally threatens economic growth, and that if government plays a role in our economy — which it clearly does — we must reform our regulatory process.”
Ballotpedia posted information about Derek Marshall
Derek Marshall (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 23rd Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Derek Marshall was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Marshall earned bachelor’s and graduate degrees from American University in 2005 and 2006, respectively. His career experience includes working as a community organizer with the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, as a director of internationalization for web-based travel company Kayak, and in international relations.
Derek Marshall completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
Derek Marshall is an openly gay progressive Democrat, community organizer, and longtime LGBTQ+ rights activist. Marshall is the co-founder of a global research initiative supporting the United Nations, Making Commitments Mater, which developed a framework to hold countries accountable to the various UN conventions and resolutions to which they had committed. From there, he joined the online travel agency KAYAK as Director of Internationalization. Marshall has since leveraged his skills and experience in order to focus on community building and electing progressive candidates to public office. He has organized for many campaigns, most notably those of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Alex Morse. Marshall spent much of the 2020 cycle in Nevada as a staffer for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential bid. He currently resides in Victorville, CA, where his 2022 campaign is based.
Q: Please list below 3 messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Real Relief For Everyday People
- A Green New Deal To Empower Rural America
- Freedom & Justice For All
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
-Green New Deal – Medicare for All – Jobs Guarantee – Racial Justice – Housing Justice – Ending Homelessness – Ending the War on Drugs – Taxing the Rich
Ballotpedia provided information on Blanca Gomez
Blanca Gomez (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 23rd Congressional District. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Blanca Gomez was born in Orange County, California. Gomez earned an associates degree from Victor Valley Community College and a bachelor’s degree in English composition/applied linguistics. Her career experience includes working as an American Sign Language interpreter and as a teaching associate with California State University at San Bernardino. Gomez has been affiliated with Catholic Charities.
Blanca Gomez completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Here are some of the questions she answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m a former foster woman who got elected into a local municipal office in 2016 (city of Victorville) and a standing public servant working on her doctorate in public administration currently to provide accessibility to justice, transparency, accountability and equality to the political system on behalf of humanity. I have two adult children and a minor child working to create a better situation for the least disadvantaged in our real in all manners and fashion. Call or text me for questions at 760-912-3190 I’m currently attending California Baptist University for my post graduate degree in this political realm.
Blanca Gomez also translated the above paragraph into Spanish.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Homelessness and housing
- Job security and stability
- Educational access o [sic] our communities through partnerships and collaborations
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about equal access to justice and the transparency and accountability of public sectors to our systems in gov or more inclusion of our voters and taxpayers, stake holders, stake seekers, businesses, and other entities.
Blanca Gomez translated the above paragraph into Spanish.
March 7: CISON posted a press release titled: “Progressive Candidate Derek Marshall Official Files for Candidacy for California’s 23rd Congressional District”. From the press release:
The first time candidate feels energized looking ahead to the primary on June 7.
On Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Derek Marshall filed his candidacy to represent California’s new 23rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a political candidate who refuses to take money from special interest groups, Marshall feels motivated to work tirelessly for his constituents if elected.
“I’ve spoken to so many people in my community, and what’s been communicated to me is that we must fight for Medicare-for-All, a Green New Deal, and good-paying, local jobs right here in the Inland Empire,” says Marshall. “When voters see my name on the ballot, I hope they trust me to go to DC and fight for exactly that.”
Grassroots campaigning and small-dollar donations have pushed Marshall ahead of his fellow Democratic primary challengers, indicating that his progressive platform is resonating with citizens. He is currently the leading candidate to take on Republican incumbent Jay Obernolte come November.
“Unlike the incumbent, I won’t leave money on the table for my district. He voted against the INVEST in America Act, which would have provided federal aid to fix our highways and improve our infrastructure. Our district would have benefited from this bill,” Marshall says…
April 27: Yahoo! Finance posted a press release from CISON titled: “Democratic Challenger Derick Marshall Outraises Republican Incumbent in California Congressional Race” From the article:
The Progressive Candidate Raised Approximately $40,000 More than Jay Olbernote During This Fundraising Quarter
In California’s new 23rd District, Democratic challenger Derek Marshall has outraised Republican incumbent Jay Obernolthe in the first quarter of 2022. Marshall’s campaign raised about $137,000 while (R) Jay Obernolte’s campaign raised about $96,000. Small-dollar individual donations, with an average amount of $103, pushed Marshall ahead of Obernolte, who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress.
“I think it’s safe to say that voters have had enough of Jay Obernolte’s inaction on economic hardships, climate change, infrastructure improvements, and crushing medical and student debt in our district,” said Derek Marshall, the leading Democratic challenger. “The numbers show that the valley is ready for a new representative that will be a real voice for them in Washington.”
According to the Federal Election Commission, Obernolte has received $526,305 in donations to date since the start of January 2021. Marshall’s campaign is closing the gap, having raised $502,131.
Marshall has received endorsements from prominent organizations including:
- The California Democratic Party
- Progressive Turnout Project
- The SIX PAC
- Ground Game LA
- the Stonewall Democratic Club
- Desert Stonewall Democrats
- California High School Democrats, and
- PDA Antelope Valley
California’s new 23rd District, formerly CA-8, includes Victorville, Redlands, Twentynine Pines, among other communities. It stretches from the southern edge of Death Valley National Park in the north to Joshua Tree National Park in the south. The eastern boundary is the California / Nevada state line, and the west reaches the outskirts of the Inland Empire, up the hill from Los Angeles.
June 8: Victorville Daily Press (via Yahoo! News) posted an article titled: “Jay Obernolte’s November opponent still too close to call as votes are counted in House race” From the article:
Rep. Jay Obernolte will move on to the November general election, but his opponent in that race is too close to call.
But his two Democratic opponents, Derek Marshall and Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez, are separated by only 1,000 votes with only 48% of the votes counted at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The 23rd District was created after redistricting and covers most of San Bernardino County, along with parts of Kern and Los Angeles counties.
The district is one of seven right-leaning seats in California and is considered a “Solid R” district, according to the website FiveThirtyEight.com.
Obernolte, a Trump-backed Republican, is the incumbent congressman for California’s old 8th District, which was larger geographically and covered Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino counties.
He is a former state Assembly member and founder of a video game developer, FarSight Studios.
In response to Daily Press questions, Obernolte touted his business experience and 17 years in public service as to why he was the most qualified candidate.
“With our economy such a critical issue, we need leaders who understand the role government plays in either helping or hindering our prosperity,” he said.
If elected for a second term, Obernolte said he would lean toward increasing law enforcement resources at the California-Mexico border and help get control of “runaway inflation.”
If elected for a second term, Obernolte said he would lean toward increasing law enforcement resources at the California-Mexico border and help get control of “runaway inflation.”
He believes a background in working internationally has set him up to be a successful congressman.
“In my experience living and working amongst other countries across the world, all with less money than the US, I have seen how guaranteeing people health care, affordable housing, and removing the financial shackles of medical and student loan debt can lead to a happier and healthier community,” Marshall said.
“In my experience living and working amongst other countries across the world, all with less money than the US, I have seen how guaranteeing people health care, affordable housing, and removing the financial shackles of medical and student loan debt can lead to a happier and healthier community,” Marshall said.
“In my experience living and working amongst other countries across the world, all with less money than the US, I have seen how guaranteeing people health care, affordable housing, and removing the financial shackles of medical and student loan debt can lead to a happier and healthier community,” Marshall said.
Gomez did not return messages from the Daily Press about the race.
June 8: Daily News posted an article titled: “Election 2022: Here are updated results for the congressional races that include LA County” From the article:
There was no shortage of fascinating candidates and subplots in the 17 congressional races that involved Los Angeles County – either partly or wholly – during Tuesday’s statewide primary.
Here’s how those races for the U.S. House of Representatives shook out, as of 3:16 am. Wednesday, June 8, according to the California Secretary of State’s website:
District 23: Incumbent Rep. Jay Obernolte had about 59% of the vote in his bid to represent a new district that encompasses the desert between the Antelope Valley and the Nevada border (only grazing L.A. County). The Republican’s two Democratic challengers were closer to each other than to Obernolte. Community organizer Derek Marshall had about 22% and Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez had about 19%…
Ballotpedia provided information about the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 23
- Jay Obernolte (R): 60% – 56,432 votes
- Derek Marshall (D): 21.8% – 20,220 votes
- Blanca Gomez (D): 17.3% – 16,001 votes
July 6: The Press Enterprise (via MSN) posted an article titled: “Here’s who won the major San Bernadino County races in the June 7 primary” From the article”
…23rd District
When congressional district lines were redrawn in December, they looked especially good for sitting members of the House of Representatives in the Inland Empire.
They certainly looks to be true for Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Big Bear Lake. He picked up 60.9% of the vote in the June 7 primary, followed by Democrats Derek Marshall, who got 21.8% of the vote, and Blanca A. Gomez, who received 17.3% of the vote. He and Marshall will will face off in the Nov. 8 general election.
The district covers Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Big Bear City, Hesperia, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, Yucaipa, and Yucca Valley, parts of Colton, Highland Loma Linda, Redlands and San Bernardino…
Ballotpedia provided information for the U.S. House California District 23
- Jay Obernolte (R): 60.6% – 53,437 votes
- Derek Marshall (D): 39.4% – 34,687 votes
November 9: Victorville Daily Press (via Yahoo! News) posted an article titled: “Election results: Jay Obernolte leads race for California’s House seat; Lackey ahead in Assembly” From the article:
As expected, Jay Obernolte, a Republican and the High Desert’s current U.S. House of Representatives, is easily defeating Democratic challenger Derek Marshall in the newly drawn District 23.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Obernolte garnered 60.1% and led Marshall, a community organizer who formerly worked for several of his party’s campaigns, with 39.1%..
California’s 24th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 24th Congressional District
California’s 24th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. State of California. The district is currently represented by Salud Carbajal. It contains all of Santa Barbara County, most of San Luis Obispo County, and part of Ventura County. Cities in the district include Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Ojai.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 24th congressional district is located on the southern edge of the Central Coast. It encompasses Santa Barbara County, most of San Luis Obispo County and part of Ventura County. The district also takes in six of the Channel Islands.
San Luis Obispo County is split between this district and the 19th district. They are partitioned by Highway 1, Cayucos Creek Rd, Thunder Canyon Rd, Old Creek Rd, Santa Rita Rd, Tara Creek, Fuentes Rd, Highway 41, San Miguel Rd, Palo Verde Rd, Old Morro Rd, Los Osos Rd, San Rafael Rd, Atascadero Ave, San Antonio Rd, N Santa Margarita Rd, Santa Clara Rd, Rocky Canyon Truck Trail, Highway 229, Lion Ridge Rd, O’Donovan Rd, Highway 58, Calf Canyon Highway, La Panza Rd, Upton Canyon Rd, Camatta Creek Rd, San Juan Creek, and Bitterwater Rd. The 24th district takes in the cities of San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, and Grover Beach, as well as the census-designated places Nipomo and Los Osos.
Ventura County is split between this district and the 26th district. They are partitioned by Highway 150, Los Padres National Park, Highway 33, Cozy del, Cozy Oaji Rd, Shelf Road Trail, Gridley Rd, Thatcher Creek, Boardman Rd, Sulphur Mountain Rd, Canada Larga Rd, Highway 33, Shell Rd E, Manuel Canyon Rd, Aliso St, Willoughby Rd, Aliso Canyon Rd, Foothill Rd, N Wells Rd, Highway 126, Highway 118, Brown Barranca, Montgomery Ave, Telephone Rd, Ramlin Ave, Harmon Barranca, Johnson Dr, S Victoria Ave, Highway 101, E Harbor Blvd, and Olivias Park Dr. The 24th district takes in the city of Ventura.
Ballotpedia provided information about Salud Carbajal:
Salud Carbajal (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 24th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2017. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Carbajal (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 24th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the primary scheduled March 5, 2024.
Carbajal first one election to the seat in 2016 where he defeated Justin Fareed (R) by a vote of 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent. He defeated Fareed again in 2018 by a vote of 58.6 percent to 41.4 percent.
During the 2016 election cycle, Carbahal was one of 161 candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama.
Ballotpedia provided information on Brad Allen:
Brad Allen (Republican Party) rancor election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 24th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Brad Allen was born in New York, New York. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in 1976 and an M.D. from Chicago MedicalSchool in 1991. His career includes working as a pediatric heart surgeon and visiting adjunct clinical professor of surgery at the USC Keck School of Medicine.
Brad Allen completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I am a surgeon who has worked at major universities for 40 years, specializing in pediatric heart surgery. I am also a medical researcher with almost 100 scientific papers and 7 book chapters, a member of the medical honor society, won numerous teaching and research awards, and lectured all over the world. I have set up surgery centers, intensive care units, and research laboratories from scratch, so I know how to work with people to bring complex ideas to completion. I am a small business owner, so I understand the problems small businesses face, and how to fix them. I have spent my life solving complex problems using data and not politics to find solutions.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- As a pediatric heart surgeon, I’ve trained my entire life in the art and science of solving problems and helping people live better lives. This problem-solving approach is needed in Washington. Democratic politicians have worsened California’s daily lives in more ways than I can count. I want to work with leadership to bring common sense back to Congress. Instead of more politics, or a particularly ideology, I want to provide actual solutions to these problems by using the pragmatic problem-solving approach. I learned it as a doctor to improve American’s daily lives.
- Inflation is at a 40-year high, with surging gas, food and housing costs. Supply chain issues have led to shortages in just about everything. We have gone from energy independent, to begging other countries to produce more oil. The growing federal bureaucracy and is punishing small businesses. Congress just keeps printing money as though it has no consequences, but it does. It is one of the major causes of inflation, and it has increased the national debt to over $30 trillion. I want to restore financial sanity and stop spending money we don’t have by just printing more. As a small business owner I understand we need to cut the regulatory burden on small businesses to allow them to flourish and reduce supply chain issues.
- I will bring “real” life experience to Washington. The problem in Washington is not that we don’t have enough politicians, it’s that we have too many. I have spent my life explaining complex topics like pediatric heart surgery to people in simple terms so they could understand the problem, and what was needed to fix it. With so many problems facing our country, this is approach is needed. So if you have finally “had enough” of Washington as usual, then vote for someone who brings life experience and a pragmatic problem-solving approach to Washington instead of a bureaucrat.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
With so many problems facing our county, the list is almost endless. There’s Law Enforcement, Education, Immigration, Homelessness, and Healthcare just to name a few. And as a doctor I can’t sit by and watch these hurt so many people, when practical solutions are possible. I am passionate about helping people live better lives. That has been my live’s work.
But having worked as a doctor for 40years [sic] I am particularly passionate about healthcare. And having worked at major universities in the United States and Canada, as well as Veteran’s hospitals, I understand how healthcare works, and how it can be improved. We need real people to fix our healthcare, not politicians.
As a medical researcher I understand research. I understand the data and science of COVID and how best to manage this disease. Democrats one-size-fits-all approach to Covid-19 has failed miserably. They stopped following the science ages ago. Their reliance on lockdowns inflicted enormous economic and societal costs while providing little to no health benefit, and imposing them on children caused severe damage, including mental and social anguish. I can’t just let the politicians continue to mismanage Covid and healthcare.
Ballotpedia provided information about Michele Weslander Quaid:
Michele Weslander Quaid (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 24th Congressional District. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Michele Weslander Quaid was born in California. Quaid earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and engineering science from Seattle Pacific University in 1991 and a graduate degree in optics from the University of Rochester in 1994. Her career experience includes founding and working as the president of Sunesis Nexus. Quaid served on the board of directors in Providence, A Santa Barbara Christian School, and on the board of trustees of National Flight Academy.
Michele Weslander Quaid completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Here are some of the questions she answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: My run for Congress is a continuation of the oath of office I took 20 years ago.
Raised in Santa Barbara by a single mom with an income below the US-defined poverty level, I worked hard to get a good education and earn a better standard of living. After graduating as the valedictorian of my high school, I earned a B.S. in Physics and Engineering Science and a M.S. in Optics. This led to a 25-year national security career in the Washington D.C. area.
In 2002, I was recruited into government service to lead innovation and sworn in as a senior executive in defense intelligence. I voluntarily traveled to the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan to better support our troops and served as the first Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Director of National Intelligence. As a senior policymaker, I worked with Congress and successfully managed large offices and budgets. After government service, I became Google’s Chief Technology Officer for Public Sector and then started my own business, Sunesis Nexus. In 2016, I returned to Santa Barbara.
I appreciate our military and am the widow of a veteran who served our country honorably for over 22 years. Our daughter is an American patriot.
Having lived the American dream, I want to preserve it for future generations. In Congress, I will act with integrity, stand for truth and liberty, and use my expertise in executive leadership, strategic planning and coalition building to effectively represent California’s 24th District.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Individual Liberty, Equal Justice, Constitutionally Limited Government. The Declaration of Independence states that every human is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and a just government secures those rights. Our legal system follows natural law, which acknowledges individuals’ rights come from their Creator, not the government, and therefore no human authority can reduce these rights. There must be liberty and justice for all. Today, our government is operating outside of its legal authority as articulated in the U.S. Constitution. and trying to dictate every aspect of our lives. I will support legislation that maximizes the opportunity for people to thrive, and work to restore our constitutional republic.
- National Security, Secure Border, First Responders, Military, Veterans. America is an experiment in self-government where “We The People” are the sovereign. We elect people to represent us and they derive their power from our consent. The Preamble to the Constitution articulates the role of government, “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty.” A government’s first responsibility to its citizens, and a sovereign nation must have secure borders. I will put the interests of America and its citizens first and support those who serve on the front lines risking their lives for us at home and abroad.
- Fiscal Responsibility, Lower Taxes, Free Market Economy, Excellence in Education. Our government has not demonstrated fiscal responsibility and is over-taxing We The People to pay for its spending habits and engaging in crony capitalism in an attempt to control the economy. This has has disastrous results. The government is overspending and printing money, devaluing the dollar. Inflation has risen to a 40 year high (March 2022), impacting every aspect of our lives. We send large amounts on education but too many schools are failing our students. I will work to cut spending and taxes, lift unreasonable burdens for employers and employees to help our businesses to prosper, and ensure parents have school choice for their students to thrive.
Q: What areas of policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Our national debt is an economic issue, national security issue, and moral issue. The government’s lack of fiscal responsibility is burdening our children with a debt that cannot be repaid, harming their future and the sovereignty of our nation.
Our education system is failing our children. Instead of being taught the fundamentals – reading, writing, arithmetic, true American history, and citizenship – and how to learn, students are being told what to think and subjected to indoctrination with radical ideologies. We must preserve parental rights and ensure that each child receives an educational foundation that enables them to be lifelong learners and thrive.
Our military and first responders deserve our unwavering support. My husband was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor (glioblastoma) on his first day of retirement from the military. He qualified for maximum benefits but it was a constant battle with the Department of Veterans Affairs to get them to provide the benefits to which he was entitled and he died at age 47. Those who risk their lives for our freedom deserve the best care in their time of need.
We must be good stewards of the earth and apply common-sense environmental policies that enable sustainable agriculture and forest-management practices that protect our communities.
We need to return to being energy independent, with a combination of renewable energy and fossil fuels, for the good of American citizens and our national security.
Ballotpedia provided information on Jeff Frankenfield:
Jeff Frankenfield (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 24th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Jeff Frankenfield was born in Seattle, Washington, and lives in Santa Barbara, California. Frankenfield served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Washington in 1998. Frankenfield’s career experience includes working as the director of global accounts with OFS and a global account manager with Viavi Solutions.
Jeff Frankenfield completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: Jeff has served his country and community in some capacity for most of his adult life. His service to the country began in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a non-commissioned officer (NCO).
He began serving his local community as a police chaplain and continues to serve by volunteering his time coaching high school football. He believes there may be no bette way to improve our local communities, and our society, than to do everything we can to help our youth become successful adults.
Jeff graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is a current candidate for a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). For the past 23 years, Jeff has had a successful sales and management career in the telecommunications industry, and currently works with the world’s largest high-tech companies. Seeing firsthand how fast these companies move, and the creativity with which they problem-solve, inspires Jeff to bring these same characteristics to Congress. He also thrives in relationship building, strategic thinking, and effective negotiations, which are all skills desperately needed in Congress right now.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- A priority on government accountability. Congress has given authority and resources to federal agencies that impact American citizens, yet unlike Congress, these agencies do not have direct accountability to the people of this country, and that is a fundamental problem with bloated federal government. I want to see this changed.
- A priority on national security. I believe the federal government’s most important function is protecting the country from its enemies, both foreign and domestic, so that people in each of the 50 states can carve out their lives with the right and freedoms our country was founded on. It is paramount that our military can respond with overwhelming and incomparable force, and this ever-constant capability ensures the greatest level of peace for us as a country. We also need to ensure the latest technologies are being utilized to protect Americans on our own soil, which includes combating cyber-attacks, preventing acts of terrorism, managing border security, and protecting our power grid and water lines to name a few.
- I am committed to finding solutions that help take care of our citizens and our land. this includes a focus on good healthcare solutions, a better educational system, job opportunities with a healthier economy, affordable housing solutions, immigration reform and the protection of our natural environment…
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Energy and the Environment; Educational Reform; Economic Health; Government Accountability; Healthcare; Housing; Immigration Reform; National Security; Support for our Veterans
May 10: Santa Barbara Independent posted an article titled: “Three Challengers Take On Salud Carbajal for California’s 24th Congressional District” From the article:
California’s 24th Congressional District has four candidates facing off in the June 7 primary, with three challengers on the ballot attempting to unseat the incumbent Democrat Salud Carbajal, who first won the position in 2016 and was reelected every two years since…
…As a state representative, Carbajal has advocated for environmental legislation like the California Clean Costal Act, which bans future offshore oil and gas drilling along the coast, as well as sitting on a number of state committees on agriculture, armed services, transportation and infrastructure.
Republican Brad Allen is a pediatric heart surgeon who ran for the same position in 2014, where he finished fifth out of nine candidates with 7 percent of the vote. Allen does not have an updated campaign website for the 2022 election, but a YouTube video interview published on April 22, he describes his motivations for running again, saying he could no longer “sit on the sidelines” while the country’s “problems are piling up.” In 2014, Allen was a fierce critic of Obamacare, saying in a campaign statement at the time that “Congress needs more people who can bring professional experience to bear on complex issues, rather than career politicians who are out of touch with what people need.”
Independent Jeff Frankenfield is a “telecommunications and global accounts director,” who, according to a campaign statement, hopes to use his expertise in “relational negotiations” to “improve bipartisan cooperation within Congress.” His website addresses a number of issues, from inflation in the economy to “the environment, education reform, government accountability, healthcare, housing, immigration, national security, and support for not only our veterans but also our active duty personnel…
…Also running as an independent is Michele Weslander Quaid, who is listed on the ballot as an “entreprenur/coach/educator. Her website lists a lengthy background in defense intelligence, including an appointment as Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Director of National Intelligence.
Weslander Quaid represents the conservative-leaning spectrum of Independent political candidates who focus on issues like securing the borders, limiting the role of government, lowering taxes, and what she calls a “failing educational system,” which “indoctrinates youth.” She advocates for a turn back to “true American history” and away from “racial ideology.”…
Ballotpedia provided the results of the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 24:
- Salud Carbajal (D): 64.9% – 57,055 votes
- Brad Allen (R): 27.5% – 24,140 votes
- Michele Weslander Quaid (Independent): 6.2% – 5,437 votes
- Jeff Frankenfield (Independent): 1.4% – 1,229 votes
October 24: VC Star posted an article titled: “Election 2022: What you need to know about Rep. Salud Carbajal v. Dr. Brad Allen race for Congress”. From the article:
A three-term incumbent who prides himself on bipartisanship faces a celebrity-linked heart surgeon pushing for change in a redrawn congressional district that now includes more of Ventura County.
The 24th Congressional District was changed in redistricting to include less of San Luis Obispo County and gain 80,000 voters in Ventura and Ojai. Rep. Salud Carbajal, a Democrat who grew up in Oxnard, is vying to keep the seat against the challenge of Republican Dr. Brand Allen, married to actress Jacklyn Smith of “Charlie’s Angels” television fame.
Voters will decide who will represent them at the polls Nov. 8.
The candidates disagree on the battle to curb inflation, Roe v. Wade, the Jan. 6 hearings and nearly everything else. They concur the biggest divide is their background with Allen pointing at Carbajal’s nearly six years in Congress; 12 years serving on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors; and another 11 years working for Naomi Schwartz, the former county supervisor.
“I believe we keep electing the same type of person – the career politician,” Allen said. “My concern is they don’t solve problems. They only look at things one way.”
Carbajal said the “career politician” dig is an oft-used strategy by challengers without experience. If they succeed in winning the election, they almost invariably run for reelection, he said.
“They try to become what they malign others with,” he said, comparing his resume with Allen who has not held elected office. “I think the difference is that I have a record of effective accomplishments, a record of service, a record of working across the aisle.”
Carbajal is the front runner in a district where 46% of the registered voters as of early September were Democrats compared to 26% Republicans. Carbajal received 60% of the votes in the primary with Allen gaining 31% and advancing to the November election over two other challengers.
…”I (Allen) went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew my chances in this race were not good,” he said, asserting his campaign relies on convincing voters the path to change comes from his nearly 40 years practicing medicine where he identifies problems and solves them.
He’s a pediatric heart surgeon and also helps run a business line of skin care products named for his wife. They own homes in Los Angeles and Summerland.
Allen, 67, ran for Congress in the 24th District in 2014, pushing for changes to the Affordable Care Act. He finished fifth in a field of nine…
…”The debt’s like a national credit card,” he said, contending lawmakers try to solve problems by throwing money at them.
…Carbajal, 57, of Goleta, said the economic crisis was exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdown and the impact of Russia’s war with Ukraine on oil prices. He said inroads are being made through legislation that focuses on removing barriers from the supply chain, lowering prescription drugs costs and investing in businesses and industries…
…Carbajal comes from poverty. Born in the Guanajuato region of Mexico, he immigrated with his family to Arizona at age 5. His father worked in the mines, then as a farmworker after they moved into public housing in Oxnard. Carbajal spent summers working in the fields and graduated from Oxnard High School in 1983.
A former marine reserve, he won a seat on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in 2004. He has served in Congress since 2016, advocating for environmental protections and serving on several bipartisan caucuses…
November 9: The Tribune posted an article titled: “Salud Carbajal, Jimmy Panetta, win reelection to represent SLO County in Congress” From the article:
Two Democratic incumbents cruised to reelection to represent San Luis Obispo County in Congress, according to a final Election Night ballot count.
The Associated Press called both races after U.S. Rep Jimmy Panetta built a strong lead for District 19 and Congressman Salud Carbajal did the same in District 24.
The incumbents held onto their seats in their newly redrawn districts…
…SALUD CARBAJAL REELECTED IN DISTRICT 24
With 100% of precincts partially reporting as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Carbajal won the race with 60.7% of the vote, 21 points above challenger Dr. Brad Allen, who trailed with 39.3%.
“I’m feeling ecstatic,” Carbajal told The Tribune Thursday night. “I feel that the voters of the Central Coast are reaffirming the work I’ve done on their behalf.”
“I’m feeling ecstatic,” Carbajal told The Tribune Thursday night. “I feel that the voters of the Central Coast are reaffirming the work I’ve done on their behalf.”
“They want me to continue fighting for these things in Congress, and there’s a lot of work to be done,” Carbajal said…
November 10: VC Star (via Yahoo! News) posted an article titled: Election 2022: Carbajal wins fourth term in 24th Congressional District” From the article:
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal has won a fourth term in the race for the 24th Congressional District.
As of an update Thursday, Carabajal, D-Goleta, had 61% of the vote to 39% for Dr. Brad Allen, a Republican physician who owns a home in Summerland. Carbajal had 87,035 votes to 56,072 for the challenger.
The Associated Press called the race for Carbajal who declared victory Tuesday night.
“I am humbled to have again earned the confidence and support of Central Coast voters in today’s election, and I look forward to serving our communities in next Congress,” he said in a statement.
Allen conceded Wednesday morning.
“I am, of course, saddened by last night’s results,” he said in a written statement. “Being a pediatric heart surgeon, I still feel we need to start sending people with real life experience to Washington, instead of continuing to send career politicians who seem only to follow their party’s ideology.”
Carbajal, 57, prides himself on his advocacy for the environment and his efforts to work with Democrats and Republicans alike. He graduated from Oxnard High School and served on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors before running for Congress…
Ballotpedia provided the results of the General Election for U.S. House California District 24:
- Salud Carbajal (D): 60.7% – 84,506 votes
- Brad Allen (R): 39.3% – 54,682 votes
California’s 25th Congressional District
Wikipedia posted information about California’s 25th Congressional District:
California’s 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. State of California. The district is currently represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 25th congressional district is located in the Mojave Desert. It encompasses Imperial County, most of Riverside County, and the eastern edge of San Bernardino. The district covers the entirety of the Arizona-California border.
Riverside County is split between this district and the 41st district. They are partitioned by Terwillinger Rd, Bailey Rd, Candelaria, Elder Creek Rd, Bonny Ln, Tule Peak Rd, Eastgate Trail, Goldrush Rd, Rule Valley Rd, Laura Ln, Dove Dr, Lago Grande, Barbara Trail, Valley Dr, Foolish Pleasure Rd, Highway 371, Gelding Way, Puckit Dr, Indian Rd, Wellman Rd, El Toro Rd, Burnt Valley Rd, Cahuilla Rd, Highway 74, Bull Canyon Rd, Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Fred Waring Dr, Washington St, Highway 10, Davall Dr, Dinah Shore Dr, Plumley Rd, Gerald Ford Dr, E Ramon Rd, San Luis Rey Dr, San Joaquin Dr, Clubhouse View Dr, Mount San Jacinto State Park, Azelea Creek, Black Mountain Trail, Highway 243, North Folk San Jacinto River, Stetson Ave, Hemet St, Cornel St, Girard St, E Newport Rd, Domenigoni Parkway, Leon Rd, Grand Ave, State Highway 74, California Ave, W Devonshire Ave, Warren Rd, Ramona Expressway, San Jacinto River, Highway 79, Oak Valley Parkway, Champions Dr, Union St, Brookside Ave.
The 25th district takes in the cities of Coachella, Banning, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, San Jacinto, Hemet, Beaumont, and Blythe, as well as the census-designated places Valle Vista and East Hemet.
Ballotpedia provided information about Raul Ruiz:
Ruiz (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Ruiz graduated magna cum laude from UCLA. He earned three degrees from Harvard University – a Medical Doctorate, a Master’s in Public Policy and a Master’s in Public Health.
Raul Ruiz was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. Ruiz graduated from Coachella Valley High School in 1990. He earned a B.S. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1994, an M.D. and M.P.P. from Harvard University in 2007. Ruiz’s career experience includes working as a physician and an associate dean with the University of California at Riverside School of Medicine.
Raul Ruiz did not fill out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Raul Ruiz’s 2014 campaign website:
- Jobs and the Economy: “Reduce the deficit in a way that protects working families, retirees, and people who have lost their homes, jobs, and security during the last few years.
- Breaking Gridlock: “As an Emergency Room physician, I’m trained to focus on solving problems and getting things done. When a patient is in the emergency room, it doesn’t matter whether they’re a Democrat or Republican, or who gets credit for solving the problem; all that matters is fixing the problem. That’s the approach I’ll bring to Congress.”
- Education: “Prepare all our children for success by making college affordable, investing in preschool and vocational training, and fully funding after school programs.”
- Medicare and Social Security: “Always protect Social Security and Medicare from attempts to slash the guaranteed benefits California seniors have paid and planned on.”
- Standing Up For What’s Right: “The executive order to stop deporting young people who were brought here through no fault of their own is very important to me. Congress should stop playing politics and recognize that everyone has an interest in immigration reform.”
Ballotpedia provided information about Brian Hawkins:
Brian Hawkins (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Brian Hawkins was born in San Diego, California. Hawkins’ career experience includes working as a pastor. He has served as a councilman for San Jacinto, California.
Brian Hawkins completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m a Pastor, Father, Husband and a public servant. I’m currently elected to San Jacinto City Council. I have always had a people first approach to everything I have ever done. Im an unselfish person with a desire to get things done. I have advocated for human rights from my pulpit. Im a former felon who is endorsed by local law enforcement, sheriffs and District Attorney Mike Hestrin. My story of turning my life around is amazing. I’m a strong supporter of fixing the education system and making sure or [sic] children grow up in a safe environment. I believe we should finally address our nations immigration problems by building stronger borders with bigger doors. We should build bridges with nations that need our help. Every person who comes to America is a dreamer. People dream of a better life for their future generations. I will fight for every citizen to have equal access to the rights that our founding fathers believed we should have.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- I don’t care if you are liberal or conservative, you deserve to have your voice heard in Washington D.C.
- If we fix the educational system, we fix homelessness and mass incarceration. Knowledge is power and 75% of inmates are high school drop outs.
- People don’t know what they don’t know and we are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Fix education
Allocate money for small businesses
Provide better resources for our boarder [sic] patrol
change laws and make homeless a mental health crisis
provide an easier path way to citizenship.
every inmate that parole have a degree or trade (give access to FASFSA)
Fix allocation of welfare aide. fathers should be included in 50/50 working together to create health child environment.
Fix the crisis with the salton sea
Ballotpedia provided information on Brian Tyson:
Brian Tyson (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2020.
Brian Tyson was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Tyson’s career experience includes owning urgent care centers and working as an emergency room physician.
Brian Tyson did not fill out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Brian Tyson’s 2022 campaign website:
COVID & MANDATES
“Over the past two years, much of the American economy was essentially shutdown under the guise of “science.” It has been proven these lockdowns provided more harm than help, mandates did not work, and Washington’s suppression of proven COVID treatments based on partisan bias was simply wrong.
Dr. Tyson ignored Washington’s dysfunctional approach and instead provided early COVID treatments to over 10,000 patients with impeccable results. He knows its time to end the mandates, let doctors be doctors, and protect the fundamental relationship between the patient and their physician.
WATER
The Colorado River runs the length of the 25th congressional district and its importance to both farmers and residents cannot be understated. The Salton Sea sits in the middle of the District as well as poses a substantial health risk. With every year that passes, the exposed playa becomes increasingly harmful and a growing public health risk; this challenge must be met with a proactive approach that works toward ongoing mitigation efforts.
Dr. Tyson knows that water is the elixir of life. He will work tirelessly to protect water rights, ensure public health, and maintain access to fresh, clean water to always meet the needs of District farmers, and the agricultural industry.
PROMOTE AMERICAN JOBS
As Congress pushes trillions of dollars in new spending, debt ceiling suspensions, and a laundry list of middle-class tax hikes, we are seeing current leadership run amok. Inflation is above five percent, with free money flooding the economic system. Millions of Americans refuse to work, content with government handouts that undermine small business job creation.
Dr. Tyson will promote American job growth stopping endless handouts that are harmful, blocking wasteful and reckless spending to reduce our national debt and protect our economy and future generations…
Ballotpedia provided information on James Francis Gibson:
James Francis Gibson (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
James Francis Gibson was born in Oceanside, California. Gibson earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University at Chico in 1983. His career experience includes owning a manufacturing business and working as a farmer, a real estate developer, and a stock broker.
James Francis Gibson filled out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
I’m a Southern California native. My family is from Ohio. I went to Villa Park High and graduated with a degree in finance from Chico State. I was a stock broker, a banker, a farmer, a manufacturer, a real estate developer. A small business owner. A taxi driver. I was married. I have three children. I love people. I’m running for Congress. We have the greatest country in the world and I want to make it even better.
Q: Please list below 3 messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Get our Country back!
- Flat tax
- Term limits.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: National Debt. Water. Free Healthcare for Veterans. Term limits. Smaller less intrusive government. Farmers. Small and medium sized businesses. Homelessness/crime/Cure addiction. Freedom.
Ballotpedia provided information about Burt Thackur:
Burt Thakur (Republican Party) ran ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Burt Thacker was born in New Delhi. He served in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2006. His career experience includes working as an engineering project manager, a nuclear reactor operator for the U.S. Navy, and a power plant operator and manager.
Burt Thacker completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I am an immigrant, a U.S. Navy veteran and now, I am a project manager.
I was spurred into action, and decided to run for Congress, after witnessing the way in which our leaders take away freedoms while demonstrating obscene hypocrisy. Instead of working on ideas that advance our country, our world, and all of mankind, they instead, choose to be myopic and raise the political temperature to remain in power.
My intention is not to be a career politician – it is to be someone who solves major issues and then gets out of the way for someone new to take over.
Our office will do everything possible to suture the wounds of division. I will work diligently to pass bi-partisan ideas and reach across the aisle to help remind people that we serve the people – we are servant leaders, and we must put forth policies that benefit Americans, not just the individual parties.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- As opposed to just raising minimum wage, we must raise minimum skill.
- Let’s start debating the efficacy of solutions as opposed to the morality of issues.
- The only deficit I see is one if inertia, and together we will be the force to get the ball rolling.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
- Raising minimum skill. From trade schools to manufacturing to providing grants for STEM degrees,, we must prepare the next generation for an ever evolving technological world.
- The border/immigration. Shoring up the border with smart technology & drones. Call stations on the border for those fleeing traffickers as well as water. Signs which show the closest legal entry. A new visa for seasonal/migrant workers – we have an economy of illegal immigrants who are being used for effectively slave labor – forget politics for a second, this is inhumane.
- The Salton Sea & New + Alamo Rivers. Let’s end this ecological nightmare by action. Let’s build desalination plants, waste treatment, pipelines and geothermal power plants. Not only would this provide fresh water, but will create thousands of jobs, mitigate the ecological disaster and will give us access to 25-40% of the world’s supply of lithium.
- 40,000 Homeless veterans. Completely unacceptable. I will work hard to ensure we have rehabilitation as well as mental health counseling and job placement for veterans.
- Healthcare. Our district has a need for healthcare centers as well as specialists. In addition, getting funding for research for public hospitals. Affordable health care for not just acute but long term/ chronic conditions. Lower priced medication.
- Lowering the deficit and balancing the budget.
- Getting out of foreign wars.
- CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT
Ballotpedia provided information on Ceci Truman:
Ceci Truman (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Ceci Truman did not fill out Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection Survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Ceci Truman’s campaign website:
I am a pro-life, constitutional conservative who will fight!
America must return to being self reliant!
America is experiencing an inflation rise and paying more for gas at the pump. After promising many thousands of Keystone Pipeleine workers that they would not close, Biden in fact shut down all systems with a stroke of a pen, day one, in office! Instead of America being a self-reliant and an exporter of our own natural resources, we have been purchasing gas from Russia. Now that sanctions are being put in place against Russia, the Biden administration is reaching out to terrorist nations such as Venezuela and Iran, begging for them to supply us with oil. This is pathetic! I will legislate to re-open our Keystone Pipeline so that we will once again be energy self productive.
We Need Order At The Border!
An issue plaguing our nation is the open border policy under the current regime. I am a Mexican American who believes we need “Order At The Border!”. We need a LEGAL migration system (not an invasion), that will be enforced. The Biden administration will be lifting Title 42 this coming May. This not only jeopardizes America economically but is a national security crisis! It is incentivizing the cartels to take full control of our borders. Most of use are aware of the human smuggling and sex trafficking that is occurring at the border which is extremely disturbing. Children have been the prime target. Fentanyl is being funneled at unprecedented rates through these open borders and killing Americans by the thousands. These are travesties I will fight against!We are currently witnessing atrocious policies being implemented at our southern borders. As a result, an invasion (not a migration) is taking place of unvetted, illegal aliens. In addition, the current administration wants to reward those coming with unprecedented priveileges and benefits. This must end immediately!
Stop Critical Race Theory and The Sexualization Our Children!
I am a wife and mom on a mission, fighting against the vile and graphic material our children are being exposed to! I will fight against the indoctrination of CRT in our schools! We must put an end to this race devision and marxist ideologies!
We must fight for the innocent and defenseless!
We must fight for the unborn who cannot defend themselves. We are to be a shelter and protector of our children. We must put an end to these “Woke” and Marxist ideologies that are cancer in our communities and states. We must put God in the forefront of our nation once again and stop caving to these leftist, who are destroying this great country.
Ballotpedia provided information on Johnathan Reiss:
Jonathan Reiss (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Jonathan Reiss was born in New York, New York. Reiss earned a degree in government and international relations from Dartmouth College in 1978.
Jonathan Reiss completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Campaign Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: I’m running for Congress to make a difference in helping to restore and protect our fundamental core beliefs and principles that have made America such a great Country. This is a task I look forward to and I’m the most qualified person to accomplish that goal. For 25 years I have resided in our District. While earning an honors degree in both Government and International Relations from Darthmouth College, I studied in Europe, interned for a longtime Senator in Washington D.C., for the Federal Community Action Program in Hawaii, and at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Post graduate studies were in Media Production at New York University. We face major problems, from ineffective regulation, excessive often inappropriate taxes, to debilitating bottlenecks, all of which are getting worse with extreme political fighting in Congress. Spending accelerates in the face excessive waste, over inflation hurts everyone, parental rights are needlessly threatened, public safety dangerously compromised, our borders are chaotic instead of historically secure environments, and America’s international relations are more fragile than ever. Local business and jobs are not being sufficiently supported and our essential Constitutional freedoms are threatened on a daily basis.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Vote Jonathan Reiss US Congress 2022
- Let’s Move America Forward
- We can build a better future
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Most of them.
May 24: News Channel 3 posted an article titled: “Meet the Candidates in newly drawn 25th U.S. Congressional District” From the article:
…Sitting Congressman Raul Ruiz decided to run in District 25, which includes his hometown of Coachella. He is being challenged for the seat by six Republican candidates.
“There’s so much more that we need to do to help improve the lives of the people that I serve here in the desert,” Ruiz said.
San Jacinto councilmember Brian Hawkins is endorsed by the state GOP.
“People are watching the gas tank, people are wondering if their child is going to have a great future,” Hawkins said. “I’m more focused on things that can actually bring us together.”
Retired farmer James Gibson said he is closely watching California issues like the drought.
“Our state’s in trouble. We need water bad,” Gibson said. “I understand farmers; I watched my water bill quadruple in 202 years.”
Media consultant Jonathan Reiss said the newly drawn district lines reaching to the U.S. – Mexico border are renewing immigration as a critical issue for the region.
“I think its a question of how it’s going to be done in a way that’s most safe and effective for both the immigrants and the Americans that live in the district,” Reiss said.
Engineer Burt Thakur said he wants to increase skilled work in the district.
“Let’s incentivize S.T.E.M. degrees by the use of federal grants so we can get a next generation of entrepreneurs and scientists and engineers that are actually building infrastructure,” Thakur said.
After multiple attempts, News Channel 3 could not interview candidates Ceci Truman and Bryan Tyson for this story…
June 8: Desert Sun posted an article titled: “Ruiz has large lead over Republican challengers in 25th Congressional District primary race” From the article:
A longtime congressman – Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat who has represented the Coachella Valley since 2013 – has a large lead over the six Republicans seeking to challenge him in the primary race
While thousands of vote-by-mail ballots are still being counted in Riverside County, Ruiz has garnered 29,720 votes, or 60% of the total so far, according to preliminary results posted by the California Secretary of State’s office.
San Jacinto city councilmember Brian Hawkins, who was endorsed by the California GOP, is a distant second place, with 7,745 votes, or 15.6%. Brian Tyson, an El Centro physician, sits in third, with 5,489 votes, or 11.1%, while retired farmer James Gibson is in court, with 3,226 votes, or 6.5%…
…Results are not yet final, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. Approximately 150,000 vote-by-mail and 2,000 provisional ballots still must be processed. Ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day also remain to be counted. The updated results are expected at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The Secretary of State must certify results by July 15…
…”I am humbled by the incredible support this grassroots campaign has received from every corner of the district,” Ruiz said in a statement Tuesday night. “It’s a testament to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and I am grateful to everyone who cast a ballot. I look forward to continuing to fight every day on behalf of veterans, seniors, and working families.”…
…Incumbent Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, picked up 56.4% of the vote, followed by San Jacinto Council member Brian Hawkins, a Republican who picked up 16.4% of the vote. They will now advance to the Nov. 8 general election, leaving behind the rest of the all-Republican field, including Brian M. Tyson (14.5%), James Francis Gibson (6.2%), Burt Thacker (3%), Ceci Truman (1.9%) and Jonathan Reiss (1.6%).
Ruiz is on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s list of vulnerable Democratic members of Congress, so the race may potentially see a lot of spending – and ads – over the coming months.
The district covers Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, part of Hemet, Indio, Needles and San Jacinto.
Ballotpedia reported the results of the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 25:
- Raul Ruiz (D): 56.4% – 55,142 votes
- Brian Hawkins (R): 16.4% – 16,026 votes
- Brian Tyson (R): 14.4% – 14,126 votes
- James Francis Gibson (R): 6.2% – 6,040 votes
- Burt Thacker (R): 3.0% – 2,977 votes
- Ceci Truman (R): 1.9% – 1,844 votes
- Jonathan Reiss (R): 1.6% – 1,601 votes
November 3: (updated November 9) Desert Sun posted an article titled: “Election results: U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz defeats GOP challenger easily” From the article:
Democratic U.S. Rep Raul Ruiz was comfortably defeating a Republican challenger, holding a 14,000-vote lead. Vote counting was continuing, but The Associated Press declared Ruiz the winner Wednesday afternoon.
His margin over Brian Hawkins was 61% to 39%, with updated vote totals scheduled to be released later Wednesday by the registrars in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties…
…Ruiz will continue representing many Coachella Valley residents in Congress. But this time around, he had to convince many new voters. His opponent, Hawkins, is a San Jacinto city councilmember and pastor who defeated a crowded field of Republicans in the primary to advance to the general election…
…In an interview as the first results came in Tuesday, Ruiz said he was excited about the results in his race and nationwide, with Democrats faring better than expected.
“I think the initial prognosis of a lot of Democratic losses throughout the nation has not come to fruition,” he said. “A lot of tossup races are going toward Democrats.”
Ruiz also said he was looking forward to continuing bipartisan and “pragmatic” work to strengthen Medicare and Social Security; lower costs for basics like groceries and gas; and expand health care access.
Ruiz’s platform also includes more funding to protect the environment. His website highlights his vote to bar insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and a successful effort he led to provide benefits to veterans affected by burn pits.
Ruiz’s website also says he prioritizes women’s economic security and has fought for equal pay for equal work, expanding paid family leave and sick leave, and increasing affordable childcare.
Those priorities have little overlap with the six listed by Hawkins on his website, which include school safety and the border.
Hawkins wrote that he proposes automatic life sentences for anyone who “uses a gun in violence towards another human being.” He also says illegal immigration is harming the nation’s economy and fueling drug smuggling and human trafficking, so immigration agencies need to have “as much support and updated technology as possible.”…
Ballotpedia reported the results of the General election for U.S. House California District 25:
- Raul Ruiz (D): 60.6% – 42,622 votes
- Brian Hawkins (R): 39.4% – 27,687 votes
California’s 26th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 26th Congressional District:
California’s 26th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. State of California currently represented by Democrat Julia Brownley.
The district is located on the South Coast, comprising of most of Ventura County as well as a small portion of Los Angeles County. Cities in the district include Camarillo, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Moorpark, and part of Simi Valley. In 2022, the district lost Ojai and most of Ventura and added Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and the sparsely populated northern half of Ventura County.
From 2003 to 2013, the district spanned the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley from La Cañada Flintridge to Rancho Cucamonga. David Dreier, a Republican, represented the district during this period.
From 2003 to 2013, the district spanned the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley from La Cañada Flintridge to Rancho Cucamonga. David Dreier, a Republican, represented the district during this period.
Ballotpedia provided information about Julie Brownley
Julia Brownley (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 26th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2013. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Brownley (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 26th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
She was first elected to the seat in 2012. Brownley is a former member of the California State Assembly, representing District 41 from 2006 to 2012. Brownley was ineligible to run for re-election to the California State Assembly in 2012 due to term limits.
Brownley endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election…
…Brownley served on the Santa Monica-Malibu School Board from 1994-2006. She is a member of the California Commission on the Status of Women, Legislative Liaison for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and Legislative Participant in the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy State Allocation Board.
Ballotpedia provided information on Matt Jacobs:
Matt Jacobs (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 26th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Matt Jacobs lives in Westlake Village, California. Jacobs graduated from Thousand Oaks High School. He earned a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a law degree from New York University. Jacobs’ career experience includes working as a federal prosecutor.
Matt Jacobs completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: As the grandson of a World War II veteran and two Holocaust survivors who came to this country as refugees, Matt has always been deeply proud and grateful to be an American. That pride and gratitude led Matt to pursue a career as a federal prosecutor, where he investigated and prosecuted some of America’s worst enemies and most dangerous criminals – including al-Qaeda terrorists, child sex traffickers, mafia bosses, street gang members, opioid traffickers and many others. Born and raised in Ventura County, Matt graduated from local public schools and earned merit scholarships to UCLA and Princeton. Matt and his wife Julie are blessed to be the parents of three children. They live in Westlake Village, just miles from Matt’s childhood home in Thousand Oaks. Like his grandparents and so many others who’ve come to this country in search of freedom and opportunity, Matt is a passionate believer in the American Dream. In Congress, Matt will fight to make sure our neighborhoods are safe, our economy is strong, and all our schools are world-class so that everyone has the opportunity to make their American Dream a reality.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Safe Neighborhoods – Government’s first duty is to protect us. As a federal prosecutor, Matt worked tirelessly to keep our country and our community safe. In Congress, Matt will support law enforcement while fighting policies – like defunding the police – that make the people of Ventura County less safe.
- A Strong Economy that Rewards Hard Work – Prosperity means good jobs and high wages for the hardworking people of Ventura County. To achieve prosperity, we must lower taxes, reduce regulations, and end Big Government policies that hurt job creators, small businesses and the middle class. In Congress, Matt will fight to make America’s economy what it once was – the greatest engine of prosperity in human history.
- World-Class Education for Every Child – For America to remain the land of opportunity, every child must receive a world-class education. In Congress, Matt will support public school teachers – like his mother – who put children first, while embracing charter education and school choice, and fighting to end policies that trap our most vulnerable children in failing schools.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
A: As a federal prosecutor, Matt’s mission was to prosecute America’s enemies. In Congress, his mission will be to defend the American Dream. He’ll do that by standing up for fundamental American values, such as individual liberty, limited government, free enterprise, and equality of opportunity. And by championing commonsense policies that give everyone the opportunity to fulfill their potential — including policies that ensure that our neighborhoods are as safe as possible, that our economy is as strong as possible, and that every child receives a world-class education.
Ballotpedia provided information about Paul Nathan Taylor:
Paul Nathan Taylor (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 26th Congressional District. Taylor lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Paul Nathan Taylor was born and lives in Thousand Oaks, California. Taylor graduated from Westlake High School. He earned a B.A. in political science from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from Pepperdine University in 1998. Taylor’s career experience includes working as an attorney, a landlord, and a consultant.
Paul Nathan Taylor did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Paul Nathan Taylor’s campaign website:
Energy
- Increased Energy Independence
- Support of laws for clean air and water
- Support of clean alternative fuels, increased nuclear power, as well as fuels such as ethanol, as a way of helping the U.S. achieve energy independence.
Gasoline
- Repeal of taxes on Gasoline.
- Support the continued construction of the Keystone Pipeline; Which would connect the Athabasca oil sands in Canada to refineries in the United States.
Decrease Taxation
- Decrease taxation on the poor and middle class.
- Support of tax benefits to make health insurance more affordable.
- Decrease inflation by doing my part to vote against reckless government spending.
Healthcare
- Support of increased health insurance portability.
- Support of laws promoting coverage of pre-existing conditions
- Support of tax benefits to make health insurance more affordable for the uninsured and to promote universal access.
Education
- Support of funding for Pre-K Programs
- Opposed to critical race theory indoctrination of children
- Support of Student Loan Extensions
Basic Freedoms
- Support for freedom of the press and speech. Social platforms should support the Constitutional Right to free speech.
- Support of free and fair elections and voter identification to prevent fraud.
- Support Term Limits for Senate and Congress. Two terms for Senate and five terms for Congress.
Women’s Rights
- Governmental assistance to mothers with infants and dependent children.
- Equal pay and benefits to women.
- Support of better access to Child-care programs.
- Opposed to late term abortion and partial birth abortion.
Business
- Support all small businesses and start-ups.
- Free markets and individual achievement are the primary factors behind prosperity.
(You can read the rest on Ballotpedia.)
Ballotpedia provided information about David Goodman:
David Goodman (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 26th Congressional District. Goodman lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
David Goodman lives in Oxnard California. Goodman graduated from the Rio Mesa High School. He earned an MBA from the University of East London. Goodman’s career experience includes owning local businesses and working as a police officer with the Port Hueneme Police Department.
David Goodman did not fill out Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from David Goodman’s campaign website:
ELECTION INTEGRITY
As your Representative, I will fight to ensure the election process is fair, safe, and secure so that everybody can have confidence in the election process. If there is anything in the last two presidential elections have taught us, it is that Americans on both sides of the isle [sic] have lost faith in the process. I will use the full faith and power of my office to fight for election integrity, free of outside influence or tampering, so that we can get back to being the hallmark of democracy that we once were.
TERM LIMITS
As your Representative, I will fight for implementation of term limits of five terms (10 years) for members of Congress, and two terms (12 years) for members of the Senate. Our Founding Fathers never intended representatives of the people to morph into a life-long ruling class. Everybody knows that career politicians are a fundamental problem in Washington – yet no one is willing to set up anything about it. Until now. And if the House and Senate won’t follow my Term Limit program, then I will take it directly to the people in the form of a “Convention of States” (see article 4 of the U.S. Constitution). We Can do this, we Must do this and together, we Will do this!
LAW ENFORCEMENT
I have a thought…instead of defunding the police, how about we defund politicians, through term limits! Enough is Enough! I am sick of hearing the cries of the liberal left “Defund The Police!” Democrats like Julia Brownly have jumped on the Defund the police bandwagon and have carried the torch. Sadly, we have seen these effects of these actions in the form of skyrocketing crime rates and civil unrest.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Ronald Regan called it “Peace Through Strength,” One only has to watch the evening news any given day to see the negative effects of Biden’s lack of commitment to our armed forces. As the Biden administration softens on military strength to appease the extreme left, the world is starting to unravel as a result. Russia bullying their neighbors, Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, and the Fiasco associated withdrawal in and the surrender of military equipment to the Taliban in Afghanistan, not to mention the abandonment of American’s left behind. The United State’s Navy is the largest employer in Ventura County, and is the basis for our economic engine. While the trend of the current administration is to downsize our military, I will fight to keep our bases open, and in doing so, ensure continued employment by our largest employer.
2nd AMENDMENT
National crime statistics show, over and over that gun control creates more crime. The more restrictive the gun laws, the higher the crime rate. One only has to look at the violent crime rate in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Dayton, and D.C. Cities with the strictest gun control laws also have the highest homicide and other violent crime rates in the country. It’s the elephant in the room.
(You can read more from David Goodman’s website on Ballotpedia.)
Ballotpedia provided information on Fadde Mikhail:
Fadde Mikhail (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 26th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Fadde Mikhail was born in Los Angeles, California. Mikhail’s career experience includes working as an NFL sports and music agent at TopDawg Entertainment. He has been affiliated with the California Republican Assembly, the Oxnard Republican Federation, and the Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Simi Valley.
Fadde Mikhail completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
home for 19 years. In that time, I’ve seen poverty grow, education decline, the impacts of drought, and that state I love decay in a way that makes me very concerned – not only for my children – but for yours as well. I didn’t have much growing up, and as the son of immigrants, I’ve always felt a huge responsibility to honor my parents’ sacrifices by working hard, setting an example, and taking care of people. While the life I’ve built with my wife is comfortable, I’m not comforted by the issues affecting Americans today, and I wouldn’t be upholding my parents’ commitment to achieving the “American Dream” if I didn’t try to fix what’s broken. I’ve faced early criticism for having no political experience, but I have to ask, is America “better” with “professional politicians” at the helm? With the way things are going, we owe it to future generations to think very carefully about that.
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- School Choice and Education Reform – It is time that parents get to have a say in their child’s education. For far too long, education has been controlled by many of whom use our children as pawns on a chess board. California ranks 40th in the country in Education. In congress, I will push to implement Trade School Programs into the High School system. This will also bring more Federal Funding to our schools that will be appropriately be used on every child and not the “system.”
(NOTE: U.S. News reported that California is #20 in Education.)
- America First – Every person in the United States of America is here because the U.S. is the greatest country in the world. We should focus all our energy and resources on the people in the United States. We need to bring back manufacturing to America. We also need to once again be Energy independent. Buying foreign oil will continue to hinder every person at the Gas pump, until we stop buying buying [sic] oil abroad.
- I am a successful businessman, an NFL Sports agent, thats [sic] negotiated over $700 Million worth to contracts. Look at the landscape of our Federal Government, how can they relate to us? Have they ever ran a business? Have they ever worked a 9-5? Have they ever had to balance a checkbook? The answer is No. Government needs to be “By the people, For the people.”
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: Education, climate change (desalination), tax reform, small business, military and veterans issues, and initiatives that prioritize American interests.
March 11: VCDSA posted an article titled: “VCDSA ENDORSES MATT JACOBS FOR CONGRESS (CA-26)” From the endorsement:
VENTURA COUNTY NATIVE AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, JACOBS, IS PREPARED TO LEAD AND UNDERSTANDS THE LAW FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT WILL ELEVATE THE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR CIVILIANS AND POLICE ACROSS CA-26
With almost a decade worth of experience as a federal prosecutor removing some of the most dangerous criminals off the streets, the Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (VCDSA) Board of Directors asks Ventura constituents to take into consideration its recommendation of Matt Jacobs for Congress in the Primary Election on June 7, 2022.
Jacob’s support and demonstrated advocacy to law enforcement includes fighting policies that would pose a significant threat to the safety of Ventura County, which is an important consideration in the VCDSA endorsing him in the midterms this year.
Jacob’s support and demonstrated advocacy to law enforcement includes fighting policies that would pose a significant threat to the safety of Ventura County, which is an important consideration in the VCDSA endorsing him in the midterms this year.
“It is an honor for the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Board of Directors to announce our endorsement of the former federal prosecutor, Matt Jacobs for Congress (CA-26). Jacobs is adept at understanding the needs of our first responders and community in the form of policy and legislation, which can ultimately boost the public safety and quality of life for the people in Ventura County and beyond.” – Nick Odenath, Venture County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association President.
The Ventura County Sheriffs’ Association (VCDSA) is the recognized bargaining unit for approximately 775 sworn peace officers in Ventura County.
Odenath extends that the Board of Directors of VCDSA is proud to endorse Matt Jacobs for Congress in 2022 because of his passion for public service, commitment to fighting for a safe community, and his dedication to the citizens of Ventura County.
When Jacobs says that no one will work harder for CA-26 than him, we believe it, as he has kept his word on continuing to fight for a safer community and we serve his hometown of Ventura County…
May 4: Congresswoman Julia Brownley posted a press release titled: “Brownley Statement On Leaked Supreme Court Opinion” from the press release:
Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) released the following statement on media reports of a draft Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade:
“On Monday night, press sources obtained a leaked draft opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which appears to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
“While this draft decision is deeply alarming, it is very important to be clear: Right now, Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land. Abortion is legal.”
“Sadly, this leaked draft decision shows us what we already knew: the conservative, Republican-appointed Justices on the Supreme Court have once again shown their utter disregard for the rights of people who need abortions, and they are bowing down to the demands of extremists. If finalized, this court opinion overruling Roe would effectively allow states to ban access to safe and legal abortion entirely, as well as allowing Mississippi’s 15-week ban to go into effect.
“Decades of attacks have left abortion rights hanging by a thread in the United States. We have seen a flurry of bans in recent weeks, and anti-abortion state lawmakers are already trying to prohibit people from accessing abortion across state lines. These laws must be stopped.
“Anti-choice activists have made it clear they aren’t stopping with Roe – they’re committed to a future where abortion is outlawed in every state in the country, showing there is no limit to their cruel attempts to control people’s personal health care decisions.
The House has already taken action by voting to codify the right to abortion access into federal law. As a member of the Pro Choice Caucus, I am proud to have voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act, and I will continue fighting until every person – no matter where they live, no matter their socio-economic status, and no matter the circumstance – has the freedom to make their own decisions about their lives and futures.
“This issue could not be more urgent. The House has done its job and passed a bill to codify Roe into law. Now, the Senate needs to do its job and pass that same bill. The leaked opinion makes it clearer than ever that we cannot rely on the courts to protect our rights.
“Abortion bans affect everyone, but the impacts of this decision, whenever it comes, will fall hardest on people who already face discriminatory obstacles to health care – particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, and those having difficulty making ends meet.
Every American should be able to make the personal health care decisions that impacts their life, their health, and their future. We must – and we will – continue to fight to protect and expand abortion access across the United States.”
VC STAR posted: “What to know about candidates for 26th Congressional District seat”
Editor’s Note: This story is one in a series on the June 7 primary….
A Democrat who has represented Ventura County’s interest for more than a decade in Congress faces three challengers in a race targeted by Republican leaders.
Rep. Julia Brownley of Westlake Village is seeking re-election to the 26th Congressional District seat she first one in 2012.
Her challengers are Matt Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor and Westlake Village resident; Paul Nathan Taylor, a businessman who lives in Thousand Oaks; and Independent Dave Goodman of Oxnard, a retired law enforcement officer. Republican Fadde Mikhail, a sports agent rom [sic] Agoura Hills, has suspended his campaign, according to a representative.
The top two finishers in the June primary will face off in the November general election.
The district encompasses much of Venture County and a sliver of Los Angeles County. Redistricting has changed boundaries to include Simi Valley, where a majority of registered voters are Republican, while Ventura and Ojai are out. The changes added more Republicans to the district, but Democrats still make up 43% of the voters, compared with 29% for the GOP…
…The Star sent out questionnaires to the candidates. Here are their responses.
Julia Brownley
…What is your top priority and what are you committed to doing to make that happen?
If re-elected, I’ll work to make sure the new local VA clinic I worked to fund provides the world class care our veterans deserve; fight to lower gas prices and the cost of living for working families; make sure women veterans receive equity in benefits and care; and continue to support our community’s small businesses. I’m also proud that I’ve been able to fund close to $30 million in local priorities, including to reduce crime, provide cleaner water, and improve our priorities, including reduce crime, provide cleaner water, and improve our local infrastructure. I will continue to fight for resources for Ventura County’s priorities.
How does redistricting affect the 26th Congressional District race and what does it mean for your candidacy?
The new district includes 80% of my current district, so I’ll be doing much of the same work I’ve done to move Ventura County forward since I was first elected to Congress. With the inclusion of all Simi Valley and more of the Conejo Valley, I’ll certainly be working closely with local stakeholders to make sure I understand their priorities even better. I believe the values and priorities of my new district will be similar to those of my current district: improving the lives of families, seniors and veterans, and supporting small businesses.
What will you do to help bridge the partisan divide nationally and in Congress?
In Congress, I serve on two of the most bipartisan committees: the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Through that work, I’ve been able to improve the lives of millions of our nation’s veterans. I plan to continue to do the work necessary to pass meaningful legislation that will impact and improve the lives of the American people, and to do that, I’ll need to continue to work with my colleagues from both parties.
Dave Goodman
What is your top priority and what are you committed to doing to make that happen?
Day one, I will propose a constitutional amendment for term limits for members of the House and Senate. Should that fail, I will use the full power of my office to support a “Convention of States” (to bring term limits). Other pressing issues that I will immediately address include the homeless epidemic, immigration policy and runaway inflation.
How does redistricting affect the 26th Congressional District race and what does it mean for your candidacy?
Redistricting had very little effect on the 26th District.
Redistricting had very little effect on the 26th District.ridge the partisan divide nationally and in Congress?
As an independent candidate, without any loyalty to either political party, I am uniquely positioned to bridge the divide between both parties.
Matt Jacobs
What is your top priority and what are you committed to do to make this happen?
I’m running for Congress to make sure that everyone in Ventura County – and across the country – has the freedom and opportunity to make their American dream a reality. That requires supporting law enforcement so that our neighborhoods are as safe as possible; reining in out-of-control government spending that has led to rampant inflation and record-hight gas and food prices; and ensuring that every child has access to a world-class education where they’re taught how to think, not what to think.
Redistricting had very little effect on the 26th District.ridge the partisan divide nationally and in Congress?
Redistricting has made CA-26 highly competitive. In 2014, when Democrats held the presidency, CA-26 was a consensus “toss-up” seat and the Republican challenger lost by only 4,500 votes. Our polling, publicly released, shows a virtual tie on the generic ballot. In recognition of CA-26’s competitiveness, the National Republican Congressional Committee added CA-26 to its national target list and national prognosticators have moved CA-26 to more competitive footing.
What will you do to help bridge the partisan divide nationally and in Congress?
As a federal prosecutor, I devoted my career to serving our community and country. The values I believe in – like individual liberty and limited government, free enterprise and equality of opportunity – are American values, not partisan values. In Congress, I’ll work with anyone, regardless of party, who believes in those core values and who hold sacred, as I do, their oath to the Constitution. If we work together on this basis, America will remain that “shining city upon the hill” as President Reagan described it, a place where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their American Dream.
Paul Nathan Taylor
What is your top priority and what are you committed to doing to make that happen?
Lower gas prices by supporting of the continued construction of the Keystone pipeline, which would connect the Athabasca oil sands in Canada to refineries in the United States. Decrease inflation by doing my part to vote against reckless government spending.
How does redistricting affect the 26th Congressional District race and what does it mean for your candidacy?
It creates a more conservative district by including the city of Simi Valley, which includes more public safety officials and families.
What will you do to help bridge the partisan divide nationally and in Congress?
I am for the freedom of choosing a partisan that matches your personal values.
May 25: VC Reporter posted an article titled: “JUNE 7 SPOTLIGHT | Redistricting shakes up congressional races in Dist. 24, 26” Here is what was written about the 26th District:
Matt Jacobs of Thousand Oaks is a former federal prosecutor running for office for the first time, and believes the addition of Simi Valley to the 26th Congressional District gives him a realistic chance of defeating Brownley.
He described himself as a proud American who wants to give everyone the “freedom to realize their American dream,” and believes the country is moving in the wrong direction under Democratic leadership.
“I started to feel like our country was becoming more and more polarized, even tribalized, and that we were headed in the wrong direction. This district, in Ventura County in particular, is a very middle-of-the-road, common-sense place where we should have independent leadership that does what’s in the best interest of the country. And it’s a seat where someone like me, a common-sense, right-of-center person, can not only do well, but should win,” he said.
Jacobs said he feels like is message is resonating with voters.
“I’m focusing on issues that people in the community care about. I’m talking about inflation and record-high gas and food prices, safe neighborhoods and schools that teach kids how to think not what to think,” he said.
Goodman is a retired law enforcement officer from Oxnard running for office for the first time, who said he wants to see congressional term limits.
“I say that knowing full well that Congress is not going to implement term limits, but I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen,” he said.
Goodman said he’s been registered as a Democrat and Republican at various times in his life and recalls voting for Jimmy Carter. While he’s more recently worked for Republican candidates, Goodman said he’s disappointed in the party’s leadership.
“We need to get back to being loyal to our country ahead of being loyal to a political party and that’s why I have no party preference,” he said.
Taylor did not respond to interview requests by the Ventura County Reporter but his website says he supports repealing gasoline taxes and is opposed to “critical race theory indoctrination of children.”
Brownley said she’s proud of her congressional record on issues such as combatting global warming and securing federal funding to improve Ventura County’s water infrastructure and construction at the Port of Hueneme.
She said she’s especially proud of her work on behalf of veterans. “I think I’ve worked extremely hard to improve services for our veterans and certainly our veterans at home, especially for our women veterans. I created the Women Veterans Task Force.”
June 7: Ballotpedia provided the results for the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 26:
- Julia Brownley (D): 54.3% – 91,535 votes
- Matt Jacobs (R): 38.4% – 64,834 votes
- Paul Nathan Taylor (R): 3.3% – 5,612 votes
- David Goodman (Independent): 2.3% – 3,950 votes
- Fadde Mikhail (R): 1.6% – 2,775 votes
- Total votes: 168,707
October 23: VC Star posted an article titled: “Brownley, Jacobs square off in volatile race in the 26th Congressional District” From the article:
…In a fiery 26th Congressional District race where inflation, abortion, partisanship and the timing of public rebukes spawn bitter divide, even scheduling a debate creates, well, debate.
Republican Matt Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor who has outraged his opponent, has repeatedly challenged the five-term incumbent Julia Brownley to a series of live showdowns on the issues. He has called her out for her refusal.
“I think it’s indefensible. I think it’s incredibly undemocratic,” he said. “I think it’s incredibly insulting to voters.”
Brownley said it’s not true. The Democrat from Westlake Village who has built a reputation as an advocate for veterans, climate change and women’s rights said she agreed to an online debate scheduled for earlier this month by the League of Women Voters of Ventura County.
Jacobs said he turned it down because the virtual format allows candidates to receive off-camera coaching and is “not a real debate.”
Brownley said she turned down a live debate set for the same day as the league event, which was eventually canceled, and doesn’t plan to do other showdowns.
“Quite frankly, at the end of the day, I think the voters of the 26th District know my position on all of the issues,” she said. “… I didn’t need the debate. He might have needed the debate.”
Anything is fair game in a gloves-off race for a remapped district that now includes all of Simi Valley, where 37% of the voters are Republican and 35% are Democrats. Jacobs said the changed boundaries favor his campaign. The challenger had raised $2.26 million in the campaign as of the end of September, compared to Brownley’s $2.02 million – through the Democrat has far more money on hand with $2.8 million $592,000 for Jacobs.
Jacobs also cited endorsement from law enforcement unions and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“This is a jump ball race,” he said. “(Republican) polling shows we’re in a dead heat.”
Others challenge the assessment. Districtwide, 43% of the voters are Democrat and 29% are Republicans. National prognosticators, including Sabato’s Crystal Ball and FiveThirtyEight said Brownley remains the front runner…
…[Jacobs is] supported by Republicans, including House party leader Kevin McCarthy and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He characterized Brownley as “far left,” targeting a voting record that has consistently been in sync with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“We’ve been represented by someone who literally votes 100% of the time with her leadership,” he said.
Brownley’s endorsements include the California Labor Federation, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and the California Teacher’s Association. She characterizes herself as a moderate who votes for her district’s best interests. She said she votes in sync with party leaders because she shares many of their values.
“I think calling me a liberal is what he wants people to believe,” she said…
…As Jacobs targets her voting record, Brownley focused on Jacobs’ connections to McCarthy, Gingrich and others opposed to abortion rights. She contended the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade turned reproductive rights into a vital Election Day issue.
“If Republicans are in charge of the next Congress, one of the first acts of business will be to ban abortions nationally. Mark my words,” she said.
Jacobs said he would not vote for a federal abortion ban and also opposes efforts to enshrine Roe v. Wade in federal law.
He described the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as constitutionally sound. He declined to talk about his personal stance on abortion, noting the ruling changes the jurisdiction for decisions.
“It’s a state issue constitutionally,” he said. “It’s something for people to decide through state representatives.”
He said Brownley focuses on reproductive rights to “distract voters” from other issues, including inflation. Rising prices have spiraled out of control because Democrats didn’t acknowledge the economic crisis quickly enough, he said…
November 1: Julia Brownley posted a thread on Twitter:
“Matt Jacobs is a danger to reproductive freedom.” Below those words is a photo. Julia Brownley is in the center of the photo, with her arms crossed, looking out at the viewer. Behind her are six women, each of whom are holding bright pink signs that say “Planned Parenthood – Act No matter what. Planned Parenthood Action Fund”
“He supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and if he goes to Congress, Jacobs will strengthen the extremist anti-abortion leadership that is pursuing a nationwide ban on abortion – even in cases of rape, incest, and life and health of the woman.
“It is crucial that Californian’s support Rep. Brownley, who would continue to be a steadfast champion for reproductive rights if re-elected to the House” – Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
November 8: Ballotpedia provided the results for the General election for U.S. House California District 26
- Julia Brownley (D): 54.3% – 82,094 votes
- Matt Jacobs (R): 45.7% – 69,673 votes
- Total votes: 152,577
November 9: The New York Times posted California 26th Congressional District Election Results:
- Julia Brownley (Democrat): 134,575 votes – 54.5%
- Matt Jacobs (Republican): 112,214 votes – 45.5%
- Total reported: 246,798
November 10: Ventura County Star (Via MSN) posted an article titled: “Incumbent Brownley holds lead over Jacobs in 26th Congressional District” From the article:
Incumbent Julia Brownley held a nearly eight-point lead Wednesday over challenger Matt Jacobs in a nationally watched 26th Congressional District race that remained undecided.
Brownley, D-Westlake Village, had 53.9% of the vote. Jacobs, a Republican from Westlake Village, had 46.1%. Brownley gained 72,588 votes and Jacobs had 62,177. Elections officials are not saying how many votes remain to be counted but both campaigns speculated that the number is large.
An update from Ventura County elections officials is expected Thursday and one covering the small portion of Los Angeles County is expected Friday.
Brownley, 70, is vying for her sixth term in office. Jacobs, 38, is a former federal prosecutor making his first run for office.
The race was one of many singled out by both parties in the battle to gain a majority in the House. Prognosticators who once characterized the district as “solid Democrat” labeled it as “lean Democrat” amid a flurry of fundraising and reports of polling that showed a tight race – the first for Brownley since she beat Republican Jeff Gorell by less than three percentage points in 2014…
…Jacobs said he was not surprised by the initial returns consisting of mail-in ballots and early voters provided a lead for Brownley but predicted the gap will continue to narrow as in-person votes are tabulated.
“We could be in for a long process here,” he said. “I encourage patience, hard as that is.”
Brownley characterized her lead over Jacobs as “healthy.”
“I feel confident. I feel good. You know there are still more votes to be counted,” she said…
November 12: Julia Brownley posted “Brownley Statement on Election Victory” on Twitter
Thousand Oaks, CA – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley issued the following statement after national media outlets called the race for California’s 26th Congressional District in her favor.
“I am humbled and honored by the voters’ decision to elect me once again to represent our community in Congress. This was a race about values, about the economy and the economic prosperity of America’s working families, and about our future. I deeply understand that families are struggling with inflation, and I am determined to continue to support policies that will lower costs for my constituents. I will continue to support efforts to lower the cost of health care, child care, and education. I support investing in our nation’s economic resilience by prioritizing federal spending on strengthening the middle class, investing in a clean energy economy, strengthening our domestic manufacturing, rebuilding our infrastructure, and enacting the tax policies that lift up families and small businesses, while ensuring ultra-wealthy and massive corporations pay their fair share.
“While the Republican Party focused solely on inflation, with no plan to address it, they failed to understand that protecting a woman’s right to choose is not only a moral issue, but an economic one. Having politicians dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her own body is profoundly wrong. Extremists on the right also failed to understand that being able to plan when to have a family is the most profound economic decision a woman can make. While Republican politicians failed to understand this fundamental right, voters did not.
“Voters also resoundingly rejected the Republican Party’s approach to our current and future energy needs. While the United States is the world’s largest oil producer, we cannot drill our way out of an energy crisis. Our only path toward true energy security and energy independence from malign foreign oil producing nations, while taking the necessary action to combat the climate crisis, is creating a clean energy economy of the future. It is also one of the best opportunities to create high-paying energy-related jobs. I was proud to have played a part in the Democrats’ historic investments in a clean energy economy by passing the Inflation Reduction Act, and I will continue to fight for the resources and policies we need to succeed.
“Finally, I believe the voters resoundingly affirmed that we succeed as a nation when our democracy is at its strongest. Our economy, our security, and our future are all intertwined with the rule of law, free and fair elections, and the ideal of equality for all. While I hope Republican leaders, for the sake of our nation, change their course, I am pleased voters continue to participate in the democratic process and play a significant role in building ‘a more perfect union.’
I want to personally thank every voter for showing up to cast their vote. It is my greatest privilege to represent the people of California’s 26th Congressional District. I will continue to work to move our country forward and to do all that I can to improve the lives of all of my constituents and to ensure our community remains a safe, beautiful, and vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.”
November 15: Matt Jacobs posted his statement on Twitter:
Today, I called Julia Brownley to congratulate her on her victory after a hard-fought campaign. The election was fair, the result is legitimate, and I sincerely wish Congresswoman Brownley and her family all the best, both personally and as our representative in Congress.
As a Federal Prosecutor, I had the privilege of introducing myself to juries saying, “Ladies and gentleman, my name is Matt Jacobs, and I represent the United States of America.” That statement always filled me with tremendous pride, and I felt the same sense of pride campaigning over the past 22 months. Simply put, running for this Office was the honor of my lifetime.
Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for our incredible supporters, volunteers, staff and everyone else who believed in our campaign. Thank you for your tireless efforts and your devotion to our community and country. I am especially grateful for the support of my family and friends, particularly my superwoman wife Julie, whose many sacrifices over the past two years made it possible for me to put my heart and soul into this campaign.
My mission in running for Congress was simple: to make sure everyone in our community, and across the country, has the freedom and opportunity to make their American Dream a reality. We stood – and still stand – for safer neighborhoods, an economy that rewards hard work, and the very best schools for every child. I couldn’t be prouder of the positive, issue-based campaign we ran.
Although we came up short, I’m humbled by the tremendous support we received – including from so many Independents and Democrats who put country before party and embraced our commonsense agenda.
Nearly two years of campaigning has only served to reinforce my belief that the bonds that unite us as Americans are infinitely stronger than the differences that divide us. Don’t listen to the peddlers of anger and division who claim Americans with different political views are somehow fascists, communists, or extremists. Their voices may be loud, but they’re wrong.
The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in the goodness of our country and the greatness of our people. They know that the American Dream is alive and well, and that America remains the one indispensable nation on Earth. So, as we move past this midterm season, I encourage everyone not to focus on our differences. Instead, let’s unite behind our shared pride in America and our commitment to the principles and freedoms that this exceptional country has always stood for.
Thank you all, and God bless America.
November 17: VC Star | Ventura County Star (via Yahoo! News) posted an article titled: “Julia Brownley wins House race as lead grows to nearly double digits; Jacobs concedes” From the article:
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley has won a sixth term in Congress.
The Democrat from Westlake Village declared victory in her race on Saturday and Republican challenger Matt Jacobs conceded on Tuesday. Election updates two days later left Brownley with 54% of the votes to 46% for Jacobs.
Districtwide, Brownley received 117,609 votes as of the latest tally. Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor who lives in Westlake Village, had 100,018 votes.
“I am humbled and honored by the voters’ decision to elect me once again to represent our community in Congress,” she said in a victory statement issued Saturday after CNN, NBC, and ABC declared her the winner. Several hours later, the Associated Press also called Brownley the winner.
Election officials estimated about 79,000 votes are still to be processed across Ventura County though some are from outside of the district, which does not include Ventura or Ojai. It’s unclear how many ballots are still to be counted in the small part of the district in Los Angeles County.
In her victory statement and in her campaign, Brownley focused on abortion rights.
“While the Republican party focused solely on inflation with no plan to address it, they failed to understand that protecting a woman’s right to choose is not only a moral issue but an economic one,” she said…
…Redistricting brought all of more conservative Simi Valley into the 26th but Democrats still accounted for 43% of the registered voters across the district as of late October, compared to 28% for Republicans.
California’s 27th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 27th Congressional District
California’s 27th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by Republican Mike Garcia. It was one of 18 districts that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election while being won or held by a Republican 2022.
The district includes most of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale, and Lancaster, and parts of the northwestern San Fernando Valley in the city of Los Angeles. Prior to redistricting in 2022, the district was located in San Gabriel Valley.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 27th congressional district is located in Southern California. It encompasses most of northern Los Angeles County, including the cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster, and Palmdale, California; the neighborhoods of Porter Ranch and Granada Hills in the city of Los Angeles, along with the Sierra Pelona Mountains and the northern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Ballotpedia provided information about Mike Garcia:
Mike Garcia (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 27th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Mike Garcia was born in Granada Hills, California. Garcia graduated from Saugus High School in 1994. He earned a B.S. in political science from the United States Naval Academy in 1998 and an M.A. in national securities studies from Georgetown University in 1998. Garcia served in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2009 and the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2009 to 2012. Garcia’s career experience includes owning Rebecca Rollins Interiors and working as an executive with Raytheon Technologies.
Mike Garcia did not fill out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection for 2022. Ballotpedia provided information from their Candidate Connection that Mike Garcia filled out in 2019.
Q: Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
A: First-generation American citizen, Mike Garcia is a highly decorated United States Naval Officer whose record-setting flying performance earned the honor of becoming one of the first Super Hornet strike fighter pilots in the Navy. He flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Accruing over 1400 hours of operational flight time during his nearly 20 years of military service to our country, Garcia decided to separate from the US Navy with an Honorable Discharge to focus on his family. Garcia moved back to the 25th District in 2009 and began to work for the Raytheon Company.
During his now 10 years as an executive at Raytheon, Garcia has been responsible for the generation of billions of dollars of revenue and the creation of hundreds of jobs for his company and our district.
Garcia is the husband to Rebecca Garcia, the owner of the Rebecca Rollins Interiors in Santa Clarita, and the father of Preston (age 13) and Jeff (age 3).
Q: Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- Garcia will make it a priority to ensure our men and women in uniform have the necessary funding and tools necessary to keep America safe, and only send them into battle when it is absolutely necessary.
- Garcia supports term limits because it’s time to get rid of the career politicians in both parties. Washington, DC truly is a swamp, filled with career politicians who are more concerned with their next election than making tough decisions.
- Mike Garcia is a first-generation American citizen whose family came to the United States legally for more opportunity and for a shot at the American Dream. Garcia knows what’s at stake, and he’ll fight against Democrats’ dangerous socialist agenda and restore our country’s guiding principles, most importantly freedom, that he protected in his 20 years as a Naval Officer.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
A: National Security, Term Limits, National Debt, Taxes, Socialism, Economy & Jobs
Ballotpedia provided information about Christy Smith:
Christy Smith (Democratic Party) was a member of the California State Assembly, representing District 38. She assumed office on December 3, 2018. She left office on December 7, 2020.
Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 27th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Prior to serving in the legislature, Smith served two terms as a governing board member of the Newhall School District.
Smith received her bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA. Her professional experience includes working as an analyst at the U.S. Department of Education and founding the Valencia Valley Technological Foundation.
Christy Smith did not fill out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Christy Smith’s campaign website.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
Healthcare is a human right and while the Affordable Care Act was a tremendous step in that direction, Christy believes we need to do more to reduce costs, ensure that every American has access to affordable healthcare, and protect those with pre-existing conditions.
Additionally, Christy believes we need to have the same consumer protections in the healthcare system as we do in any consumer market, which includes transparency when it comes to the real cost of healthcare treatments. She will work to shed light on pricing that for too long has been negotiated in the dark.
Congress needs to do the work of controlling the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, including the rising costs of prescription drugs, only to pay more for them than people who live in Europe, Japan, and Canada. Cristy will also fight to protect Medicaid and Medicare, women’s reproductive healthcare rights, and funding for Planned Parenthood.
In the California State Assembly, Christy Smith:
- Secured $700,000 for the Free Clinic of Simi Valley
- Wrote and passed the bill to help community colleges recruit and retain nursing faculty
- Authored legislation to increase affordable access to mental health services, particularly in rural areas
- Defending reproductive freedom and expanding access to reproductive health services
During a historic pandemic, Christy was a leader in the State Assembly fighting for life-saving health and safety measures as well as economic assistance for struggling Californians…
IMPROVING PUBLIC EDUCATION & ENSURING SUCCESS FOR EVERY STUDENT
Christy believes that a great education levels the playing field and creates more opportunity for all of our young people. That’s why she has dedicated her career, particularly as a federal education policy expert and a member of her local school board, to improving schools and giving every student a fair chance through a world-class education, including:
- Ensuring charter school accountability and transparence by authoring and passing the first significant regulation on California’s charter school industry in 27 years.
- Chairing the successful Measure E Prop 39 bond campaign for the Newhall District, which provided $60 million in resources for faculty and technology upgrades
- Making school sexual harassment resources accessible on school campuses
- Expanding the California ScholarShare program to pay for expenses associated with college such as rent, textbooks and rent, expanding college affordability.
In Congress, she will work to support every student from preschool to grad school. Christy will work to invest in local public classrooms so that we can hire more teachers and reduce class sizes, and pay teachers livable middle class wages.
We must ensure students have options after K-12, without going into a lifetime of debt. Christy will work to increase the affordability and availability of options like job training, apprenticeships, technical school, and more affordable public colleges and universities.
DEFENDING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
With abortion rights under attack, Christy has been a steadfast defender of the right to choose, which is why she has a 100% scorecard from Planned Parenthood. She’ll push back against Republican efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade and end funding for Planned Parenthood, protect abortion rights in federal law, and protect the ability to buy contraceptives.
During Christy’s first pregnancy, she experienced eclampsia, and endured multiple seizures that threatened her life. When she became pregnant a second time, she had to make the tough decision to continue her pregnancy, knowing she may leave her daughter without a mother should complications occur. This experience solidified for Christy that no politician can make these private and difficult decisions for women and families. That’s why Christy will always defend access to reproductive care and protect safe, legal abortion…
Ballotpedia provided information about John Quaye Quartey:
John Quaye Quartey (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to Represent California’s 27th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Quartey received his bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and his masters degree in business management from Stanford University. His professional experience includes founding Safiyah Partners, an entrepreneurial investment firm. He served as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy.
John Quaye Quartey did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Ballotpedia provided information about Ruth Luevanos:
Ruth Luevanos (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 27th Congressional District. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Ruth Luevanos did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Ballotpedia provided information about Mark Pierce:
Mark Pierce (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 27th Congressional District. Pierce lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.Ballotpedia posted the results for the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 27:
June 8: Ballotpedia posted an article titled: “Garcia and Smith advance from top-two primary in CA-27” From the article:
Incumbent Mike Garcia (R) and Christy Smith (D) advanced from a seven-candidate top-two primary for California’s 27th Congressional District on June 7, 2022. Based on unofficial returns, Garcia received 49.6% of the vote and Smith received 35.4%. John Quaye Quartey (D) finished third with 5.9%. Garcia and Smith will run in the general election on November 8, 2022…
…Also running in the primary were Ruth Luevandos (D), Mark Pierce (R), David Rudnick (R), and Fepbrina Keivaulqe Autiameineire (I).
June 8: Ballotpedia reported the results of the Nonpartisan Primary election for District 27:
- Mike Garcia (R): 49.6% – 33,653 votes
- Christy Smith (D): 35.4% – 24,007 votes
- John Quaye Quartey (D): 5.9% – 4,037 votes
- Ruth Luevandos (D): 5.3% – 3,599 votes
- David Rudnick (R): 2.5% – 1,692 votes
- Mark Pierce (R): 1.3% – 913 votes
Orange County Register (via MSM) posted an article titled: “Notable midterm losses across Southern California” MSN did not post the date of this article. From the article:
Christy Smith in L.A. County
Four years ago, Democrat Christy Smith ousted Republican Assemblymember Dante Acosta in the Santa Clarita area.
One year and a vote-for-Assembly-Bill-5 later, Smith was in the running to fill the vacant congressional seat left by Congresswoman Katie Hill in 2019 after a sex scandal.
In what may have been a sign of things to come, I remember Smith’s fellow Democrats in the race, talk show host Cenk Uyghur and Aníbal Valdez-Ortega, complaining that Smith’s campaign was “big-timing” candidate forums and debates, acting like Smith was the walk-on favorite to win.
What also made that first run significant was its overlap with the very beginning of the world as we all knew it falling apart.
The special election was held on March 3, 2020, which led to a runoff between Smith and Republican Mike Garcia that May. In a political surprise, Garcia trounced, 54.9% to 45.1% in the runoff election.
Because it was a special election to fill out the term of Katie Hill, Garcia and Smith rematched again just a few months later, in November 2020. Garcia this time barely edged out Smith 169,638 votes to 169,305 votes.
Two years later and convinced it was all a COVID-era fluke, Smith ran once again against Garcia in a newly drawn district that gave Democrats an advantage.
What happened? As of this writing, Mike Garcia defeated Smith 53.3% to 46.7%.
Smith took to Twitter to complain, “Our campaign got next-to-zero outside resources to fight this battle. In fact, I was fighting the institutional power of my own party from the outset of this race.”…
September 27: Los Angeles Times posted an article titled: “Jan. 6 still has the power to shock. But will it move California voters?” From the article:
In a competitive Los Angeles-area congressional district, the campaign playbooks are well-defined. Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is relying on voter discontent about the economy. His Democratic challenger, Christy Smith, wants abortion rights to be the top of mind.
One issue, though, is far less prominent than many anticipated: Garcia’s vote to block the results of the 2020 presidential election. It was a perplexing move by the Santa Clarita Republican who had just won his swing district on a whisper-thin margin…
…In the battle over Garcia’s district, as well as in the national political landscape, the Capitol siege on Jan. 6 has been a minor subplot. There have been efforts – notably by President Biden and the congressional panel investigating the attack – to elevate it in the public’s consciousness as a do-or-die moment for democracy.
Still, there is little sign that the riot, along with the continued denialism about Donald Trump’s 2020 loss and the precarity of future elections, will mobilize people Still, there is little sign that the riot, along with the continued denialism about Donald Trump’s 2020 loss and the precarity of future elections, will mobilize people.
…Garcia was destined to be a top target for Democrats the moment he was sworn in for his first term. He had won the northern Los Angeles County seat the previous fall by just 333 votes, and his district grew less Republican after redistricting. His objection to the electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania gave is foes a line of attack.
The congressman, in a lengthy explanation of his actions, asserted his intention was not to overturn the 2020 election – although that would have been the result if the GOP’s efforts succeeded…
November 13: CBS News Los Angeles posted an article titled: “Mike Garcia declares victory in 27th congressional district race encompassing Santa Clarita, Lancaster” From the article:
Mike Garcia has declared victory Wednesday in the race for the 27th Congressional District seat that encompasses Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster and Granada Hills.
Garcia, the Republican incumbent in the newly configured district, defeated Democrat challenger Christy Smith for the second time in a row.
“The people of CA-27 have spoken, and I’m honored to be reelected to serve another two years in Congress,” Garcia said in a statement.
“To my family, my team, the voters and the volunteers who supported our campaign, I am humbled by your efforts that led to this massive victory, and I look forward to continuing to fight for you.”
Garcia won 57.58% of the vote as of Wednesday morning to Smith’s 42.42%. He had 65,545 votes to Smith’s 48,285.
“I applaud Christy Smith for jumping in the ring again. It was another effective and well-run campaign,” Garcia said…
…”To all the voters of CA-27: Thank you. It’s an honor to be your Congressman, and whether you voted for me or not, I’ll continue working every day to serve you and your interests in Washington D.C. and here in the district – fighting inflation, lowering costs, keeping California families safe, and ensuring the United States remains the greatest nation the world has ever seen,” Garcia said.
The race has not been called yet, as votes are still tallied for California.
Ballotpedia posted the results of the General Election for U.S. House California District 27:
- Mike Garcia (R): 54.2% – 89,550 votes
- Christy Smith (D): 45.8% – 75,704 votes
November 15: Business Insider posted an article titled: “Results: Rep. Mike Garcia defeats Democrat Christy Smith in California’s 27th Congressional District election” From the article:
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith for the third time in California’s 27th Congressional District.
Polls closed in the state at 8 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. EST.
…Garcia is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations. Prior to his time in Congress, he served in the US Navy for 14 years, flying over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom after graduating from the United States Naval Academy. In 2009, he went on to work for defense contractor Raytheon Technologies.
The former Navy pilot was first elected to office in a May 2020 special election after former Rep. Katie Hill resigned after reports of an inappropriate relationship with a congressional staffer.
The top-two finishers, Garcia and Smith, went on to a runoff, in which Garcia emerged victorious…
Smith, Garcia’s challenger, was a Department of Education policy analyst during the Clinton administration and a former California state assemblywoman. When Hill resigned, Smith received a number of prominent endorsements including those of Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom…
…According to Open Secrets, Garcia raised $6.6 million, spent $5.7 million, and had $1.2 million of cash on hand, as of October 18. His opponent, Smith, raised $3.5 million, spent $3 million, and had $624,978 of cash still left to spend, as of October 19…
November 16: Cal Today posted an article titled: “Democrat Christy Smith knows she’ll lose her congressional race. She blames her own party” From the article:
The race for a hotly contested Los Angeles-area congressional district had not been called, but Democrat Christy Smith sensed she would end up on the losing end. And she felt there was a clear reason why.
“Our campaign got next-to-zero outside resources to fight this battle. In fact, I was fighting the institutional power of my own party from the outset of this race,” Smith said in a scathing series of remarks on Twitter. With no help on the airwaves and little elsewhere from Democratic Party committees and PACs, “we didn’t stand a chance.”
Smith is no different from scores of other candidates who believe victory would’ve been theirs if not for stingy support from Washington. But her unusually blunt remarks Sunday highlighted the stark turn of events in the campaign for California’s 27th district – a contest in which Democrats were expected to mount an all-out effort to oust incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia after he barely eked out a win two years earlier.
“This is a massive screw-up on their end,” said political consultant Brandon Zavala, who ran Smith’s 2020 campaign but did not work on this year’s race. “We’re looking here at a Biden plus-12 [district] that we’re about to hand to Republicans.”…
…Smith, in an interview, said she lacked the money to tell voters about Garcia’s record, a message that she believes could have topped the race.
“Absolutely it would have made a difference,” Smith said, adding that as she was getting “hammered” on television by outside GOP groups. “There was plenty to communicate if we had the resources to communicate.
With the possibility that the district would be “the tipping point to hold the House,” Smith said on Twitter “the utter lack of investment made no sense.”…
…While Smith has not conceded, she acknowledges that her likelihood of overcoming Garcia’s lead is unlikely. She said in an interview that she felt it was important to speak out before the race is called…
November 16: Los Angeles Times (via Yahoo! Sports) posted an article titled: “GOP Rep. Mike Garcia wins northern L.A. County race, giving Republicans control of the House” From the article:
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia has won reelection to his northern Los Angeles County seat, dashing Democrats’ hopes they could reclaim a district where they had a sizable registration advantage. His win pushed Republicans to the majority in the next Congress.
Garcia defeated Christy Smith, a Democratic former state lawmaker whom he had bested in a 2020 special election race and again later that year, when he won by just 333 votes. The Associated Press called the race Wednesday, though official results will take longer.
“It will be an honor for me to represent you in the majority,” Garcia said in a written statement. “I look forward to delivering all forms of security for our district and our nation, whether you voted for me or not.”
Smith thanked donors and volunteers, and said on social media: “There is so much more work to be done to reach voters here who no longer see the value of their vote. I know that work will continue in the hands of very dedicated local Democrats.”
Going into the midterm cycle, California’s 27th Congressional District was a tantalizing pickup opportunity for Democrats. Republicans had represented the area, which includes the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita, for decades before the 2018 blue wave broke the GOP’s streak.
Though Garcia flipped the seat back to Republican control after the Democratic incumbent resigned, redistricting and changing demographics made the area appear friendlier for Democrats. The party has a double-digit registration advantage in the redrawn seat, which backed Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election race by 12 points.
Despite the Democratic tilt of the district, however, residents’ frustrations with climbing gas prices and the high cost of living gave Garcia the edge. He also touted his background as a Navy pilot, which resonates in this region with long ties to the military and aerospace industry.
Garcia, 46, puzzled many political observers when, on Jan. 6, 2021, he objected counting the electoral college votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, joining 146 other House Republicans. The vote occurred just hours after a mob of Trump’s supporters overran the U.S. Capitol and assaulted police officers in an attempt to block Biden’s win. While Garcia had plenty of company in the House GOP conference, few others were in competitive districts…
His allies spent more than $7 million on television and digital advertising, while Smith spent just shy of $1 million.
…Mark Gonzales, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, partially blamed redistricting under former President Donald Trump that pushed the 27th District southward.
“Considering the demographics of that area (a democratic stronghold) and the fact that Garcia won only by 333 votes (against Smith) in the last election, it was surprising,” Gonzales said. “If you look at voters from the last race, they are different, and feeling different today, than they did versus two years ago”…
…This district is the sole Republican-held congressional seat in L.A. County and a nail-biter that has attracted national attention because it had the potential to play a role in altering the current Democratic edge in the House, according to politicos…
Ballotpedia posted the results of the General Election for U.S. House California District 27:
- Mike Garcia (R): 54.2% – 89,550 votes
- Christy Smith (D): 45.8% – 75,704 votes
California’s 28th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 28th Congressional District:
California’s 28th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. sate of California, in Los Angeles County. The district is regarded as a Democratic stronghold and has been held by the Democratic Party since 2003 and is currently represented by Democrat Judy Chu.
Following redistricting ahead of the 2022 election cycle, the 18th district was relocated to the San Gabriel Valley.
Formerly, from 2003 to 2013, the district included about half of the San Fernando Valley, including North Hollywood, in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Due to redistricting after the 2010 United States Census, the district shifted east within Los Angeles County and includes portions of Burbank and Glendale.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 28th congressional district is located in Southern California. It encompasses most of north eastern Los Angeles County, and part of the eastern border of San Bernardino. A majority of the district is taken up by Angeles National Forest.
Los Angeles County is split between this district, the 23rd district, the 30th district, the 31st district, the 34th district, the 35th district and the 38th district. The 28th and 23rd are partitioned by Angeles National Forest and Juniper Hills Rd.
The 28th and 30th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, Big Tujunga Creek, Big Tukunga Canyon Rd, Silver Creek, Markridge Rd, Pennsylvania Ave, Northwoods Ln, Ramsdell Ave, Fairway Ave, La Crescenta Ave, Mayfield Ave, Rosemont Ave, Florencita Ave, Thompson Ct, Park Pl, Verdugo Blvd, La Tour Way, Descanso Gardens, Norham Pl, Wendover Rd, Linda Vista Ave, Oak Grove Dr, Yucca Ln, W Montana St, Vermont St, Forest Ave, Wyoming St, Lincoln Ave, Anderson Pl, Canada Pl, Highway 210, W Hammond St, Glen Ave, W Mountain St, Manzanita Ave, N Orange Grove Blvd, and Ventura Freeway.
The 28th and 31st are partitioned by Rio Hondo River, Garvey Ave, Highway 19, Highway 10, Eaton Wash, Temple City Blvd, Ellis Ln, Lower Azusa Rd, Grande Ave, Santa Anita Ave, Lynrose St, Flood Control Basin, Peck Rd, Randolph St, Cogswell Rd, Clark St, Durfree Ave, Santa Anita Wash, S 10th Ave, Jeffries Ave, Mayflower/Fairgreen Ave, N Bradoaks Ave, Angeles National Forest, W Fork Rd, Highway 39, Cedar Creek, Iron Fork, Glendora Mountain Rd, Morris Reservoir, W Sierra Madre Ave, N Lorraine Ave, E Foothill Blvd, E Carroll Ave, Steffen St, S Lorraine Ave, AT and SF Railway, E Route 66, N Cataract Ave, San Dimas Canyon Rd, Clayton Ct, Live Oak Canyon, Rotary Dr, Highway 30, Williams Ave, Highway 210, Garey Ave, and Summer Ave.
The 28th and 34th are partitioned by Colorado Blvd, Lantana Dr, Church St, Adelaide Pl, Highway 110, N Huntingdon Dr, S Winchester Ave, Valley Blvd, Laguna Channel, Highway 710, 1-10 Express Ln, Rollins Dr, Floral Dr, E Colonia, Belvedere Park, Highway 60, S Atlantic Blvd, and Pomona Blvd.
The 28th and 35th are partitioned by Towne Ave, Harrison Ave, Carnegie Ave, W Arrow Highway, Mountain Ave, and E American Ave.
The 28th and 38th are partitioned by E Pomona Blvd, Potero Grande Dr, Arroyo Dr, Hill Dr, Montebellow Blvd, N San Gabriel Blvd, and Walnut Grove Ave. The 28th takes in the north side of the cities of Glendora and Monrovia, the cities of Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Arcadia, Glendora, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Claremont, Temple City, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the census-designated place Altadena.
San Bernardino County is split between this district, the 23rd district, the 33rd district, and the 35th district. They are partitioned by San Bernardino National Forrest, Manzanita Rd, Highway 15, Cajon Blvd, W Kenwood Ave, Highway 215, W Meyers Rd, Ohio Ave, Pine Ave, Bailey Ct, Highway 206, Devils Canyon Rd, Cloudland Truck Trail, Cloudland Cutoff, Hill Dr, W 54th St, E Hill Dr, Bonita Vista Dr, Sterling Ave, Argyle Ave, E Marshall Blvd, Rockford Ave, Lynwood Dr, La Praix St, Orchid Dr, Denair Ave, Highland Ave, Orchard Rd, Arroyo Vista Dr, Church St, Greensport Rd, Florida St, Garnet St, Nice Ave, Crafton Ave, 5th Ave, Walnut St, 6th Ave, E Citrus Ave, N Church St, Southern California Regional Rail A, Tennessee St, Highway 10, California St, E Washington St, and S Barton Rd. The 28th district takes in the north side of the cities of Upland and Rancho Cucamonga.
Ballotpedia provided information about Judy Chu:
Judy Chu (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 28th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Chu (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 28th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Chu began her political career in the California State Assembly, where she served from 2001 to 2006. She represented California’s 32nd Congressional District from 2009 to 2013.
Judy Chu was born in Los Angeles, California. Chu earned a B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1974 and a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1979. Her career experience includes working as a professor with Los Angeles City College and East Los Angeles College. Chu served as the mayor of Monterey Park, California.
Judy Chu did not fill out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Ballotpedia provided information from Judy Chu’s website (from 2014):
- Jobs and the Economy
Excerpt: “Since being elected to Congress in the midst of one of the worst economic crises in our nation’s history, Judy Chu has maintained a laser-like focus on creating jobs, stimulating economic development and assisting small businesses not only to survive, but to thrive as we emerge from the Great Recession.”
- Healthcare
Excerpt: “Judy Chu is proud to cast her vote in favor of the historic Affordable Care Act, the most sweeping reform to our nation’s health care system since the passage of Medicare in the 1960s.”
- Education
Excerpt: “Having taught for twenty years in the Los Angeles Community College system before coming to Congress, Judy Chu knows firsthand about the challenge every schoolteacher faces while balancing quality education with shrinking budgets.”
- Transportation
Excerpt: “The San Gabriel Valley has six major freeways cutting through its geographical boundaries. And because of the area’s tremendous population growth, most of those freeways have reached their capacity and are jammed with commuters during peak hours.”
- Environment and Clean Energy
Excerpt: “Congresswoman Chu continues to fight to protect our environment by supporting clean-up efforts of our local air and water resources. She is standing up against attempts by the majority in Congress to undo the Clean Air and Water Acts, and is a big proponent of clean and renewable jobs.”
Ballotpedia provided information about Wes Hallman:
Wes Hallman (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 28th Congressional District. Hallman lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Wes Hallman did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection Survey. Ballotpedia provided information from Wes Hallman’s 2022 campaign website:
SECURING OUR NATION AND OUR COMMUNITIES
Just as a strong national defense is the foundation of our freedom and of our leadership in the world, establishing law and order in our communities is crucial to our prosperity.
RETURNING COMPETENCE TO GOVERNMENT
Excellence should be expected from all those who serve our institutions, including Congress. We need to return local control and real representation to Washington so we can unleash America’s and its people’s vast potential.
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
Seizing America’s opportunities for all should be our priority. When united, Americans are unstoppable. Our nation’s brightest days are ahead.
Ballotpedia provided information about Dorothy Caronna:
Dorothy Caronna (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to Represent California’s 28th Congressional District. Caronna lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Dorothy Caronna did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Ballotpedia provided information about Giuliano DePaolis:
Guiliano DePaolis (Independent) (also known as Gio) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 28th Congressional District. DePaolis lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Giuliano DePaolus’ career experience includes working as an IT specialist and a film and television editor.
Giuliano DePaolus did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia provided information from DePaolus’ campaign website.
1 Single Payer Medical Insurance
Over 72% of all Democrats, and over 50% of Republicans now support a single-payer health care option, and yet we have a government that refuses to entertain the idea, much less put it to a House vote, mainly due to the influence of Big-Pharma and the for-profit health insurance industry.
Since medical bankruptcy is the primary cause of homelessness in the U.S., solving the issue of the uninsured would resolve the key factor in the creation of the unhoused.
A Single Payer Option would offer an alternative to the profit health care system that, in the near future, will be financially untenable, and contribute to the collapse of the healthcare market.
2 Cannabis Legislation Reform
Since it’s legalization or decriminalization in 37 states and the District of Columbia, the cannabis industry has generated billions of dollars of revenue for state and local governments annually and provides millions of above-market employment opportunities.
However the Federal Government insists on classifying cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, claiming that it is more dangerous than Fentynal and Oxicotin, opioids that are responsible for hundreds of thousands of overdoses in the U.S.
This Schedule 1 classification excludes all cannabis industry profits from appropriate Federal Taxation, prohibits research into the possible medical benefits of cannabis, and prevents cannabis from being a viable alternative to the climate change issue.
3 “Common Sense” Climate Change
Speaking of climate change,
Bio-sequestration, and carbon capture are two technologies that can reduce and remove billions of tons of CO2 emissions from the environment annually.
And yes, the cannabis industry can play a vital role here as well. One hectare of cannabis can absorb 15 tons of CO2, and is carbon negative to produce. Hemp’s rapid growth makes it one of the fastest CO2-to -biomass conversion “technologies” available, more efficient than agro-forestry.
In Canada and Europe, governments are embracing cannabis as a cheap, and low-impact solution to reducing their carbon emission footprint. But, the current U.S. is focused on how to impose “Carbon Taxes” and wasteful “Climate Justice” initiatives.
No one asked for an $0.8 per mile usage tax.
4 Reduction in Military Spending Waste
It is my intent to introduce a bill that aims to reduce the cost of the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, by %03 per year over a period of 5 years. Our current bill for the defense of our nation stands at $777.7 billion.
As we spend more on defense than the next 10 global militaries combined, the focus of this legislation will be to eliminate waste in the military spending budgets, while seeking to maintain, or improve military capability.
Ballotpedia provided the results of the Nonpartisan Primary for U.S. House California District 28:
- Judy Chu (D): 66.5% – 38,701 votes
- Wes Hallman (R): 25.4% – 14,766 votes
- Dorothy Coronna (D): 6.2% – 3,631 votes
- Guiliano DePaolis (Independent): 1.8% – 1,059 votes
Wes Hallman posted the following on his About Us page of his “Make California Gold Again” website:
Make California Gold Again is about taking back the beautiful state of California and making it more beautiful than it has ever been before! Make California Gold Again is about redeeming every aspect of this state – spiritually, financially, educationally, socially – and turning it GOLD – prosperous & thriving!
Sarah Stephens ran for Governor in the recall election in 2021 and through the support of her husband Daniel, former police officer and veteran, the vision for Make California Gold Again was birthed! This couple has served together on the front lines for freedom and would give up anything for this Nation.
The Make California Gold Again website is specifically designed for the Californian, the patriot, who wants to take a stand for God & freedom and connect with others who believe the same! This site serves as a hub for patriots so they can connect with candidates, churches, businesses, non-profits, media outlets, communities and more!
Find your place at Make California Gold Again and become part of the MCGA family! Together we will Make California Gold Again! Let’s make history and turn California once again – into the most desired state in the Nation!
The New York Times stopped updating these forecasts at 4 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Nov 9, as the bulk of the remaining races will be decided by mail ballots that take days to count.
June 24: Politico posted an article titled: “Roe has fallen. Rep. Chu has a plan.” From the article:
The Recast: We’re speaking just hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, meaning there’s no longer constitutional protections to abortion in this country. What are your initial thoughts on this ruling?
Chu: It is outrageous!
This is a Supreme Court where the majority of the justices value guns more than women’s lives. They are making women second-class citizens in this country and they are setting women back 50 years.
This is just one step in the extremist Republican agenda. We know that their ultimate goal is to ban abortion across the United States. Already we know that 26 states are poised to quickly ban abortion. There are 13 states with trigger laws already.
That means 36 million women could soon lose abortion access. That means millions of women will immediately lose the ability to make decisions over their own bodies. And in fact, the decision will be taken away from them. And instead, it’ll be made by the Washington D.C. politicians like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
The Recast: This ruling did not surprise you, right? Because we have the draft opinion that came out more than a month ago. What does this mean moving forward as far as how Democrats can use this in the midterm elections?
Chu: I was outraged then, but I’m even more outraged now.
I think that it will immediately impact women who were raised in this country, always under the protection of Roe v. Wade – they’ve never know a life where they didn’t have access to abortion. And, suddenly, women will find themselves in a state where abortion is not allowed at all.
It will be a wake-up call. It will be a huge shock. And I think they will go to the ballot box…
…The Recast: As you alluded, this ruling now creates a patchwork of states that either still have abortion on the books or states that are moving to outlaw it. So your state of California will still have access to abortion, but Texas will not. What are the dangers of this patchwork system and how does this impact women of color?
Chu: Wealthy women will always have access to abortion.
Those who will be the most impacted are low-income women who may not have the money to travel across state lines or to take off work or to hire a babysitter. That is what I fear, that these women will not have the freedom to make decisions about their own future.
I do think though that there are states that are stepping up to the plate, my state certainly is. California is getting ready for an influx of women coming in. The Planned Parenthood in my area of the state just told me about a woman in Texas. She already has three children and she knew she could not have more at that particular time. The woman called around all states and found an open slot in my area, Pasadena, and just packed up her three kids and husband and drove 20 hours to California to get her abortion.
This is what we will hear repeated across the United States…
Ballotpedia provided the results of the General election for U.S. House California District 28:
- Judy Chu: (D): 63.2% – 74,398 votes
- Wes Hallman (R): 36.8% – 43,250 votes
June 30: NBC News posted an article titled: “Congresswoman who wrote abortion rights bill arrested at rally new Supreme Court”. From the article:
The House Democrat who introduced a bill last year to enshrine abortion rights into federal law was among more than 180 protesters who were arrested Thursday at a pro-abortion rights rally near the Supreme Court.
Rep. Judy Chu of California was participating in a civil disobedience rally on Capitol grounds, “where she was subsequently arrested alongside other activists,” her office said in a news release.
A spokesperson for Chu, describing the demonstration as a “sit-in,” said she was arrested around 1 p.m., adding that sh was the only member of Congress at the rally.
Chu tweeted: “The decision to march today was easy – I came out to march for the young rape survivor, the woman who cannot afford to travel to another state to access critical care, the mother with an ectopic pregnancy whose life is in danger. I came out to march for all of us.”
The tweet included the following message: “When I first heard Roe was overturned, I immediately thought of who would be most harmed by this decision: a young girl who is a survivor of rape, a woman who cannot afford to travel to another state to access critical care, an expecting mother with an ectopic pregnancy whose life is in danger because she cannot have an abortion. So, when I think of all these women – and more – the decision to join in a peaceful demonstration to make clear we will not allow the clock to be rolled back on abortion rights was was easy. We are in this together and we will not back down or be silenced. I am ramping up my calls to abolish the Senate filibuster – and actively exploring every option to ensure we pass my bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which establishes a federal right to abortion care, and have it signed into law. Lives are at stake and this fight is far from over.
According to NBC News, U.S. Capitol Police said on Twitter that they arrested 181 people for illegally blocking an intersection near the Capitol and the Supreme Court…
…Chu introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act in September after the Supreme Court allowed a new Texas law banning most abortions to remain in place…
…The House passed the bill in September in a 218-211 vote, with one Democrat joining all Republicans in opposing the measure. In a 46-48 Senate vote in February, the bill failed to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a Republican-led filibuster…
November 9: The Associated Press reported “Democrat Judy Chu wins reelection to U.S. House in California’s 28th Congressional District”.
California’s 29th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided the following information about California’s 29th Congressional District:
California’s 29th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in the north central San Fernando Valley. The district is represented by Democrat Tony Cárdenas.
It includes the city of San Fernando, as well as the Los Angeles communities of Van Nuys, Tacoma, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, and parts of Sun Valley and North Hollywood.
As of the 2020 redistricting, half of California’s 29th congressional district is within Los Angeles County, and half is in northern Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County is split between this district, the 27th district, the 30th district, and the 32nd district.
The 29th and 27th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, Soledad Canyon Road, Little Tujunga Canyon Rd, Santa Clara Truck Trail, Veterans Memorial Park, Golden State Freeway, Devonshire Street, Blue Creek, Chatsworth Street, Balboa Boulevard, Kingsbury Street, Genesta Avenue, Aliso Canyon Wash, and Ronald Reagan Freeway.
The 29th and 30th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, NF-4N35, Gold Creek Road, Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Little Tujunga Road, Longford Street, Clybourne Avenue, Foothill Freeway, Kagel Canyon Street, Osbourne Street, Terra Bell Street, Glennoaks Boulevard, Montague Street, San Fernando Road, Bradford Street, Tujunga Wash, Wentworth Street, Sheldon Street, Tuxford Street, Sunland Boulevard, Golden State Freeway, Cohasset Street, Sherman Way, Vineland Avenue, Southern Pacific Railroad, Ledge Avenue, West Clark Avenue, North Clybourne Avenue, and the Los Angeles River.
The 27th and 32nd are partitioned by San Diego Freeway, Roscoe Boulevard, Reseda Boulevard, Saticoy Street, Lull Street, Garden Grove Avenue, Valerio Street, Etiwanda Avenue, Gault Street, Victory Boulevard, Oxford Street, Hazeltine Avenue, Burbank Boulevard, Tujunga Wash, Ventura Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, Whipple Street, and Lankershim Boulevard.
The 27th district takes the city of San Fernando and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Vay Nuys, Panorama City, Sylmar, Valley Village, Sun Valley, westside North Hollywood. and central Lake Balboa.
Ballotpedia provided information about California’s 29th Congressional District:
California’s 29th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives is represented by Tony Cárdenas (D).
As of the 2020 Census, California represented an average of 761,091 residents, After the 2010 Census, each member represented 704,566 residents.
Ballotpedia provided the following information about Tony Cárdenas:
Tony Cárdenas (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 29th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 2013. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Cárdenas (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 29th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Cárdenas first won election to the seat in 2012. Prior to his service in the U.S. House, Cárdenas served in the California State Assembly from 1996 to 2002. He was then a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 2004 to 2012.
Cárdenas was mentioned during the wave of sexual assault and misconduct allegations in 2018. A lawsuit filed April 27, 2018, alleged that Cárdenas sexually abused a 16-year-old girl in 2007. Cárdenas denied the accusations, Ballotpedia reported.
Ballotpedia stated that Tony Cárdenas did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection Survey. He also did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection Survey.
Ballotpedia provided information from Tony Cárdenas’ 2016 campaign website:
- Creating Jobs in the Valley: “Congressman Tony Cárdenas is committed to finding ways to attract businesses to open up shop in the Valley and train our workforce for the next generation of jobs. He is working to find opportunities to bring more manufacturing jobs to the Valley.”
- Paying our Nation’s Bills: “Congressman Cárdenas believes in a balanced approach to our debt and deficit. This means investing in the middle class, making smart, targeted reductions in spending, closing tax loopholes and reducing subsidies to profitable industries.”
- Reforming Our Juvenile Justice System and Reducing Crime: “As a child growing up in Pacoma, Congressman Cárdenas saw firsthand the effects gangs have on our community. Having that background, he has made gang prevention and juvenile justice a top priority, with a proven track record of enacting legislation to keep kids safe,”
- Fair, Balanced Comprehensive Immigration Reform. “Our country has always been a nation of immigrants and the current system is in desperate need of reform. Eleven million people currently work and raise families in our communities without the possibility of one day becoming citizens of the United States. Now that bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate, we have finally begun to carve out a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and create common sense solutions to fix our broken immigration system.”
- Ensuring Access to Healthcare: “In 2019, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. This law, often called “Obamacare” is the strongest, most robust improvement made into our nation’s healthcare system since Medicare was passed in 1965. More than 40 million Americans will finally have the opportunity to purchase affordable health insurance coverage.”
Ballotpedia provided the following information about Angélica María Dueñas
Angélica María Dueñas (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 29th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Dueñas was elected as a member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee on March 3, 2020.
Dueñas previously ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 29th Congressional District. She lost in the primary election on June 5, 2018.
Cárdenas earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration from California State University at Los Angeles in 2007 and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Woodbury University in 2013. Dueñas’ career experience includes working as the Southern California campaign coordinator for Jill Stein’s presidential campaign, a human resource manager with Gravity Defyer, and a human resources specialist. She served as president and vice president of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council and a member of the Bernie Sanders Delegation to the 2016 and the 2020 Democratic National Conventions.
Angélica María Dueñas did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection survey. Angélica María Dueñas did fill out the May 20, 2018 Candidate Connection Survey.
Angélica María Dueñas did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection survey. Angélica María Dueñas did fill out the May 20, 2018 Candidate Connection Survey.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Ending All Wars Universal Healthcare
Tuition Free Education/Federal Education
Loan Forgiveness
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
Getting big money out of politics – Ending Citizens United. Addressing the homelessness issue – Universal Rent Control, Municipal Seizing of Bank Owned Homes and house homeless through HUD and Section 8.
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Angelica Dueñas answered the following:
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else that best describes your political philosophy?
She wrote out the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s song “We Had Enough”
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty, Integrity and a Strong Moral Compass.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To listen to the needs of their community and to write, champion and support legislation that addresses those needs. We need to be vocal and to be afraid to make a stand.
Ballotpedia provided information about Margarita Maria Carranza
Margarita Maria Carranza (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 29th Congressional District. Carranza lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Margarita Maria Carranza was born in Calexico, California. Carranza graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School. Her career experience includes working as an office manager.
Ballotpedia provided information about Andy Miranda
Andy Miranda (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 29th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Andy Miranda was born in North Hollywood, California. Miranda served in the U.S. Navy from 2004 to 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree from DeVry University in 2013.
Miranda completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022.
Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
I am Andy Miranda, the actual congressional candidate. If elected, every decision I make in congress will be decided by the voters of my district.
Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- No more government control, every decision I make will be decided on by the voters.
- No more waiting or begging elected leaders to make obvious changes or fixes.
- Any change that the people need and vote on will be implemented and not what your government tells you.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about supporting our local law enforcement and decreasing criminal activities and behaviors. I am passionate about getting rid of the homeless and cleaning up our streets so they’re safe for all of us. I am passionate about the law-abiding citizen’s and hard working tax payer’s rights and property and how they should always come before any criminal or vagrant, period!
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Jesus Christ.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Iraqi war, I was about 8 years old.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
K-Mart.
What is your favorite book? Why?
The Bible.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The ability to propose and make laws.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
No. In fact, the more government experience the more corrupt, generally speaking.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
China and our dependency on them.
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
Yes.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
Limits should be set.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The ability to propose and make laws.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
No. In fact, the more government experience the more corrupt, generally speaking.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Lauren Bobert, Matt Gaetz
Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?
Absolutely as it is for everything else in life.
Ballotpedia provided the following information about Rudy Melendez:
Rudy Melendez (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 28th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Ballotpedia posted the results of the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 29:
- Tony Cárdenas (D): 57.5% – 37,269 votes
- Angélica María Dueñas (D): 20.4% – 13,278 votes
- Margarita Maria Carranza (R): 9.0% – 5,879 votes
- Andy Miranda (R): 6.6% – 4,227 votes
- Rudy Melendez (R): 6.5% – 4,186 votes
May 26: The Valley Star News posted an article titled: “Angelica Dueñas is “ready to seize the moment in the San Fernando Valley” From the article:
More than a year after her campaign launched, former Valley College student Angelica Dueñas is confident about the road ahead as she prepares for the midterm election on June 7.
Running for U.S. Congress, Dueñas is looking to unseat Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), who has held office for almost a decade. California’s 29th District, the constituency that spans Sylmar to Van Nuys, is also home to Valley, where the grassroots challenger attended before transferring to California State University, Los Angeles. After losing in a tighter than expected race two years ago, Dueñas is ready for a different battle in bringing her people-powered campaign to Capitol Hill.
“Compared to 2020, things are looking great,” said Dueñas. “This year, it’s just Tony [Cárdenas] and I in the race with three republican candidates. With the top-two primary, thing are looking solid that it will be Tony and I once again in November. We’re ready to seize the moment in the San Fernando Valley.”
The 2020 election, which coincided with the presidential election that brought the highest turnout in American history, saw Rep. Cárdenas face his closest challenge since the district was established in 2010, as only 13 percent separated him from the mother of five…
…A delegate and volunteer for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, the former Monarch is not afraid to battle the status quo. Frustrated with what she explains as nepotism that has controlled the San Fernando’s political landscape for “too long,” Dueñas has taken action in her disappointment by running for higher office and has also performed in roles within her community, serving terms as both president and board member on the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council…
…Election Day is June 7, the top-two candidates in the primary for California’s 29th District will square off against each other on November 8, alongside the candidates for the other seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ballotpedia posted the results of the General Election for U.S. House California District 29:
- Tony Cárdenas (D): 62.0% – 38,034 votes
- Angélica María Dueñas (D): 38.0% – 23.281 votes
California’s 30th Congressional District
Wikipedia provided information about California’s 30th Congressional District
California’s 30th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The 30th district takes in the Linda Vista neighborhood of Pasadena, and the Los Angeles area communities of Tujunga, Burbank, Glendale, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Edendale, Park La Brea, Hancock Park, and westside Echo Park. The district is currently represented by Democrat Adam Schiff.
As of the 2020 redistricting, California’s 30th congressional district is located in Southern California. Two sections of the district are within Los Angeles County, and the other two sections cover parts of northern Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County is split between this district, the 27th district, the 28th district, the 32nd district, the 34th district, the 36th district, and the 37th district. The 30th and 27th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, B.P. and L Rd, Mt Emma Rd, BPL Rd, Angeles Forest Highway, NF-3N17, Moody Canyon, NF-4N53, Soledad Canyon Rd, Indian Canyon Rd, and Santa Clarita Divide Dr.
The 30th and 28th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, Big Tujunga Creek, Big Tujunga Canyon Rd., Silver Creek, Markridge Rd, Pennsylvania Ave, Northwoods Ln, Ramsdell Ave, Descanto Gardens, Norham Pl, Wendover Rd, Linda Vista Ave, Oak Grove Dr, Yucca Ln, W Montana St, Vermont St, Forest Ave, Wyoming St, Lincoln Ave, Anderson Pl, Canada Pl, Highway 210, W Hammond St, Glen Ave, W Mountain St, Manzanita Ave, N Orange Grove Blvd, and Ventura Freeway.
The 30th and 29th are partitioned by Angeles National Forest, NF-4N35, Gold Creek Rd, Big Tujunga Canyon Rd, Little Tujunga Rd, Longford St, Clybourne Ave, Foothill Freeway, Kagel Canyon St, Osborne Street, Terra Bella St, Glenoaks Blvd, Montague St, San Fernando Rd, Branford St, Tujunga Wash, Wentworth St, Sheldon St, Tuxford St, Sunland Blvd, Golden State Freeway, Cohasset St, Sherman Way, Vineland Ave, Southern Pacific Railroad, Ledge Ave, W Clark Ave, N Clybourn Ave, and the Los Angeles River.
The 30th and 32nd are partitioned by Lankershim Blvd, Fredonia Dr, Cahuenga Blvd W, Broadlawn Dr, Multiview Dr, Mulholland Dr, Laurel Canyon Blvd, W Sunset Blvd, Ozeta Tea, and Doheny Rd.
The 30th and the 32nd are partitioned by Lankershim Blvd, Fredonia Dr, Cahuenga Blvd W, Broadlawn Dr, Multivuew Dr, Mulholland Dr, Laurel Canyon Blvd, N Western Ave, Melrose Ave, Hollywood Freeway, Douglas St, Lilac Ter, N Boylston St, Academy Rd, Pasadena Freeway, Highway 5, Duvall St, Blake Ave, Fernleaf St, Crystal St, Blake Ave, Meadowvale Ave, Los Angeles, Benedict St, N Coolidge Ave, Glendale Freeway, Roswell St, Delay Dr, Fletcher Dr, Southern Pacific Railroad, S Glendale Ave, Vista Superba Dr, Verdugo Rd, Plumas St, Carr Park, Harvey Dr, and Eagle Rock Hillside Park.
The 30th, 36th, and 37th are partitioned by Phyllis Ave, N Doheny Dr, N Oakhurst Dr, Burton Way, N Robertson Blvd, 8733 Clifton Way-201 S Le Doux Rd, N San Vicente Blvd, La Cienga Park, W Olympic Blvd, San Vicente Blvd, S Cochran Ave, Edgewood Pl, S Cloverdale Ave, S La Brea Ave, and S Sycamore Ave.
Ballotpedia provided information about Adam Schiff:
Adam Schiff (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 30th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Schiff (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent California. He declared candidacy tor the primary scheduled on March 5, 2024.
Schiff represented California’s 29th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2003 to 2013 and California’s 27th Congressional District from 2001 to 2003.
Prior to his career in the U.S. House, Schiff served in the California State Senate from 1996 to 2001.
In the 2018 general election, Schiff defeated Johnny Nalbandian (R) by a vote of 78.4 percent to 21.6 percent.
Schiff was considered a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Barbara Boxer in 2016. However, he announced on May 12, 2015, that he would stay out of the race.
Schiff endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Ballotpedia provided information about Maebe A. Girl:
Maebe A. Girl (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 5, 2024.
Ballotpedia provided information about Ronda Kennedy:
Ronda Kennedy (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Nevada. She declared her candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on June 11, 2024.
Kennedy earned a B.A. in political science and government and a master’s degree in public administration from Ashford University. She also earned a J.D. from the American Heritage University School of Law. He professional experience includes working a an attorney.
Ballotpedia provided information on Patrick Gipson:
Patrick Gipson (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. Gipson declared his candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 5, 2024.
Ballotpedia provided information on Johnny Nalandian:
Johnny Nalbandian (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Nalbandian was a Republican candidate to represent California’s 28th Congressional District in 2018. He lost the general election on November 6, 2018.
Ballotpedia provided information on Paloma Zuniga:
Paloma Zuniga (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. She lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Ballotpedia provided information on Sal Genovese:
Sal Genovese (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Genovese sought election to the same seat in 2012, 2014, and 2016, and 2018.
Ballotpedia provided information on William Meurer:
William Meurer (Green Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. Meurer lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Ballotpedia provided information on Tony Rodriguez:
Tony Rodriguez (American Independent Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 30th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Rodriguez completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Here are some of the questions he answered:
Who are you? Tell us about yourself.
My name is Tony Rodriguez. I am running for this office because I know it takes non politicians like myself to make a difference. The biggest issue I see is that neither side is interested in doing what is best for the many, instead they want to do what is best for specific groups. I am a firm believer that we all have to reach ACROSS PARTY LINES in order to effectively do what is best for all. Just like any relationship where there has to be give an take and compromises must be made. If I am elected I do not want to caucus with any specific party. I want to be the liaison between both major parties and bring some kind of teamwork mentally versus what we have now. This election in the 30th District of California in 2022 is not about left or right, Democrat or Republican, it is about protecting and defending the rights of the People under the Constitution of the United States, and bringing this country back into an era of competition and a dynamic future for the generations who will follow our lead.
Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
- I am against Critical Race Theory Indoctrination. There should be a law that mandates that this should not be taught. This only fuels the fire and causes more division. It is about parents deciding what is best for their children, and keeping parental rights intact under the Constitution while holding government to task for poor performance in the classroom.
- Protecting our First Responders. The security, peace and dignity of our communities and our country depends on our first responders. In an era where the debate is about defunding police, I support increased funding for better training and tools for our men and women in uniform.
- Protecting our Jobs and Businesses. Especially small businesses, workers comp cost especially in California are extremely high. There is a lot of fraud especially in California. This fraud and high taxes can ruin a small business.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Critical Race Theory Indoctrination/Parental Rights. Government overreach should be kept at a minimum.
Protecting our Families. I believe that family is our greatest national resource. As a result, we need to do more to defend our families. All families are different. Regardless of how your family is structured – whether you are a man or a woman, two men, or two women – our children need family and love. I will work to protect the family regardless of race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.
January 4: MyBurbank.com posted a press release titled: “Congressman Schiff Announces Re-election Campaign for 30th Congressional District” From the press release:
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced his campaign for re-election in California’s 30th congressional district:
“It has been an honor to represent California’s 28th congressional district in Congress. And together, we’ve made important progress in 2021. But there is so much more to be done.
“We passed a major relief package that cut child poverty in half nationwide and helped more than 66,000 families in our community put food on the table. We achieved a bipartisan infrastructure package that will bring significant investment in roads, bridges, transit, airports, clean water, and clean air and fire prevention to our state and nation. The House also approved a major package to lower prescription drug costs, provide family leave, help lower childcare costs, and fight climate change – all of which will help support working families here at home. We now need to get that bill passed in the Senate.
“We helped behind-the-scenes workers server the fair wages and conditions all workers have a right to, and freelancers and contractors receive unemployment during the pandemic. We finally saw the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the sitting U.S. President and pushed the U.S. government to condemn Azeri atrocities. And amid a devastating wildfire season, we ensure that firefighters have the most advanced tools available to help combat the blazes.
“But there are still enormous challenges ahead, with the pandemic and the economy, and dangerous threats to our democracy that must be overcome.
“This is why I’m running for re-election to Congress in California’s 30th congressional district – a district that will include familiar neighborhoods and faces, but a few new communities as well. All of whom I’m excited to speak to over the course of this campaign and to represent in Congress.
“I’m running to make real progress on the big issues: Ending the pandemic. Making the economy work for everyone, Making health care universal. Fighting climate change. Lowering costs for all families, and keeping us safe. And on local issues like ensuring everyone has a roof over their head, preserving open space for generations to come, and investing in new greener infrastructure and mass transit.
“And I’m running because there remains a grave threat to our democracy, Across the country, Republicans are assaulting voting rights, undermining our elections, and attempting to break down the pillars of our democracy. We cannot take our democracy for granted and need champions pushing back against these assaults on our institutions. I will continue to fight to protect champions pushing back against these assaults on our institutions. I will continue the fight to protect the fundamental right to vote and to secure our cherished legacy as a democracy.”
February 8: CISON PR Newswire posted a press release titled: “Ronda Kennedy, Republican Activist and Self-Made Attorney, Descendent of Slaves, Will Challenge Adam Schiff for Congress” From the press release:
Ronda Baldwin Kennedy has filed as a Republican Congressional candidate for California’s 30th District and will oppose Rep. Adam Schiff. “Schiff is one of the most powerful Leftists in Congress and by far the most duplicitous and dishonest… and I’m thrilled to be the lady who finally kicks him out of Washington,” said Kennedy, an attorney and mother of six.
Schiff led the second contrived Trump impeachment ‘investigation,’ leaked classified documents, and lied DAILY about the now discredited Russia hoax,” she said.
“More recently Schiff was caught red-handed selective editing text messages between Trump aides in the bogus, partisan January 6th investigation,” said Kennedy. “I’m literally Adam Schiff’s worst nightmare, as I intend to hold him responsible for his litany of lies and crimes,” she said.
Ms. Kennedy is a fighter. When the County of Ventura closed gun stores during COVID, Ms. Kennedy was the attorney that filed the federal lawsuit that forced them open and on January 20, 2022, won that case, when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor.
When Ventura County closed businesses a second time, business owners came to Ms. Kennedy because of her work for gun stores and their owners. She successfully defended 8 businesses against the county including Mrs. Olsons, the Pizza Cookery and Cronies in Agoura Hills.
Ms. Kennedy is a constitutionalist and will defend the Constitutional rights of any American regardless of political party. She, along with 12 others, is a plaintiff for a lawsuit filed by the Election Integrity Project of California, which is also before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
She is the great Grand-daughter of Wisconsin’s first black State Assemblyman (Le Roy Simmons). Ms Kennedy gives credit to her great-great grandfather for joining the Republican Party at age 18. He was a run-away slave who joined the Union Army as a water boy. Ms. Kennedy’s great-great aunt started the first Black bank in Wisconsin (Columbia Savings and Loans).
Ms. Kennedy worked in the entertainment industry for many years which includes five years with the Jackson family. Prior to that Ms. Kennedy was a City of Milwaukee Building inspector where she broke many glass ceilings. Ms. Kennedy is married to Michael Kennedy, is a mother of 6 including 9-year-old triplets, and a grandmother of four. In her spare time, she loves music, enjoys the company of family and friends, and is passionate about fighting for the freedom of all Americans.
June 7: Ballotpedia reported the results of the Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 30:
- Adam Schiff (D): 62.5% – 102,231 votes
- Maebe A. Girl (D): 12.8% – 21,025 votes
- Ronda Kennedy (R): 8.5% – 13,942 votes
- Patrick Gibson (R): 6.4% – 10,520 votes
- Johnny Nalbandian (R): 4.7% – 7,684 votes
- Sal Genovese (D): 1.6% – 2,609 votes
- William Meurer (G): 1.0% – 1,596 votes
- Tony Rodriguez (American Independent Party): 0.9% – 1,456 votes
June 7: The Associated Press reported: Democrat Adam Schiff advances to November general election in California’s 30th Congressional District.
August 5: NBC News posted an article titled: “California candidate seeks to be the first transgender, nonbinary member of Congress” From the article:
Two members of the U.S. Senate are gay or bisexual. Nine members of the U.S. House are openly gay. And more than 100 LGBTQ+ people have run or are currently running for Congress this year, including 13 seeking to become the first transgender or nonbinary members ever elected.
Maebe A. Girl is one of them.
Maebe, who uses she/they pronouns and identifies as trans nonbinary, currently serves as a Democrat on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles and is running against incumbent Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
Schiff (who got 62% of the primary vote) and Maebe (nearly 13%) advanced to the general election in May under California’s Top 2 primary system, under which the Top 2 vote-getters, regardless of party, move on to the general election.
When NBC News asked her why she decided to run against Schiff, Maebe, who is also a drag queen, said that she was “dissatisfied with [her] current representation” and believes it is time for new leadership.
“He’s a centrist,” she said of Schiff. “He’s one of the most well-funded Democrats and he’s been in office for over 20 years. And he keeps tweeting about how we need this, and we need that, and we have to do this, and we have to do that, [but] you’re already in office. You’ve been in office for over 20 years. And if you can’t get these things does by now, then it’s time for new, fresh leadership. And I think that if there’s any place where a progressive , especially a trans nonbinary person can get elected, it’s Los Angeles.”
Maebe’s campaign is centered on issues like health care for all, abolishing ICE and ending all wars. Its grassroots campaign with about 70 volunteers and spending almost $24,000 compared to Schiff’s $11.4 million…
…Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston who identifies as a lesbian, says that it takes time for LGBTQ+ candidates to win at the highest levels of American politics.
“There are more than 100 LGBTQ candidates running for Congress this year… but in order to win at the highest levels of politics, you have to have built a track record. And the most important way to do to enter the pipeline at another level,” said Parker, who now serves as president and CEO of Victory Fund, a PAC working to elect LGBTQ+ leaders across the country…
September 30: SpectrumNews 1 posted an article titled: “Maebe A. Girl seeks to be first openly trans, nonbinary member of Congress” From the article:
LOS ANGELES – A drag queen, an ordained minister, a Silver Lake Neighborhood Council woman and a U.S. Congressional Candidate.
What You Need To Know
- Maebe A. Girl became the first trans nonbinary person to advance to a general election for a House seat, securing 12.8% of the vote in the crowded race to represent California’s 30th District.
- In keeping with the theme of firsts, November will be the first time Rep. Adam Schiff will face off with a Democratic challenger in his 11-terms holding the seat.
- Girl is campaigning on an intersectional humanitarian platform, advocating for universal health care, housing and education for all, environmental and racial justice, LGBTQ and reproductive rights, among others.
- Girl recognized her run is an “uphill battle,” taking on a successful incumbent with more money and connections, and the experience of incumbency.
Maebe A. Girl became the first trans nonbinary person to advance to a general election for a House seat, securing 12.8% of the vote in the crowded race to represent California’s 30th District.
While gay and trans people are at the heart of political discourse this year – with state lawmakers introducing a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills in 2022 – there are still very few LGBTQ people in elected office. Girl is almost certainly going to lose in November, but she is one of a historic number of LGBTQ candidates running for office this year. She is facing off with a major power player in the Democratic party – and doing so in drag.
But when it comes to political ideologies, Girl says she doesn’t want to be pigeonholed.
“I know people have varying ideas about identity politics,” Girl said. “And the thing is, I’m not running to be a drag queen in Congress. I’m not running to be the trans person in Congress. But they do happen to be parts of myself that I will bring with me, and that I do think should be known within this process.”
She understands the tabloid element of her unlikely profession and even uses it as a tool to promote her campaign. Girl is the host and producer of a weekly Sunday drag brunch and also performs in at least a few shows a week, introducing herself to new faces in the vrowd and sharing about her platform.
Girl doesn’t want her role as a drag queen to overshadow her identity as a trans person.
“Drag is what I do, trans is who I am,” Girl said, adding that she chose to run for office in drag because it was how she was known in the community.
Girl is a 10-year resident of the district, which includes West Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank and her neighborhood of Silver Lake. The boundaries hold a diverse area and constitutency.
The nonconformity of the district, Girl says, makes it even more apt that she is running to represent them – a person who doesn’t conform, representing a constituency that can’t necessarily be defined as one thing.
In keeping with a theme of firsts, November will be the first time Rep. Adam Schiff will face off with a Democratic challenger in his 11-terms holding the seat. California’s top-two primary system allows the top two vote getters to advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Girl recognizes he run is an “uphill battle,” taking on a successful incumbent with more money and connections, and the experience of incumbency.
Schiff handedly won the June primary with about 63% of the vote. The congressman is a chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and was tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be the lead manager of the 2019 impeachment inquiry against former President Trump.
He remains popular among Democrats as he is serving a second impeachment trial as a member of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6. Capitol insurrection and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Despite his prominence, longevity and favorability, Girl believes Schiff to be a “moderate and a centrists: and said his representation “serves to the status quo.”
Despite his prominence, longevity and favorability, Girl believes Schiff to be a “moderate and a centrists: and said his representation “serves to the status quo.”
November 8: The Associated Press reported: Democrat Adam Schiff wins reelection to U.S. House in California’s 30th Congressional District
Ballotpedia reported the results of the General election for U.S. House California District 30:
- Adam Schiff (D): 72.1% – 78,812 votes
- Maebe A. Girl (D): 27.9% – 30,569 votes
November 9: Daily Caller posted an article titled: “Thousands Of Voters Choose Drag Queen ‘Maebe A. Girl’ Over Adam Schiff” From the article:
Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff, who won reelection in his race with 72% of the vote, was trailed by a drag queen candidate who came in second place at 27.9%
Democratic House candidate G. “Maebe A. Girl” Pudlo brought in more than 30,000 votes in the California District 30. Pudlo’s platform included LGBT rights, racial justice, the Green New Deal and universal basic income. LGBT issues were featured prominently on Pudlo’s website.
“Transgender individuals, particularly trans women of color, are being assaulted and murdered at an alarmingly disproportionate rate,” Pudlo’s site reads. “As a trans/non-binary person, I am fully committed to defending and advocating for all LGBTQIA people … as someone who has experienced discrimination first-hand on both a personal and political basis, I intend to do everything in my power and through the power of the community to ensure that we protect LGBTQIA folks and gain full equality under the law.”
Pudlo was elected to the Silver Lake neighborhood council in Los Angeles in 2019, becoming the first drag queen in public office in the U.S…