Juan Carlos Vargas
Re-elect Congressional Representative Juan Carlos Vargas to keep CA-51 on the right track.
About the Position
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals.
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The President of the United States is the head of the Executive branch of the federal government, and the Commander-in-Chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
As of October 12th, Democratic challenger Vice President Joe Biden is leading Republican incumbent President Donald Trump in the polls by an average national margin of 9.2% (as of 10/24/20). Ten days before Election Day in 2016, Secretary Hillary Clinton held an average 4.9% polling lead over Donald Trump. Vice President Biden’s campaign has raised $952 million (as of 10/14/20) and is not funded by fossil fuel money. While his platform commits to establishing meaningful campaign finance reform, his 2020 campaign has received donations from special interest, corporate PAC, and lobbyist organizations. President Donald Trump has raised $601 million (as of 10/14/20) and has not taken any fundraising pledges. President Trump is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Citizens United, Proud Boys, and a variety of law enforcement organizations.
Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Claymont, DE with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, DE, for most of his adult life. Vice President Biden came of age during the 1960s Civil Rights movement, which he cites as his inspiration for majoring in political science at the University of Delaware before earning his law degree at Syracuse University. His political career began in 1970 when he was elected to the New Castle County Council. Just two years later, at age 29, Vice President Biden ran for the Delaware Senate seat, and became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. A few weeks after his election, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two sons were badly injured. This personal tragedy shaped Vice President Biden’s public image as an empathetic leader and committed family man.
Vice President Biden spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He is often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill, and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which American government is built.
Vice President Biden has also been directly accused of unwanted contact by several women over the course of his career. Most of the accusations came to light as part of the #MeToo movement, and related to invasions of personal space that included the touching of shoulders, caressing of hair, and close whispering. He has apologized publicly for this behavior, and stated an understanding of his responsibility to conform to more modern social norms in his interactions with women.
Vice President Biden launched two unsuccessful campaigns for President during his time in the Senate, in 1988 and 2008. After ending his 2008 campaign, he was chosen by President Barack Obama to join his ticket as Vice President, and they served together for two terms. As Vice President, he was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. In 2015, his oldest son, Beau Biden, lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 46. Since leaving office in 2016, Vice President Biden has dedicated substantial resources to cancer research.
Although he was rarely a trailblazer, Vice President Biden’s record does demonstrate a consistent liberal evolution on many issues throughout his career. After voting in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, he was the first member of the Obama Administration to advocate for marriage equality in 2012. After presiding over the Anita Hill hearings in 1991, he was the architect of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, and led the Obama Administration’s effort to reduce campus sexual assault through the It’s On Us campaign. After supporting the 1994 Crime Bill and aligning with the racist ‘tough on crime’ approach of that era, his current platform supports criminal justice reform, abolishing private prisons, and decriminalizing marijuana.
Vice President Biden has long been committed to building relationships with colleagues across the aisle, and bridging intra-party policy differences to establish compromise legislation for the American people. This commitment to civility resulted in Vice President Biden maintaining problematic working relationships with segregationist Senators James Eastland and Herman Talmadge during his time in the Senate. During the 2020 primary, Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Kamala Harris, both Black candidates running for President, were outward in their critique of what they viewed as Vice President Biden’s defense of the reputations and decency of these segregationists. However, Vice President Biden has not apologized for his continued defense of collaborating with these segregationist colleagues, and maintains broad support in the Black community.
Vice President Biden’s commitment to compromise has extended to the left in recent months, and updates to his campaign platform are reflective of his interest in connecting with progressive voters. While he was a more moderate candidate in the larger 2020 field, he has been conscientious about including the popular perspectives of his progressive rivals, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders, in his platform. He has recently issued proposals that include middle-class tax cuts, lowering Medicare eligibility to age 60, new benchmarks for greenhouse gas emission limits, free college tuition for families making less than $125,000 annually, and clean energy investments. While these proposals do not embrace the full scope of progressive ideals, they are an important indicator of his capacity for collaboration.
The Biden/Harris campaign is endorsed by many progressive groups in the country. While the Biden/Harris platform is the most progressive platform ever adopted by a major party ticket, we encourage progressive advocates to continue to hold their administration accountable, and work to encourage progressive legislation throughout the country. With consideration to their records in public service, we unequivocally recommend Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
The Vice President is the second-highest office in the Executive branch of the federal government. The officeholder is the first in the line of succession to the presidency and holds legislative authority as the president of the Senate. In this role, the Vice President presides over Senate deliberations and can cast a tie-breaking vote in close decisions. A Vice Presidential candidate is selected directly by a Presidential nominee who has won the democratic primary process. Vice Presidential candidates are elected indirectly as a part of the Presidential ticket in the general election. A Vice President serves four year terms, and there is no term limit for this position.
As of October 12th, Democratic challenger Vice President Joe Biden is leading Republican incumbent President Donald Trump in the polls by an average national margin of 9.2% (as of 10/24/20). Ten days before Election Day in 2016, Secretary Hillary Clinton held an average 4.9% polling lead over Donald Trump. Vice President Biden’s campaign has raised $952 million (as of 10/14/20) and is not funded by fossil fuel money. While his platform commits to establishing meaningful campaign finance reform, his 2020 campaign has received donations from special interest, corporate PAC, and lobbyist organizations. President Donald Trump has raised $601 million (as of 10/14/20) and has not taken any fundraising pledges. President Trump is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Citizens United, Proud Boys, and a variety of law enforcement organizations.
Senator Kamala Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and now resides in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamiacan father and an Indian mother who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s, and established themselves as activists in the Civil Rights movement in Oakland. Sen. Harris’ interest in justice and equal rights was instilled at a young age when she participated in civil rights protests in Oakland alongside her activist parents, and was further shaped when she was included in the second class of students to be bussed as part of Berkley’s efforts toward school integration. She attended Howard University, one of America’s HBCU institutions, for undergraduate studies, and completed her law degree at the University of California, Hastings.
After working for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for 8 years, Sen. Harris transitioned to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office. Sen. Harris’ political career began in 2003 when she won her bid to become District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco. She served two terms in San Francisco before being elected as the Attorney General for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. In representing the needs and interests of Californians in each of these roles, Sen. Harris’ record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism. Similarly, as Attorney General, she declined to defend Proposition 8, a proposition to make same-sex marriage illegal in California, in court and officiated the first wedding in the state when marriage equality was restored in 2013.
In 2016, Sen. Harris became the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. Sen. Harris has sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Sen. Harris sits on four committees: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Budget, Judiciary, and Select Committee on Intelligence. She has been an outspoken opponent of the Trump Administration, and has deftly used her position on the Senate Judiciary Committee to question judicial nominees and interrogate the hypocrisy of her Republican colleagues.
Sen. Harris formally launched her campaign for President in January 2019 at an Oakland rally with an estimated attendance of 20,000 supporters. As a candidate, she pushed forward a platform that opposed Medicare for All, supported expansion of the Affordable Care Act, sought to expand tax benefits for middle and low-income families, supported citizenship for Dreamers, and favored a ban on assault weapons. She ended her campaign in December 2019, and was tapped to join Vice President Joe Biden’s ticket ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August 2020.
The Biden/Harris campaign is endorsed by many progressive groups in the country. While the Biden/Harris platform is the most progressive platform ever adopted by a major party ticket, we encourage progressive advocates to continue to hold their administration accountable, and work to encourage progressive legislation throughout the country. With consideration to their records in public service, we unequivocally recommend Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below congressional districts on your ballot.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives. There is no term limit for this position.
California's 51st Congressional District includes Imperial County and parts of San Diego County. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent election results show 71.8 percent of AD-51 voted for Clinton for president in 2016, and 67.9 percent of the district voted for Newsom for governor in 2018.
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Vargas led Republican challenger Juan Hidalgo by a margin of 42.8 percent. Neither campaign has pledged to refuse corporate PAC, fossil fuel, or police money. Vargas’s campaign has raised $549,255.53 and has accepted money from corporate PACs and unions. Hidalgo’s campaign has raised $23,571.12, the bulk of which is candidate committee money.
Representative Juan Carlos Vargas was born and raised in California's 51st congressional district, which he was first elected to in 2012.
Vargas’ district includes Imperial County and the southern part of San Diego County, along the U.S.-Mexico border. To address local concerns about cross-border pollution, particularly of waterways, Vargas supported the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), specifically citing the $300 million that will be allocated to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP). He has been an advocate for action on climate change, and is one of the co-sponsors of House Resolution 109, which calls on the federal government to create a Green New Deal.
Vargas has been critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including the wall at the border, the Migrant Protection Protocols, and the deportation of veterans. He urged Democrats to take a strong stance against Trump’s efforts to divert Pentagon funds to build a border wall. Recently, he called for investigations into efforts by Customs and Border Protection to send asylum seekers to Mexico by issuing documents for fake court hearings. He has also sponsored legislation that would allow Dreamers to apply for FHA loans, which HUD currently denies.
At the same time, Courage California (then known as Courage Campaign) was deeply involved in the fight for the Homeowner Bill of Rights in 2012, a critical piece of state legislation to protect homeowners from predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Then Senator Vargas played a key role as head of the Banking Committee in the California Senate, prior to his election to Congress. Unfortunately, Vargas repeatedly attempted to protect Wall Street from accountability. However, after heroic organizing with our partners at ACCE (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment), he stepped down as committee chair, which eventually allowed for the landmark bill to pass. This gives us great pause about Rep. Vargas’s commitment to progressive governance.
Rep. Vargas’s priorities for CA-51 this year have included protecting immigrants and DACA recipients, obtaining more medical equipment for fighting the pandemic, and environmental protections. He currently sits on two committees: the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services. This year, Rep. Vargas has voted 99 percent of the time with Nancy Pelosi and 96 percent of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Vargas has co-sponsored two bills about protecting the USPS and providing for more police accountability this year, both of which have successfully passed the House but remain in the Senate.
Rep. Vargas is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district. According to our analysis, Rep. Vargas is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office. While we have major concerns about Vargas and encourage a more progressive candidate to run against him in a future election cycle, there is no question that he is preferable to a Republican, given his record, particularly on such issues as climate change and immigration.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives. There is no term limit for this position.
California's 53rd Congressional District includes parts of San Diego County. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent election results show 64.5 percent of CD-53 voted for Clinton for president in 2016, and 64.9 percent of the district voted for Newsom for governor in 2018.
In the primary, Democrat challenger and San Diego Councilmember Georgette Gomez trailed Democrat challenger Sara Jacobs by a margin of 9.1 percent. Gomez's campaign has raised $1,168,600.61 including funding from tribal nations, healthcare associations, and labor unions. As a Justice Democrat, Gomez has pledged to refuse corporate PAC money ad fossil fuel money. Gomez has not pledged to refuse police money but also has not received any funding from police unions. Opponent Jacobs has raised more than $3 million and is funded by corporate interests, including software and investment corporations.
Georgette Gomez was born in San Diego and grew up in the Barrio Logan neighborhood in south central San Diego, the daughter of working-class immigrants. She continues to live in San Diego, where she currently represents Council District 9 on the San Diego City Council. According to campaign materials, Councilmember Gomez is running to represent Congressional District 53 in order to stand up against Trump’s dangerous agenda and put the focus back on what working families in the community need.
Councilmember Gomez was elected to the San Diego City Council in 2016 and became the first LGBTQIA+ Latina to be elected as council president in 2018. During her tenure, Councilmember Gomez has helped expand affordable housing and renter protections, helped lead the implementation of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, and secured funding for community priorities, including street repairs, parks, and libraries.
Prior to election to the city council, Councilmember Gomez led the Toxic Free Neighborhoods Campaign at the Environmental Health Coalition to protect kids from lead paint and keep polluting industries out of residential communities. She also worked as a victims’ advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Her personal and professional experiences have opened her eyes to the issues faced by low-income families and immigrant families, and has led to her unwavering commitment to creating a better, more inclusive government for all.
Councilmember Gomez is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district. Gomez stands out as a strong progressive choice for office because of her track record as a champion of progressive values and numerous endorsements from progressive organizations. According to our analysis, Georgette Gomez is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals.
State Assembly Members form part of the California State Legislature, and work alongside the governor to establish laws and a state budget. They hold the power to pass bills that affect public policy, set state spending levels, raise and lower taxes, and uphold or override the governor’s vetoes. The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the State Senate and Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent, and one seat is currently vacant.
California's 79th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego Counties. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent election results show AD-79 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Shirley Weber led Republican challenger John Moore by a margin of 48.3 percent. Weber’s campaign has raised $282,688 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Moore’s campaign has no apparent public financial data, no functioning campaign website, and has also not committed to any finance pledges.
Rep. Shirley Weber, a former San Diego State University professor and longtime assemblymember, is from Los Angeles, and has lived in the 79th district for over 30 years. According to campaign materials, Rep. Weber is running for re-election to fight for education that is accessible at all levels.
Rep. Shirley Weber’s priorities for AD-79 this year include strengthening civil rights protections, improving education, protecting persons with disabilities, and securing voting rights. She currently sits on six committees: the Legislative Budget, Banking and Finance, Budget, Education, Elections and Redistricting, and Higher Education Committees. Rep. Weber has sponsored 264 bills on such topics as school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, and strengthening the CalFresh program this year, of which over 10 percent have successfully passed. She scores a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Rep. Weber has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, Rep. Weber has not supported lowering the voting age to 17 and evaluating charter school applications based on economic impact criteria.
Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Rep. Shirley Weber founded the Department of African-American Studies at San Diego State University in 1972 and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002 to 2006, board member and later president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988 to 1996, and as chairwoman of the San Diego Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission. Her time as assemblymember for AD-79 has included successes in environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. Rep. Weber holds three degrees from UCLA and is a longtime supporter of the power of well-funded and well-staffed public education.
Rep. Shirley is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. She is also backed by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Chevron, Macpherson Oil Company, Walmart, and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. However, the threat of Republican challenger John Moore’s potential policies greatly outweighs Rep. Weber’s lack of campaign finance pledges and problematic endorsements. According to our analysis, Rep. Shirley Weber is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
State Assembly Members form part of the California State Legislature, and work alongside the governor to establish laws and a state budget. They hold the power to pass bills that affect public policy, set state spending levels, raise and lower taxes, and uphold or override the governor’s vetoes. The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the State Senate and Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent, and one seat is currently vacant.
California's 79th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego Counties. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent election results show AD-79 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Shirley Weber led Republican challenger John Moore by a margin of 48.3 percent. Weber’s campaign has raised $282,688 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Moore’s campaign has no apparent public financial data, no functioning campaign website, and has also not committed to any finance pledges.
Rep. Shirley Weber, a former San Diego State University professor and longtime assemblymember, is from Los Angeles, and has lived in the 79th district for over 30 years. According to campaign materials, Rep. Weber is running for re-election to fight for education that is accessible at all levels.
Rep. Shirley Weber’s priorities for AD-79 this year include strengthening civil rights protections, improving education, protecting persons with disabilities, and securing voting rights. She currently sits on six committees: the Legislative Budget, Banking and Finance, Budget, Education, Elections and Redistricting, and Higher Education Committees. Rep. Weber has sponsored 264 bills on such topics as school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, and strengthening the CalFresh program this year, of which over 10 percent have successfully passed. She scores a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Rep. Weber has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, Rep. Weber has not supported lowering the voting age to 17 and evaluating charter school applications based on economic impact criteria.
Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Rep. Shirley Weber founded the Department of African-American Studies at San Diego State University in 1972 and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002 to 2006, board member and later president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988 to 1996, and as chairwoman of the San Diego Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission. Her time as assemblymember for AD-79 has included successes in environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. Rep. Weber holds three degrees from UCLA and is a longtime supporter of the power of well-funded and well-staffed public education.
Rep. Shirley is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. She is also backed by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Chevron, Macpherson Oil Company, Walmart, and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. However, the threat of Republican challenger John Moore’s potential policies greatly outweighs Rep. Weber’s lack of campaign finance pledges and problematic endorsements. According to our analysis, Rep. Shirley Weber is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
Depending on where you live, you may have the below races on your ballot.
State senators represent and advocate the needs of their district at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating legislation that addresses issues within their district, as well as voting and debating on preexisting laws.
The California State Senate has 40 congressional districts. Each represents a population of about 930,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate's 40 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to two four-year terms (eight years) in the Senate. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the State Senate and Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 29 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 11 seats.
California's 39th Senate District includes parts of San Diego County. Democrats have typically held this district since at least 2012. The most recent election results show SD-39 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Toni Atkins led Republican challenger Linda Blankenship by a margin of 83.8 percent. Sen. Atkins’ campaign has raised $4.1 million, and has not pledged to refuse fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC money. She has received donations from a variety of problematic donors, including FedEx Corporation, Exxon Mobil, and Los Angeles Police Protective League. Challenger Blankenship’s campaign has raised $20,000, primarily through individual donations. She has not committed to refusing fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC money.
Sen. Atkins, a former city councilmember and member of the State Assembly, lives in San Diego. According to campaign materials, Sen. Atkins is running for re-election to continue to deliver results on the issues affecting working families in her district.
Sen. Atkins’ priorities for SD-39 this year include environmental protections for the San Diego Bay, housing reforms, and medical service accessibility. She currently sits on two committees: Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Rules (chair). Sen. Atkins is also a member of the California State Senate leadership, currently acting as the president pro tempore. She is both the first woman and the first LGBTQIA+ person to hold this position. Sen. Atkins has sponsored eight bills about housing and homelessness protections, peace officer training, improvements to medical services, and environmental protections this year. Of these, four have been signed by the governor.
She scores a lifetime 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Senator Atkins has supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Prior to her election to the State Senate, Sen. Atkins was a women’s health-care administrator, a member of the San Diego City Council, acting mayor of San Diego, and a member of the State Assembly. She is a longtime supporter of women’s health care, LGBTQIA+ rights, affordable housing reform, and environmental protections. Sen. Atkins has worked to support these issues through responsible fiscal stewardship in government.
Rep. Atkins is endorsed by some progressive groups in the district, including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. She is also endorsed by the Peace Officers Research Association of California. Regardless, the threat of Republican challenger and strong Trump supporter Blankenship’s potential policies greatly outweigh Sen. Atkins’s affiliation with police organizations. According to our analysis, Rep. Atkins is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
State senators represent and advocate the needs of their district at the California State Capitol.
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person board of supervisors. A board of supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to three terms, or 12 years in office total.
San Diego County is California's 2nd most populous county. San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 3.3 million people and manages an estimated budget of $6.4 billion annually. According to the County Charter, San Diego is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for a staggered four-year term in their respective districts. A chief administrative officer is appointed by the Board.
In the primary, challenger Terra Lawson-Remer trailed incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar by a margin of 11.6 percent. Lawson-Remer’s campaign has raised $633,419 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Gaspar’s campaign has raised $522,602, has not committed to any campaign finance pledges, and is endorsed by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association, San Diego Probation Officers Association, Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County, San Diego District Attorney Investigators Association, Southern California Rental Housing Association, Greater San Diego Association of Realtors, and North County Realtors. In 2012, the San Diego Reader reported on a controversy surrounding Gaspar’s city council campaign, during which a series of mailers supporting her candidacy were sent to voters that purported to be from a nonprofit organization that later was found not to exist. In 2019, the San Diego Tribune reported that Gaspar attempted to secure a multimillion-dollar city contract for a nonprofit organization she worked for without disclosing her role at the organization.
Terra Lawson-Remer, an economist, environmental attorney, community organizer, and educator, is a third-generation San Diegan. According to campaign materials, Lawson-Remer is running to improve the quality of life for all San Diegans and defend against Trump administration attacks on “our civil rights, public health and quality of life.”
Terra Lawson-Remer’s priorities for San Diego County this term include ending sprawl development, protecting open spaces, updating the water system, and encouraging affordable housing development via a single-purpose public bank and reduced taxation/fees for buildings near public transit and work centers. She supports the creation of a social service taskforce to respond to emergency calls regarding unhoused or mentally-ill individuals, guaranteeing asylum-seekers’ legal right to counsel, and ensuring that all families have access to affordable health care and childcare. Lawson-Remer has authored a comprehensive, multistep climate-action plan for 2021–2035, with the end goal of 90 percent clean energy and significantly reduced private vehicle traffic.
Terra Lawson-Remer served as senior advisor in the Obama Administration, developing environmental policies to cut pollution from oil drilling and mining. She has also worked with the World Bank, the Brookings Institution, and Amnesty International, and taught public policy at The New School and University of California--San Diego. Her scholarship and journalism has appeared in the New York Times, The Economist, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, HuffPost, and on CNN. She is a longtime supporter of environmentalism.
Terra Lawson-Remer is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district and is, according to our analysis, the strongest choice for representative leadership in office.
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person board of supervisors. A board of supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to three terms, or 12 years in office total.
San Diego County is California's 2nd most populous county. San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 3.3 million people and manages an estimated budget of $6.4 billion annually. According to the County Charter, San Diego is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for a staggered four-year term in their respective districts. A chief administrative officer is appointed by the Board.
In the primary, challenger Terra Lawson-Remer trailed incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar by a margin of 11.6 percent. Lawson-Remer’s campaign has raised $633,419 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Gaspar’s campaign has raised $522,602, has not committed to any campaign finance pledges, and is endorsed by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association, San Diego Probation Officers Association, Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County, San Diego District Attorney Investigators Association, Southern California Rental Housing Association, Greater San Diego Association of Realtors, and North County Realtors. In 2012, the San Diego Reader reported on a controversy surrounding Gaspar’s city council campaign, during which a series of mailers supporting her candidacy were sent to voters that purported to be from a nonprofit organization that later was found not to exist. In 2019, the San Diego Tribune reported that Gaspar attempted to secure a multimillion-dollar city contract for a nonprofit organization she worked for without disclosing her role at the organization.
Terra Lawson-Remer, an economist, environmental attorney, community organizer, and educator, is a third-generation San Diegan. According to campaign materials, Lawson-Remer is running to improve the quality of life for all San Diegans and defend against Trump administration attacks on “our civil rights, public health and quality of life.”
Terra Lawson-Remer’s priorities for San Diego County this term include ending sprawl development, protecting open spaces, updating the water system, and encouraging affordable housing development via a single-purpose public bank and reduced taxation/fees for buildings near public transit and work centers. She supports the creation of a social service taskforce to respond to emergency calls regarding unhoused or mentally-ill individuals, guaranteeing asylum-seekers’ legal right to counsel, and ensuring that all families have access to affordable health care and childcare. Lawson-Remer has authored a comprehensive, multistep climate-action plan for 2021–2035, with the end goal of 90 percent clean energy and significantly reduced private vehicle traffic.
Terra Lawson-Remer served as senior advisor in the Obama Administration, developing environmental policies to cut pollution from oil drilling and mining. She has also worked with the World Bank, the Brookings Institution, and Amnesty International, and taught public policy at The New School and University of California--San Diego. Her scholarship and journalism has appeared in the New York Times, The Economist, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, HuffPost, and on CNN. She is a longtime supporter of environmentalism.
Terra Lawson-Remer is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district and is, according to our analysis, the strongest choice for representative leadership in office.
Proposition 14 asks voters to authorize a total of $5.5 billion in state general obligation bonds to continue the California stem cell agency that funds research, therapy, and grants to educational, nonprofit, and private entities for Alzheimer’s, Parkison’s, epilepsy, strokes, and other central nervous system and brain conditions and diseases. Prop 14 is an extension of Prop 71, which created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in 2004. The CIRM ran out of the original Prop 71 funds in 2019 and has not been funding new projects since then.
Vote YES to continue the CIRM, a state agency that has distributed a significant source of funding to scientific research programs and enterprises across the state, both nonprofit and for-profit.
Vote NO to not authorize the sale of $5.5 billion in state bonds for the CIRM and eliminate a financially burdensome stem cell research program that no longer has significant impact on medical research.
Robert N. Klein II, a Silicon Valley real estate developer and the top donor for Prop 14, was also the chief author of Proposition 71, which authorized $3 billion in bonds to create and maintain the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in 2004. There is no registered financial opposition.
There is no notable misinformation about Proposition 14.
Proposition 15 asks California voters to raise an estimated $6.4 billion to $11.5 billion in funding for local schools and governments by increasing property taxes on commercial and industrial properties based on current market value instead of the price they were purchased for. Based on the most recent report by Blue Sky Consulting Group, 10% of the biggest corporate property owners will pay 92% of the funding and more than 75% of total revenues will come from properties that have not been reassessed since prior to 1990 -- just 2% of all commercial and industrial properties! Proposition 15 will maintain the existing commercial and industrial property tax at a 1% limit and will also maintain existing exemptions for small businesses, homeowners, agricultural lands, and renters.
Prop 15’s main opponents include realty and industrial property owners, while the California Teachers Association and SEIU California State Council are main supporters.
Proposition 15 asks California voters to raise an estimated $6.4 billion to $11.5 billion in funding for local schools and governments
Proposition 16 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to repeal Prop 209’s restrictions on local and state governments from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, and contracting. If passed, Prop 16 will permit governments to consider those protected categories in order to promote inclusive hiring and admissions programs in California’s public universities, government, and public agencies.
Proposition 16 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to repeal Prop 209’s restrictions on local and state governments from considering race, sex, color,
Proposition 17 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to restore voting rights to persons who have been disqualified from voting while on parole. If passed, Prop 17 will restore voting rights to approximately 50,000 Californians currently on parole.
There are no contributions recorded for support or opposition to Prop 17.
Proposition 17 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to restore voting rights to persons who have been disqualified from voting while on parole.
Proposition 18 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election if they will turn 18 by the following general election. At the age of 18, Californians are technically given the right to vote in all elections. However, those who are not 18 by the time of the primary are not able to have input on who would or would not appear on their ballot in the general election. A YES vote on Prop 18 solves this problem.
There are no recorded contributions in support of or opposition to Prop 18.
There is no prominent misinformation about Prop 18.
Proposition 18 asks California voters to amend the Constitution of California to allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election if they
Proposition 19 asks voters to amend sections of 1978’s Proposition 13 to increase the number of times a property tax base can be transferred to three times for longtime homeowners. Prop 19 is almost exactly the same as Proposition 5, which was on the 2018 California ballot and overwhelmingly defeated by voters, with 60 percent having voted against the proposition. The main difference in the proposition this year is that Prop 19 includes an additional amendment to Prop 13 that narrows an existing inheritance property tax break and promises to distribute any revenue generated from that amendment toward fire protection agencies and schools.
Realtor associations have contributed $36,270,000 in support of Prop 19. There is no registered financial opposition.
There is no prominent misinformation about Proposition 19.
Proposition 19 asks voters to amend sections of 1978’s Proposition 13 to increase the number of times a property tax base can be transferred to three times for long
If passed, Prop 20 increases penalties for low-level offenses and would create a state database that collects DNA samples from persons convicted of specified misdemeanors for use in cold cases by repealing parts of Props 47 and 57. Prop 20 would expand the list of offenses that disqualify inmates from a parole program, consider an individual’s collective criminal history and not just their most recent offense, and impose stronger restrictions for a nonviolent offender’s parole program. Additionally, Prop 20 would reclassify theft between $250 and $950 as a felony.
If passed, Prop 20 increases penalties for low-level offenses and would create a state database that collects DNA samples from persons convicted of specified misdemeanors for us
Proposition 21 asks voters to amend state law in order to allow (not require) local governments at the city and county levels to establish and regulate rent control on residential properties. This proposition would affect residential properties over 15 years old and exempts individuals who own up to two residential properties. Additionally, Prop 21 would allow rent in rent-controlled properties to increase up to 15 percent over a period of three years with the start of a new tenancy. Prop 21 is more or less the same proposition voters rejected in 2018.
California has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation, which can be attributed to the overwhelmingly high median rates for rent throughout the state forcing residents to pay 50 percent of their income just toward rent.
The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prohibits rent control on residential properties built after February 1, 1995. Since then, housing built in California has become accessible only to those who can afford uncontrolled rent increases, and low-income families have largely been shut out from newer housing developments.
According to a Stanford study, those who lived in rent-controlled properties when Costa-Hawkins passed ended up saving a cumulative total of $7 billion over 18 years, which confirms that rent control is an effective way to prevent displacement from the city.
Proposition 21 asks voters to amend state law in order to allow (not require) local governments at the city and county levels to establish and regulate rent control on residential p
Proposition 22 asks voters to exempt companies like Lyft, Postmates, Uber, DoorDash, and others from a recently implemented state worker protection law, Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), so they can classify gig economy drivers from ride-share and delivery companies as independent contractors, not as employees. Additionally, Prop 22 would restrict local regulation of app-based drivers and would criminalize the impersonation of drivers.
By classifying workers as contractors and not employees, companies like Lyft, Uber, and DoorDash are exempted by state employment laws from ensuring basic protections to their workforce including minimum wage, overtime, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation.
Currently, rideshare and delivery workers are entitled under AB 5 to labor rights that every other employee in California receives, such as the right to organize, health insurance, and Social Security benefits. Prop 22 would take those rights away.
AB 5 also guarantees paid family leave, paid sick days, and unemployment insurance to those classified as gig employees. Proposition 22 asks voters to make gig-economy employees exempt from this law and replaces their rights with fewer benefits of much less value to their workers.
More than 2,000 drivers have filed claims against Uber and Lyft for over $630 million in damages, expenses, and lost wages. Prop 22 will codify Uber and Lyft’s abilities to systematically steal wages from drivers.
Uber and Lyft currently owe California $413 million in unemployment insurance contributions due to misclassifying drivers as independent contractors under AB 5. If Prop 22 passes, Uber and Lyft would get away with not paying what they owe.
"Prop 22 will guarantee 120% of minimum wage to all drivers." -- FALSE. The UC Berkeley Labor Center released a report that estimates Prop 22’s “pay guarantee” for their Uber and Lyft drivers would only end up being $5.64 per hour after accounting for all the expenses that drivers are responsible for themselves. At that rate, even if an individual worked 10 hour days, 7 days a week under Prop 22, they would be living below the California poverty line.
"Prop 22 will give health insurance to all drivers." -- FALSE. Under Prop 22, companies do not pay for health insurance, but instead provide a stipend to drivers. This stipend is valued at only 82% of the minimum coverage provided by state law, and is actually worth even less because workers would owe state and federal income taxes on the stipend. Prop 22 forces drivers to work more than 39 hours a week to qualify for the health stipend, so many workers would never even qualify for the stipend. For drivers who do qualify, Health Access California estimates that the health stipend would be just a couple hundred dollars—and could be just tens of dollars for younger workers—not enough for drivers to cover the purchase of their own health insurance.
If Prop 22 is passed, all future labor legislation surrounding Uber and Lyft would have to be approved by 7/8 of the total California State Legislature. Making this happen is virtually impossible considering Uber and Lyft have donated $2 million to the California Republican Party campaign committee. This is why Uber and Lyft are spending millions of dollars: to make their operations virtually untouchable in terms of regulation.
Proposition 22 asks voters to exempt companies like Lyft, Postmates, Uber, DoorDash, and others from a recently implemented state worker protection law, Assembly Bil
Prop 23 would add sections to the California Health and Safety Code about how dialysis facilities can operate, requiring a physician to be on-site at every dialysis clinic to oversee operations, and mandating that each chronic dialysis clinic submit quarterly reports on dialysis-related infections to the California Department of Health. The on-site physician would assume a non-caregiving role, as they would not be required to be specially trained in nephrology or interact with patients at all. Additionally, Prop 23 would prohibit discrimination against patients based on their coverage or care.
Prop 23 would add sections to the California Health and Safety Code about how dialysis facilities can operate, requiring a physician to be on-site at every di
Proposition 24 asks voters to amend the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) to include pay-for-privacy schemes, which provide better services and internet connection to those who pay more in order to protect their personal information while providing suboptimal services for Californians who cannot or do not want to pay more. Additionally, Prop 24 caters to tech companies by allowing them to upload a California resident’s personal information as soon as that resident’s device, computer, or phone leaves the state’s borders, and permits tech companies to completely ignore a programmable universal electronic “do not sell my information” signal. Under current law, privacy follows a Californian wherever they go, and businesses must honor the electronic signal.
Proposition 24 asks voters to amend the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) to include pay-for-privacy schemes, which provide better services and internet connection to those who pay more in order
Vote YES on Prop 25 to eliminate the use of cash bail in pretrial incarceration.
Proposition 25 is a referendum, which asks voters to directly weigh in on whether to keep or reject SB 10, a bill originally passed in 2018. Voting YES on Prop 25 will keep SB 10 in place and eliminate the cash bail system of pretrial incarceration in California, which is directly responsible for the disproportionate incarceration of Californians who cannot afford bail. The bail bond industry is directly responsible for placing Prop 25 on the ballot and calling SB 10 into question.
There are three major components to grassroots groups' objections to Prop 25. Here we provide our assessment of these concerns and how they can be addressed in the future if Prop 25 passes.
The bail bond industry has invested heavily in a No on the Prop 25 campaign in an attempt to spread misinformation and save the industry.
Vote YES on Prop 25 to eliminate the use of cash bail in pretrial incarceration.
The mayor of San Diego is elected in a two-round citywide election. The first round, the primary election, is open to all candidates. The top two candidates from the primary election advance to the general election. Write-in candidates are only allowed to contest the primary election and are not allowed in the general election. The mayor is elected to a four-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. The city of San Diego uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body, while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.
San Diego is San Diego County’s most populous city, with significant Latinx and Asian communities. The mayor’s office of San Diego oversees the needs of an estimated 1.4 million people and will manage an estimated budget of $3.9 billion for 2021.
In the primary, challenger Todd Gloria led challenger Barbara Bry by a margin of 18.6 percent. According to currently available records, neither candidate has committed to any campaign finance pledges. While mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan, both Gloria and Bry have a personal preference for the Democratic Party. Despite that stated preference, Bry’s campaign has made statements regarding property development, climate change, and stricter law enforcement that are causes of concern for progressive voters.
Todd Gloria is a third-generation San Diegan and grew up in Claremont, CA. According to campaign materials, he is running for mayor because he believes public systems should work dynamically to benefit all members of a community, not just the wealthy and connected.
Todd Gloria is a California State Assemblymember representing the 78th District, where he focuses on affordable housing, gun violence prevention, and climate change. He was elected to this seat in 2016, serving as the Assistant Majority Whip before assuming his current role of Majority Whip. Early in his career, Gloria worked for the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency and then as district director for Congresswoman Susan Davis. He served eight years on the San Diego City Council, eventually taking over as interim mayor of San Diego after the resignation of former Mayor Bob Filner. During his time as interim mayor, Gloria authored a progressive and nationally recognized Climate Action Plan. Gloria is a popular and accessible member of city government, advocating for local infrastructure projects, championing LGBTQIA+ rights, and working to raise the city’s minimum wage.
As an assemblymember, Todd Gloria scores a lifetime 94 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Gloria supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote, abstaining from only two votes during his last session. Endorsed by organizations such as Stonewall Young Democrats and Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, Gloria stands out due to his accessibility and record of passing legislation benefiting the diverse communities of San Diego. According to our analysis, Todd Gloria is the strongest choice for representative and equitable leadership in office.
The mayor of San Diego is elected in a two-round citywide election. The first round, the primary election, is open to all candidates.