18th Assembly District

Re-elect Congressional Representative Josh Harder to keep CA-10 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. 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.  

About the District

California's 10th Congressional District includes Stanislaus County and portions of San Joaquin County. Incumbent Josh Harder flipped this district in 2018, when he was elected to his first term in Congress. The most recent election results show 48.5 percent of CD-10 voted for Hillary Clinton for president and 45.5 percent voted for Donald Trump. In 2018, 50.5 percent of voters chose a Republican candidate over Gavin Newsom, indicating that CD-10 is a purple district.

About the Race

In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Josh Harder led Republican challenger Ted Howze by a margin of 10.2 percent. Rep. Harder’s campaign is not funded by fossil fuel money; however, he has accepted at least $24,000 from corporate PACs and $10,000 from Rep. Lowenthal, who is funded by the National Fraternal Order of Police PAC. Howze’s campaign has not committed to any of the pledges and is backed by BP Industries and MTC Distributing. Also noteworthy is that 40 percent of Howze’s total funds raised were from candidate self-financing.

About the Candidate

Rep. Harder, a former businessman, is from Turlock, CA. According to campaign materials, Rep. Harder is running for re-election to stand up to Washington’s corruption and put Valley families first.

Rep. Harder’s priorities for CA-10 this year have included affordable health care, fair and humane immigration reform, fighting corruption, building sustainable water infrastructure, and creating jobs. He currently sits on two committees: House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Education and Labor. This year, Rep. Harder has voted 97 percent of the time with Nancy Pelosi and 91 percent of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In the two votes that Pelosi and Rep. Harder disagreed on, Pelosi voted for the Bipartisan Budget Act on Passage, while Rep. Harder voted against, and Rep. Harder voted with Republicans for the American Dream and Promise Act, while Pelosi voted against. On July 21, 2020, Rep. Harder voted against H.R. 6395, the Pocan Amendment, which would have cut all Pentagon funds and accounts by 10 percent. As of August 21, 2020, Rep. Harder has yet to cosponsor H.R. 40, which would begin the formal process of studying the case for reparations to Black Americans, despite saying that he has been a lifelong proponent of social justice.

Rep. Harder has sponsored 37 bills about education, national security, health, taxation, and agriculture this year, of which none have successfully passed.

Rep. Harder is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups and leaders, such as President Barack Obama, End Citizens United, California Teachers Association, and Moms Demand Action. He is also endorsed by Deputy Sheriff Dana Rodriguez and former Chowchilla Police Chief Al Lucchesi. However, the threat of Republican challenger and strong Trump supporter Howze’s potential policies greatly outweighs Harder’s moderate voting record and lack of campaign finance pledges. According to our analysis, Rep. Harder is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Re-elect Speaker Nancy Pelosi to keep CA-12 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. 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.

About the District

California's 12th Congressional District includes part of San Francisco County. Republicans last held this district until 1992, when Tom Lantos won and flipped CA-12 from red to blue; it has been reliably democratic in every election since. Although Nancy Pelosi has been a member of Congress since 1987, she began representing CA-12 in 2013, after the district lines were redrawn. In recent state and federal elections, this district has supported democratic candidates by overwhelming margins. Hillary Clinton earned 86 percent of the vote in 2016, and Gavin Newsom earned 87 percent of the vote in 2018.

About the Race

In the primary, Democratic incumbent Representative Nancy Pelosi led Democratic Socialist challenger Shahid Buttar by a margin of 61 percent. Rep. Pelosi has received corporate PAC funds from PG&E, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and FedEx, and has not pledged to refuse fossil fuel or police money in her campaign. She has also received donations from Human Rights Campaign, End Citizens United, and Everytown for Gun Safety PAC. Challenger Buttar has pledged to refuse fossil fuel money, and has not received any corporate PAC donations.

This race is unique, as Pelosi currently leads the Democratic Caucus as the highest-ranking woman in government, and has been selected by a majority in the House of Representatives to serve as Speaker of the House. This position makes her 2nd in the line of succession to the Presidency.

About the Candidate

Congressional Representative and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, and is the daughter of former Baltimore Democratic Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She is the incumbent, having served in Congress since 1987. She first moved to San Francisco in 1969 and started a Democratic Party club at her home. When she entered politics, it was originally behind the scenes as a fundraiser and recruiter of Democratic candidates. It wasn’t until she turned 47, after her youngest child had left for college, that she ran for office herself in 1987, raising $1 million in seven weeks to win a special election and her first term in Congress. Speaker Pelosi is the 52nd speaker of the House of Representatives. She is the first woman to serve as speaker of the House and is in her third term in this position.

In representing the needs and interests of the 12th Congressional District, Speaker Pelosi has advanced local policy priorities that have historically pushed the country in a progressive direction. Speaker Pelosi played a role in resetting the agenda on LGBTQIA+ rights and the AIDS crisis during a time when both were vilified in the national debate. Speaker Pelosi also played a major role in designing the landmark assault weapons ban that passed in 1994 and was in effect until it expired in 2004.

In her role as speaker of the House, Speaker Pelosi decides which legislation is voted on. Under her leadership, the Democratic caucus in the House has steered a firmly moderate course, driven by deep relationships with donors and special interests and a rejection of taking bold, values-driven stances that align with broad public sentiment. Recent critiques of Speaker Pelosi’s leadership include her combative stance toward younger, more progressive, and vocal women of color in Congress, her endorsement of Joe Kennedy III over incumbent senator Ed Markey, her reluctant impeachment of Donald Trump on only the narrowest of grounds, her lack of support for a Green New Deal (or any other proposal) to avoid climate armageddon, and her choice of leadership at the DCCC--which has actively tried to protect incumbent Democrats from progressive challengers, no matter how abhorrent their records.

As the leader of the House, Speaker Pelosi’s priorities in recent months have been focused on pushing for additional stimulus and support funding in response to COVID-19. If re-elected, she promises to prioritize rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, enhancing the Affordable Care Act, allowing the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, and defending our democracy from foreign attacks.

While challenger Democratic Socialist Shahid Buttar has committed to pushing a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and voting, disability, and digital rights, his campaign has been accused of toxic workplace conditions with a particularly hostile environment for women working on this team. As a result, local progressive groups have stepped back from his campaign.

Speaker Pelosi has been endorsed by many statewide and local progressive groups, including End Citizens United, Planned Parenthood, EMILY’s List, and SF Rising Action. According to our analysis, Speaker Pelosi remains the strongest choice for representative leadership in office in this election despite a troubling legacy of moderate leadership during a time when the country deserves a bold, progressive vision. That said, we encourage more progressive candidates that will better reflect this community’s needs to run in future cycles.

Re-elect Congressional Representative Jackie Speier to keep CA-14 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. 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.  

About the District
California’s 14th Congressional District includes parts of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. Democrats have held this district since it was flipped from red to blue in 1992. In recent general elections, the district voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and for Gavin Newsom in 2018.

About the Race
In the primary, Democrat Incumbent Representative Jackie Speier led Republican challenger Ran Petel by a margin of 61.3 percent. Representative Speier has run and won against all challengers for this seat since 2008. Speier’s campaign has not committed to refusing corporate PAC, fossil fuel, or police money. Representative Speier’s campaign has accepted corporate PAC funds from groups that include Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government, Facebook Inc. PAC, and Biopharma ThermoFisher Scientific PAC. Speier has also received money from Edison International PAC, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provider of industrial and commercial energy services. No FEC filings have been made about opponent Petel’s campaign’s funding.

About the Candidate
Rep. Speier was born and raised in San Francisco and has been a longtime public servant, having first been elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1980. She won a special primary for the 14th Congressional District on April 8, 2008, and has run on platforms advocating for gender equity, gun violence prevention, and LGBTQ equality.

Rep. Speier’s priorities for CA-14 this year have included the reporting of data on COVID-19 in federal, state, and local correctional facilities, authorizing the use of funds for comprehensive reproductive health-care services, and modifying and enhancing protections for federal government whistleblowers. She currently sits on two committees: the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee. This year, Rep. Speier has voted 100 percent of the time with Nancy Pelosi and 95 percent of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In contrast to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Speier voted in favor of the motion to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment and in favor of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement Implementation Act. Rep. Speier has sponsored 55 bills about civil rights and liberties, minority issues, environmental protection, and labor and employment rights, of which three have passed one chamber.
 
Rep. Speier is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. Despite her imperfect campaign-financing record and her moderate stances, she has a track record of working with statewide progressive groups. According to our analysis, Rep. Speier is the strongest choice for representative leadership in office.

Re-elect State Assemblymember Rob Bonta to keep AD-18 on the right track.

About the Position

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.

About the District

California's 18th Assembly District includes a third of Alameda County. Democrats typically hold this district. Democrat incumbent Assemblymember Rob Bonta has held this office since being elected in 2012. The most recent election results show 85.9 percent of AD-18 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016, and 88.3 percent voted for Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.

About the Race

In the primary, Democrat incumbent Assemblymember Rob Bonta led Republican challenger Steve Slauson by a margin of 78.6 percent. Bonta’s campaign has raised $1,041,780 and is funded by police money, fossil fuel money, and corporate PACs. Bonta pledged to refuse fossil fuel money, but has accepted a $1,500 contribution from Sempra Energy. Slauson has not electronically filed campaign contributions for this election cycle with the Secretary of State’s office. Slauson also faced off against Assemblymember Bonta in 2018’s general election and lost in a landslide.

About the Candidate

Assemblymember Bonta, a civil rights attorney, is from Alameda, CA. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, he served as a deputy city attorney for both the City and County of San Francisco, as an elected member of the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, as board president for the Social Service Human Relations board, as board president for Alternatives in Action, and as chair of the Economic Development Commission. He is a longtime activist in the ongoing fight for racial, economic, and social justice. According to campaign materials, Assemblymember Bonta is running for re-election to continue working for better schools, safer streets, and more prosperous communities.

Assemblymember Bonta’s priorities for AD-18 this year include social justice as related to jails, and ICE, taxation, and discrimination. He currently sits on four committees: Appropriations, Communications and Conveyance, Governmental Organization, and Health. Assemblymember Bonta has sponsored 54 bills about discrimination, labor, taxation, health, and education this year, of which 12 have been successfully chaptered. He scores a lifetime score of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assemblymember Bonta has supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, he has also supported a problematic bill (AB 1366), which would eliminate critical oversight of telecom companies.

Assemblymember Bonta is endorsed by several progressive groups, such as California Teachers Association, Equality California, and the California League of Conservation Voters. He is also endorsed by the Peace Officers Research Association of California, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, and California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. However, the threat of Republican challenger Slauson’s potential policies greatly outweighs Assemblymember Bonta’s lack of campaign finance pledges and overwhelming support from police organizations. According to our analysis, Assemblymember Bonta is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Re-elect State Senate Representative Nancy Skinner to keep SD-09 on the right track.

About the Position

State senators represent and advocate for 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 people. 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 or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 29 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 11 seats.

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.

About the District

California’s 9th Senate District includes parts of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Notable cities include Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro, and Richmond. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent elections show SD-09 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018, both with large victory margins. The district encompasses a significant Black, Latino, and Asian population (62 percent) and has a notable liberal history dating back to World War II and the Free Speech Movement. However, recently, there has been a decline in minority populations, specifically African-Americans, due to gentrification. It is a major urban and commercial hot spot and includes the Port of Oakland and Bay Bridge. State Senate District 9 is considered one of the safest of Democratic districts.

About the Race

In the primary, Democrat incumbent Nancy Skinner led Libertarian challenger Jamie Dluzak by a margin of nearly 100 percent. Sen. Skinner’s campaign has raised over $130,000, and has received funding from corporate donations. Her campaign has also received fossil fuel and law-enforcement money, although not a significant amount, compared to other State Senate candidates. Sen. Skinner’s campaign has also received donations from multiple clean-energy corporations, and notable progressive associations, such as the California Nurses Association PAC.

About the Candidate

Nancy Skinner was born in San Francisco, and has lived in Berkeley, CA, for over 40 years. According to campaign materials, Skinner is running for re-election to continue fighting for criminal-justice reform, environmental protections, affordable housing, and public safety. Prior to her election to the State Senate, Skinner served three terms in the State Assembly, was the first student to be elected to the Berkeley City Council, and served as the executive director of ICLEI’s United States office, which worked with international cities to stop climate change. As a graduate student at Berkeley, Skinner co-founded the labor union that represents graduate student instructors.

Skinner is the incumbent State Senator in District 9, having served in the position since 2017. She currently serves as the chair for Senate Public Safety and Senate Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, and the Judiciary, and is a member of an additional nine committees. Sen. Skinner has authored legislation to improve California’s affordable-housing shortage, and to protect the environment through the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. During her term, she has supported legislation for renewable energy and police reform. In the State Senate, Skinner authored two significant criminal-justice reform bills to increase police accountability and overhaul the felony murder rule. Skinner has voted on 11 bills this year that address issues pertaining to COVID-19 relief, affirmative action, and paid family leave.

Nancy Skinner is a Courage California all-star, with a lifetime 97 out of 100 Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Additionally, Skinner has received endorsements from notable progressive organizations, including United Domestic Workers, United Farm Workers, and California Democratic Party. In 2019, she received 100 percent ratings from AFSCME, California Labor Federation, CA Federation of Teachers, Equality CA, Health Access, Planned Parenthood of CA, and Sierra Club CA. Based on our analysis, Skinner has consistently shown great courage by advocating for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians.

According to our analysis, Nancy Skinner is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Vinnie Bacon to push Alameda County in the right direction.

About the Position

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.

About the District

Alameda is California's 7th most populous county. Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.53 million people and manages an estimated budget of $3.5 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors directly elected by voters in their respective districts. District 1 includes the cities of Fremont, Livermore, and Dublin.

About the Race

In the primary, challenger Vinnie Bacon led challenger David Haubert by a margin of 1.3 percent. Bacon’s campaign has pledged to refuse corporate PAC and fossil fuel money, but has yet to pledge to refuse police money. Haubert’s campaign has not pledged to refuse corporate PAC, fossil fuel, or police money. Neither campaign has made any campaign finance filings.

About the Candidate

Vinnie Bacon, an environmental engineer with experience in city planning, has lived in Fremont for more than 20 years. Bacon has served as Fremont City Councilmember since 2016. According to campaign materials, Vinnie Bacon is running to bring integrity, independence, and representation to the district.

Vinnie Bacon’s priorities for Alameda County this term include the construction of affordable housing, to push for a Green New Deal, and to bring smart traffic and transit planning to the county. His campaign emphasizes clean money and not bowing to deep pockets and special interests. According to campaign materials, Bacon is the only candidate in this election who stands up unambiguously for LGBTQIA+ equality and a woman’s right to choose.

Councilmember Vinnie Bacon grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and worked as an environmental engineer after college. After moving to Fremont, Bacon worked as transportation planner for several years. Before becoming councilmember, Bacon served on the City of Fremont’s Economic Development Advisory Commission. Councilmember Bacon serves on the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter Executive Committee. As Fremont City Councilmember, Bacon has fought for affordable housing, opposed encroachment on open spaces, demanded an acceleration of the $15 minimum wage, and stood up for DACA recipients against the bigotry of the Trump administration.

Vinnie Bacon is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district. According to our analysis, Vinnie Bacon is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Re-elect City Council Member Rebecca Kaplan to keep Oakland on the right track. 

About the Position

Oakland is governed by an eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. In Oakland, the position of mayor is limited to two terms of four years each, while City Council members can serve for an unlimited number of terms. The Council is made up of one representative from each of seven districts and one at-large representative. 

About the District

Oakland is Alameda County’s most populous city. Oakland City Council oversees the needs of 390,724 people, according to the 2010 Census, and manages an estimated budget of $1.5 billion annually. Oakland is managed by a mayor-council structured government. 

About the Race

Incumbent Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s campaign has raised $95,785 ($15,000 from candidate self-financing) and is not funded by fossil fuel, corporate PACs, or police money. However, she has not pledged to refuse money from any of those groups. Challenger Derreck B. Johnson’s campaign has raised $187,469 and has not committed to any of the pledges, either.  Challenger Nancy Sidebotham has not reported contributions at this time.

A committee in opposition to Kaplan was formed by Ernest Brown, chair of the board of directors at YIMBY Action. However, Lyft has recently overtaken the committee in contributions, accounting for 72 percent of the total contributions as of October 6, 2020. Brown informed local newspapers that he is unsure why Lyft donated, considering the committee is about housing. Kaplan cites her attempts to tax companies like Lyft and Uber to pay for road infrastructure and previous votes against those companies’ requests to alter rental bike/scooter contracts with the City of Oakland to achieve a monopoly, like they did in San Francisco, as the reason why Lyft is lobbying against her. Kaplan concluded in an interview with The Oaklandside:  “This is not about housing. This is about a billionaire corporation that doesn’t want to pay its fair share in taxes and wants to abuse its workers.”

About the Candidate

Rebecca Kaplan, current Oakland City Council Member At Large since 2008, is from Oakland. She is the first openly-LGBTQIA+ elected official in Oakland. Prior to her election to the Oakland City Council, Kaplan worked as a housing rights attorney in Oakland and served as the elected director on the AC Transit Board and on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board. She is a longtime supporter of increasing affordability and accessibility to public transportation, racial justice, and LGBTQIA+ rights. According to campaign materials, Kaplan is running for re-election to protect public health in a pandemic and beyond, improve regional transportation and infrastructure, promote gun safety, and protect renters and sexually exploited youth.

Kaplan’s priorities for Oakland this term include public transportation and police accountability. Notable district achievements by Kaplan as City Council Member At Large include banning the loading and storage of coal in Oakland, passing gun legislation that provided technology and systems to shut down sources of illegal guns and banned leaving guns loose in unattended vehicles, organizing the LGBTQIA+ roundtable, and helping to write and pass the $8 billion Measure BB, which increased transit service, provided free bus passes for school-age children, and created thousands of local jobs. Kaplan is the lead author of Measure S1 - Amending Powers of Police Commission, which will appear on Oakland residents’ ballots this November. The measure seeks to provide independence of police oversight to help provide accountability and trust. Kaplan currently sits on four committees: Life Enrichment, Public Safety, Rules and Legislation, and City/Port Liaison Committee (chair).

Kaplan is endorsed by a strong majority progressive groups, such as Equality California, Planned Parenthood, Oakland Rising Action, and Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC. At this time, Kaplan does not have any problematic endorsements. According to our analysis, Rebecca Kaplan is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Tamisha Walker as City Councilmember to push Antioch in the right direction.

About the Position

Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council. In Antioch’s case, this five-person city council includes the mayor and mayor pro tem. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Antioch serve four-year terms, and are not bound by term limits.

About the District

Antioch is Contra Costa County’s third most populous city, and includes a population that is 43 percent white, 33 percent Latinx, and 20 percent Black. Antioch City Council oversees the needs of 102,372 people and manages an estimated budget of $158 million annually. Antioch is managed by a council-manager structured government. Antioch’s District 1 includes the northernmost region of the city. The northern, eastern, and western boundaries of the district are the city limits, and the southern boundary is Highway 4.

About the Race

This November’s election will be the first by-district race since Antioch approved district divisions in May 2018. All four districts are up for election this year, with Districts 1 and 4 electing representatives to initial two-year terms. Going forward, all city council elections will seat members to four-year terms. There are three candidates running for the District 1 seat, including current Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts and challenger Tamisha Walker. Walker’s campaign has not committed to any fundraising pledges, and has raised nearly $9,000 through a Crowdpac page. She entered the race after the most recent fundraising deadline, and has not recorded any receipts with the county. Incumbent Motts’s campaign has also not committed to any fundraising pledges, and does not have any fundraising receipts on record with the county.

About the Candidate

Tamisha Walker, a nonprofit executive director, is from Richmond, CA. According to campaign materials, Walker is running for election to use her experience as a community advocate to ensure that city government continues to work for all families in Antioch.

Walker’s priorities for Antioch this term include fiscal stewardship, investing in youth development, climate and public lands protections, reimagining public safety, and resolving the local housing crisis. Walker is also committed to establishing Antioch as a sanctuary city.

Walker is a founding member and executive director of Safe Return Project, which works to dismantle the mass-incarceration system and funds rehabilitation and prevention programs in the community. The program has a large footprint, affecting over 30,000 formerly incarcerated residents and over $90 million in local and state budgets. Criminal-justice reform is personal to Walker, who experienced economic and social disadvantage in her youth, and was incarcerated before turning 18. Since her release in 2009, she has been working in community organizing, and has training in violence-prevention strategies, conflict mediation, and incarceration and gun violence research and advocacy. She is a longtime advocate of the importance of rehabilitation in criminal justice, and eliminating racial disparity and injustice in policing.

Walker is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district, including Working Families Party. According to our analysis, Tamisha Walker is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Julie Diep to push Garden Grove City Council in the right direction. 

About the Position

Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City councilmembers in Garden Grove are ‎limited to two consecutive four-year terms and must take a two-year break if interested in serving again.

About the District

Garden Grove is Orange County’s fifth most populous city. Garden Grove City Council oversees the needs of 170,883 people, according to the 2010 Census, and manages an estimated budget of $255 million annually. Garden Grove is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Garden Grove’s District 2 includes North Garden Grove.

About the Race

Julie Diep’s campaign has raised $13,774. The campaign has yet to pledge to refuse money from fossil fuels, corporate PACs, and police, but to date has not taken money from these sources, as her campaign is funded entirely by individual contributions. Incumbent and Mayor Pro Tem John O’Neill’s campaign has raised $7,250. He has not committed to any of the pledges and is funded by the Garden Grove Police Association PAC. 

About the Candidate

Julie Diep, a therapist and business owner, is from Garden Grove, CA. Diep is the founder and president of OC Autism Foundation, a nonprofit that provides resources, advocacy, workshops, and speech therapy to families and children with autism. She also worked as a speech-language pathologist for Garden Grove Unified School District and currently works as a clinical director for New Hope Therapy Center in Garden Grove. She is a longtime supporter of eliminating language barriers for Latino and Vietnamese families, she seeks resources for children with autism, and she received a 2019 Distinguished Women’s Award for her work by City Council Member Sergio Contreras. According to campaign materials, Diep is running for election to bring a fresh outlook on the issues that matter most, such as helping to support small-business development.

Diep’s priorities for Garden Grove this term include affordable housing, public safety, community resources during the pandemic, tourism, and small businesses. 

Diep is endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County. At this time, she does not have any problematic endorsements. Incumbent Councilmember O’Neill’s problematic policies greatly outweigh Diep’s unfamiliarity with elected office and lack of campaign finance pledges. According to our analysis, Julie Diep is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Carroll Fife to push Oakland in the right direction.

About the Position

Oakland is governed by an eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. In Oakland, the position of mayor is limited to two terms of four years each, while City Council members can serve for an unlimited number of terms. The Council is made up of one representative from each of seven districts and one at-large representative. 

About the District

Oakland is Alameda County’s most populous city, and is 36 percent white, 24 percent Black, 27 percent Latinx, and 15 percent Asian. The Oakland City Council oversees the needs of 390,724 people and manages an estimated budget of $1.61 billion annually. Oakland is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Oakland’s District 3 includes the neighborhoods of West Oakland, Downtown/Uptown, Jack London, Pill Hill/KONO, the Lake, and the Port of Oakland.

About the Race

Oakland uses a ranked-choice voting system, which eliminates the need for city council races to be included on the primary ballot. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballot. The seat is won by a candidate who either wins a majority of first-rank preference, or, in the case of no majority winner, the candidate who has received the largest proportion of higher-ranking votes. There are six candidates running for this seat, including the incumbent, Lynette Gibson McElhaney, and her progressive challenger, Carroll Fife. There is no current polling available for this race. Carroll Fife’s campaign has raised $168,000, and has not accepted donations from any corporate PACs. Incumbent McElhaney has not committed to any funding pledges, and has recorded $151,000 in donations, including funds from the Oakland Police Officers’ Association. Recently, it was revealed that McElhaney is suspected to be part of an investigation by the Oakland Public Ethics Commission related to laundering of campaign contribution money over the last several years. It is alleged that the owners of California Waste Solutions (CWS) have funneled money to several councilmembers through straw donations since 2013. The donations are believed to be tied to the council’s consideration of a lawsuit related to an error in the CWS contract that has allowed them to collect millions by overcharging customers.

About the Candidate

Carroll Fife, the director of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action, is a longtime resident of Oakland. According to campaign materials, Fife is running to build on her successes as a community organizer, and to continue to collaborate with her neighbors in collective advocacy for social justice.

Fife has progressive priorities for Oakland this term, including housing as a human right, divesting from policing, reinvesting in communities, progressive taxation, and supporting essential workers. She believes in systemic change to create more equity in public systems.

Fife is a prolific community activist. She helped found Moms 4 Housing, a local housing-rights collective that organizes to reclaim housing from big banks and real-estate speculators.  She is a co-founder of Oakland Alliance, Oakland Justice Coalition, and Community Ready Corps. Through these organizations, Fife works in solidarity with her community to address issues of racial justice, housing equity, and education accessibility. She has successfully led organizing efforts that resulted in legislative victories on these issues, creating direct benefit for the Oakland community. She founded the Black Women in Elected Leadership PAC, and was elected to the Oakland NAACP Executive Committee. In recent years, she managed Oakland’s first-ever slate of all-Black women candidates for city council, and served as a delegate for the Bernie Sanders campaign during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Fife is a longtime supporter of housing rights, community self-determination, and racial justice.

Fife is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district. According to our analysis, Fife is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect City Council Member Susan Sonne to push Buena Park in the right direction.

About the Position

Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Buena Park are elected for staggered terms of four years. The city’s charter does not specify a term limit for city council members.

About the District

Buena Park is Orange County’s 12th most populous city. The Buena Park City Council oversees the needs of 81,788 people and manages an estimated budget of $1.5 million annually. Buena Park is managed by a council-manager structured government. Buena Park’s population includes significant Latinx and Asian populations.

About the Race

Susan Sonne’s campaign is endorsed by HONOR PAC, the Orange County Labor Federation, Women in Leadership, the president emeritus of the Orange County Firefighters, and a large number of local trade unions and representatives. There are two other candidates for this seat, Sharon Smith and Paul Gonzales. Due to the lack of a primary election, newspaper polls, or publicly available electronic campaign finance documents, we cannot offer any specific numbers at this time.

About the Candidate

Susan Sonne, a Buena Park city commissioner, is a longtime resident of District 3. According to campaign materials, Sonne is running for election to foster a city hall environment that can lift Buena Park to a prosperous recovery.

Susan Sonne’s priorities for Buena Park this term include expanding access to childcare and the internet, decriminalizing poverty, sending medics and crisis workers to incidents where law enforcement is not required, distributing state-authorized rent relief funds, expanding food-distribution programs, establishing a citizen-engagement process for future development of the Buena Park Mall, transforming wasted space beneath power lines into parks and walking trails, and updating the city’s water system.

Susan Sonne boasts a forty-year career in IT, beginning as a programmer and working her way up to management. She currently serves as a city commissioner and previously served as chair of the Beautification-Environmental Commission. A longtime supporter of tree-planting initiatives and environmental preservation, she works as executive director of the Buena Park Collaborative and volunteered at the Buena Park Community Resource Center, advocating for her city’s urban forest. In her own words: “More trees, please!”

Susan Sonne is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district and is, according to our analysis, the strongest choice for representative leadership in office.

Elect David Cohen to push San Jose in the right direction.

About the Position

San Jose, CA, is governed by a ten-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City councilmembers in San Jose are ‎limited to two consecutive terms of four years each.

About the District

San Jose is Santa Clara County’s most populous city. The San Jose City Council oversees the needs of an estimated 1 million people and manages an estimated budget of $3 billion annually. San Jose is managed by a council-manager structured government. San Jose’s District 4 includes Alviso, Berryessa, and the North San Jose Innovation District.

About the Race

In the primary, challenger David Cohen led incumbent Lan Diep by a margin of 3.3 percent. Cohen’s campaign has raised $123,766 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Diep’s campaign has raised $227,062, has not committed to any campaign finance pledges, and is endorsed by the California Apartment Association and the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors. Diep was a registered Republican until 2019, when he re-registered as “Decline to State” without a public statement. Diep’s top priority for a prospective second term is “safety,” and he is quoted as saying, “This is the challenge of the moment facing our police force: trying to grow our ranks as we face waves of officers ready to retire.”

About the Candidate

David Cohen, an engineer and Berryessa Union School District Board trustee, has lived in District 4 for twenty years. According to campaign materials, Cohen is running for election to promote sustainable financial investment in San Jose’s public services.

David Cohen’s priorities for San Jose this term include making solar energy part of every development project, working with the water district to ensure that gray water is reused for irrigation, expanding BART and light-rail access by completing stalled extension efforts, and partnering with Santa Clara County and nonprofit organizations to provide housing, mental-health care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and job training/placement programs for unhoused residents.

David Cohen earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his PhD from U.C Berkeley. During his time on the Berryessa Union School District Board, Cohen started Dual-Immersion Programs in Mandarin and Spanish, prevented class size increases, protected the music and science programs from budget cuts, ensured that counselors and social workers were added to each school site, and moved several schools over to solar energy. He is also involved with the Berryessa Citizens Advisory Council and other neighborhood associations.

David Cohen is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district and is, according to our analysis, the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Bob Tucker to push Garden Grove City Council in the right direction.

About the Position

Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City councilmembers in Garden Grove are ‎limited to two consecutive four-year terms and must take a two-year break if interested in serving again.

About the District

Garden Grove is Orange County’s 5th most populous city. Garden Grove City Council oversees the needs of 170,883 people, according to the 2010 Census, and manages an estimated budget of $255 million annually. Garden Grove is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Garden Grove’s District 5 includes Eastern Garden Grove.

About the Race

Robert (Bob) Tucker’s campaign has raised $8,845 and is not funded by police, corporate PACs, or fossil fuels, though he has not taken any campaign finance pledges. Incumbent Stephanie Klopfenstein’s campaign has raised $20,175. She has not committed to any of the pledges we highlight, and is funded by several real estate corporations and the Garden Grove Police Association PAC. For the 2016 election, Klopfenstein signed a No Union Money pledge.

About the Candidate

Bob Tucker, a former labor relations representative with California School Employees Association, is from Garden Grove, CA. Tucker also served as a board member and Youth Council chair for Santa Ana Workforce Investment Board, personnel commissioner for Garden Grove Unified School District, and as chapter President for CSEA. He is a longtime advocate for labor and health-care policy at both the state and local levels. According to campaign materials, Tucker is running for election to be Garden Grove’s local advocate and make sure the city’s budget reflects its values.

Tucker’s priorities for Garden Grove this term include reallocating funds from the police department to community support services, obtaining COVID-19 relief for families and businesses throughout the city, and increasing transparency and responsiveness within Garden Grove City Council.

Tucker is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups and elected officials, such as the Democratic Party of OC, OC Labor Federation, OC Civic Engagement Table, and Garden Grove City Councilmember for District 6 Kim Nguyen. At this time, he does not have any problematic endorsements. Incumbent Klopfenstein's  policies greatly outweighs Tucker’s lack of campaign finance pledges. According to our analysis, Bob Tucker is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect City Council challenger Lauren Kohler to push Chico in the right direction.

About the Position

Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Chico are ‎limited to three terms, or 12 years in office total.

About the District

Chico is Butte County’s most populous city, with a white population of 82 percent. Chico City Council oversees the needs of 86,187 people and manages an estimated budget of $152 million annually. Chico is managed by a mayor-council structured government. Chico’s District 5 includes the southwestern region of the city near Nord Avenue.

About the Race

This November’s election will be the first in Chico since the city council adopted a new district map. Four city council seats are on the ballot, including District 5. There are three candidates running for this seat, including the incumbent Randall Stone, and a challenger, Lauren Kohler. Kohler has not pledged to refuse police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC money, and has recorded around $6,500 of fundraising receipts as of September 2020. Incumbent Stone has also not taken any fundraising pledges this election cycle, and has recorded only small-dollar donations.

About the Candidate

Lauren Kohler, a small-business manager, is from Chico, CA. According to campaign materials, Kohler is running for election to center the needs of Chicoans and work toward humane solutions to the city’s issues of housing and climate change.

Kohler’s priorities for Chico this term include establishing renter protections and permanent housing solutions for homeless individuals, creating climate resilience through thoughtful urban planning, and reimagining public safety through investment in community-based social services.

Kohler is a lifelong resident of Chico, and attended Butte College and Chico State University. She has worked for Butte County Behavioral Health as an education specialist, as a case manager for a statewide homelessness program, and now manages a local small business. She has been outspoken about the importance of thoughtfully establishing long-term solutions to housing and homelessness in Chico.

Kohler is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district, including California Progressive Alliance. According to our analysis, Lauren Kohler is the strongest choice for equitable leadership in office.

Elect Jovanka Beckles to push the AC Transit Board in the right direction. 

About the Position

Transit systems in California are generally governed by a five-person board. A transportation board is responsible for operating transit service, setting service levels, routes, and fares, and regulating transit facilities. AC Transit Board directors are elected every four years and can serve indefinite four-year terms until they resign or are replaced.

About the District

AC Transit Board is responsible for public transportation within Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The AC Transit Board oversees the needs of 1,423,713 people according to the most recent population report in 2011 and manages an estimated budget of $471 million annually. The AC Transit Board is managed by a seven-person president-director structured government. AC Transit Board Ward 1 serves 284,966 people and operates in Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Kensington, and Richmond.

About the Race

Jovanka Beckles is the only challenger to incumbent Joe Wallace, who was first elected to AC Transit Board Ward 1 in 2000 and has been re-elected every term. He currently serves as president of the board. Wallace is endorsed by San Pablo City Council Member Rita Xavier and the Sierra Club. No campaign filing statements have been filed for either Wallace or challenger Jovanka Beckles. 

About the Candidate

Jovanka Beckles, a former Richmond City Council member, is from Richmond, CA. Beckles is also a children’s mental-health professional, a leader in the Richmond Progressive Alliance, and a self-described democratic socialist following the tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr. She is a longtime supporter of environmental protections and public safety, having co-sponsored the Climate Emergency Declaration in Richmond, voted against Chevron’s plan to produce dirtier crude oil, and opposed the transportation of coal into Richmond. According to campaign materials, Beckles is running for election at the urging of AC Transit workers in Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192. 

Beckles’s priorities for the AC Transit Board this term include establishing fare-free transit, making a Green New Deal for transit in the East Bay a reality by taxing corporations, ensuring a safe ride for all--specifically with COVID-19 in mind--and continuing to fight for labor rights for transit workers, including safe working conditions. 

Beckles is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups and elected officials in the district, such as Carroll Fife (director of Oakland’s ACCE Action chapter), Lateefah Simon (BART Board of Directors, District 7), East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, and Mark Williams (AC Transit Board of Directors, Ward 4). Beckles does not have any problematic endorsements at this time. According to our analysis, Beckles is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Elect Board Member Jamie Salcido to push BART District 1 in the right direction. 

About the Position

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, is split into nine districts within Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties. Each district elects one board member to a four-year term. Once elected, one member acts as president, and five officers are appointed: general manager, controller-treasurer, independent police auditor, general counsel, and district secretary. In 2019, BART served 118 million passengers, averaging 411,000 per weekday.

About the District

BART District 1 lies within Contra Costa County and includes the following stations: Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre, and Walnut Creek.

About the Candidate

Jamie Salcido is a transportation commissioner for Walnut Creek and a health-care marketing manager. According to campaign materials, Salcido is running for election to address the extended impact of COVID-19 and bring ridership back; to keep riders safe by increasing collaboration with local governments, nonprofits, and social services agencies, as opposed to the police; and to ensure that BART continues its transition to Communication-Based Train Control, allowing trains to run at closer intervals.

As transportation commissioner, Jamie Salcido focuses on improving traffic congestion, downtown parking, and moving people out of single-occupancy vehicles in favor of efficient and clean public transit. With a background in urban design, she has built transit-related projects that enhance the safety of public spaces with visibility and lighting systems, and improve community connectivity with pedestrian and bike paths.

Jamie Salcido is endorsed by many progressive organizations in the district, such as the League of Conservation Voters of the East Bay, Contra Costa Young Democrats, LAMBDA Democrats, East Bay for Everyone, and a number of trade unions and labor councils. According to our analysis, Lateefah Simon is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
 

Re-elect board member Lateefah Simon to keep BART on the right track. 

About the Position

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, is split into nine districts within Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties. Each district elects one board member to a four-year term. Once elected, one member acts as president, and five officers are appointed: general manager, controller-treasurer, independent police auditor, general counsel, and district secretary. In 2019, BART served 118 million passengers, averaging 411,000 per weekday.

About the District

BART District 7 lies within the Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties and includes the following stations: Ashby, El Cerrito del Norte (partial), El Cerrito Plaza (partial), MacArthur (partial), Montgomery (partial), Richmond, West Oakland, Embarcadero (partial).

About the Candidate

Incumbent Boardmember Lateefah Simon, a community activist and president of the BART District Board for 2020, is from the Fillmore district of San Francisco. Legally blind and a working mother, Simon is running for re-election to continue serving the working people, seniors, and people with disabilities who rely on BART. She has expressed a long-term desire to secure enough funding to make public transit free.

Lateefah Simon began her community engagement at age 15, organizing for the Center for Young Women’s Development. By 19, she was appointed executive director and served 11 years, bringing the organization to national acclaim. At 26, her work with the Center earned Simon the distinction of youngest woman ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. She went on to lead the creation of San Francisco’s first reentry services division under the leadership of then District Attorney Kamala Harris. Simon later served as executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and as program director at the Rosenberg Foundation.

Currently, Lateefah Simon works as president of the Akonadi Foundation, an organization based in Oakland that funds and nurtures racial-justice movements, seeking to eliminate structural racism and expand opportunity for youth of color. She is also a California State University Trustee, appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2016 to serve the largest public university system in the world.

Incumbent Boardmember Lateefah Simon is endorsed by many progressive organizations in the district, such as the Harvey Milk Club; San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; SF Renters Alliance; the East Bay, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Young Democrats; and a number of trade unions. According to our analysis, Lateefah Simon is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.
 

Elect Kevine Boggess to keep San Francisco on the right track.

About the Position
San Francisco Unified School District is the seventh-largest school district in California, serving over 57,000 students annually. Members of the San Francisco Unified Board of Education are elected in an at-large race every even-numbered year. The term limit for this position is four years. 

About the District
San Francisco Unified School District is located in San Francisco County. The district contains over 127 schools and oversees a budget of over $737 million. The district is fairly diverse, with a 34 percent Asian student population and a 15 percent Latinx student population. Democrats typically hold this county. The most recent election results show San Francisco County voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.

About the Candidate
Kevine Boggess, education policy director at Coleman Advocated for Children and Youth, is from San Francisco, California. According to campaign materials, Boggess is running for election to rebuild trust and accountability within the school board, close achievement and opportunity gaps among disenfranchised students, and invest funding into classrooms and staffing.

As a lifelong resident and student of San Francisco Unified School District, Boggess has witnessed firsthand both the strengths and weaknesses of the district’s education system. He aims to center the voices of youth, educators, families, and community members to address issues, and believes that those most affected by the school board’s choices should be paramount in the decision-making process. Boggess’s campaign emphasizes the need for trust, accountability, and equity, and assures that his education policies will seek to establish those elements both within the district and the annual budget. He is committed to fighting for new revenue so that schools are fully equipped and staffed. Boggess is especially dedicated to serving students of color, and addressing the disproportionate inequalities they face within San Francisco schools. 

Boggess has served as the education policy director at Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth for nearly ten years. Through his work, he has aimed to transform San Francisco schools through policy change at the local, state, and national levels. In his position, Kevine dedicates time each week to meet with students, families, and teachers to understand their conditions and needs. He showcases an understanding both inside and outside his professional role. Kevine is also a leader in the San Francisco Black community, and is spearheading the fight to keep SF police out of public schools. 

Boggess is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district. These include San Francisco Labor Council, People’s Action, Bay Rising Action, and the Affordable Housing Alliance. Kevine also holds a longstanding relationship with SF Rising, a notable progressive organization within the Bay Area. According to our analysis, Kevine Boggess is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.