4th Assembly District

Audrey Denney grew up in Central California, south of California's First Congressional District.  According to campaign materials, she is running for Congress to represent Northern Californians’ values and vision by fighting for access to healthcare, addressing income inequality and discrimination, and ensuring that all humans are treated with dignity and respect. 

Denney is a Senior Learning Designer, where she develops curriculum for agriculture companies and nonprofits to streamline institutional knowledge. Denney currently sits on the board of directors at Cristosal, an international human rights organization, and serves on Bidwell Presebyterian Church’s mission committee. Throughout her career, Denney has utilized her agriculture knowledge to help local farmers, as well as farmers in developing countries and other rural areas. 

Denney is running against Doug LaMalfa (R), who is the incumbent and has held the seat since 2013. Other challengers include Rob Lydon (D), Gregory Cheadle (NPP), and Joseph LeTourneau IV (NPP). According to recent election results, it will be very difficult for a Democrat to win this seat. Denney is the progressive choice because of her track record of supporting and lifting up vulnerable populations, and her pledge represent her community by putting people over politics and special interests.  

According to our analysis, Denney is a strong choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Brynne Kennedy and moved to Roseville, CA in 2019. According to campaign materials she is running for Congressional District 4 because she is disillusioned with partisan gridlock in Washington and government inefficiency.

Brynne Kennedy is the former CEO of Topia, an HR software company she founded to innovate the way companies relocate their employees. As CEO, she offered her employees paid parental leave as well as stock ownership. Through Topia, Kennedy also founded Mobility4All, a philanthropy initiative that relocates refugees and those fleeing poverty. She supports policies that ensure equal pay for women, the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, and the protection and expansion of access to reproductive health services.

Kennedy is running against Tom McClintock (R) who is the incumbent and has held the position since 2009, as well as Julianne Benzel (R), Jamie Byers (R), Jacob Thomas (R), and Robert Lawton (NPP). According to recent election results, this is a very challenging race for Democrats to win. Though we are concerned that Kennedy remains markedly silent on immigration, her strong support for equality and women’s rights would move the district forward on those progressive issues and make her a strong choice in this race.

According to our analysis, Brynne Kennedy is the strongest choice for effective leadership in office.
 

Dr. Ami Bera was first elected to California’s 7th Congressional District in 2012, defeating Republican incumbent Dan Lungren after redistricting. Rep. Bera was born and raised in southern California, and earned his B.S. and M.D. from the University of California, Irvine. He moved to the Sacramento area in the mid 1990s and currently lives with his family in Elk Grove. As a doctor, improving access to health care and reducing prescription drug costs have been central to Rep. Bera’s platform, as has protecting Medicare and Social Security. 

Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bera served as Sacramento County’s Chief Medical Officer, and was a clinical professor and associate dean for admissions at the University of California, Davis. 

In the House, Rep. Bera currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; he is also the Chair of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

Rep. Bera has been a strong proponent of women’s issues, including improving early access to healthcare, protecting reproductive choice, increasing funding for Title X and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. He has fought the Trump administrations roll backs of clean air and water regulations, and supports investments in renewable, green energy, but is not a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal resolution. After California’s devastating wildfires, he co-sponsored legislation to improve the resilience of electrical grids. He’s stated his support of publicly owned utilities but has not specifically called for public ownership of PG&E. He supported the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which, among other reforms, would allow Health & Human Services to negotiate the cost of 250 drugs for Medicare recipients. While he supports a path to universal healthcare, he has not supported Medicare for All plans.  

Rep. Bera is running against Jeff Burdick (D), Jon Ivy (R), Buzz Paterson (R), and Chris Richardson (G). The district is a battleground district that can be tough for Democrats to win; the margin of victory was often less than 3% for Bera. While Rep. Bera is more conservative on some issues, this seat is a must-keep for Democrats, and his support on other key progressive issues is vital. Rep. Bera is the best choice for a progressive voice in this race. 
 

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry grew up in Yolo County and lives in Winters, CA. She is the incumbent, having served as Assemblymember for the 4th District in the State Assembly since 2016. According to campaign materials, she is running for re-election to continue to be a fierce advocate for Democratic values and for the small cities and towns that make up District 4.

During her tenure, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry has worked to serve the interests of rural residents, farmers and agricultural workers, and local government. She has authored successful legislation to protect small family farm homesteads, improve the quality of recycling programs by local governments, and to improve voter registration in counties throughout the state. Through her efforts, she helped establish the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to protect environmental lands across five counties. In the Assembly, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry currently chairs the Local Government Committee and the Select Committee on Wine. She also currently serves as Chair of the Yolo Housing Commission, Vice-Chair of the Yolo County Water Association, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Council of Governments. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry served as the first woman Mayor of Winters.

Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry is being challenged by Sophia Racke (D) and Matthew Nelson (R). Based on Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator's progressive voting records, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry has a mixed record advocating for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. In 2019, she scored a 90 out of 100 on Courage Score. That said, in 2017, she received a 79, and in 2018, she received a 61. According to our analysis, Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office, although we will continue to closely watch her voting record.

Pamela Dawn Swartz (D) is the only Democrat in this race. While we do not have sufficient information about this candidate to confirm her viability, we recommend supporting Swartz as a more progressive alternative to the current incumbent, Senator Brian Dahle (R).

Senator Dahle has represented District 1 in the State Senate since 2019, and previously served in the assembly. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Dahle has shown that he does NOT advocate for the needs of constituents or face down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. He scored just 9 out of 100 on this year’s Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislator's progressive voting records. In summary, Senator Dahle is not serving his constituents with progressive solutions.

Swartz is also being challenged by Linda Kelleher (NPP). According to our analysis, Pamela Dawn Swartz has the potential to provide stronger progressive leadership in office.

Senator Bill Dodd (D) is the incumbent, having served as Senator for the district since 2013. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Senator Dodd has shown that he does NOT advocate for the needs of constituents or face down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. Dodd scored a shocking 57 out of 100 on this year’s Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator's progressive voting records.
 
Senator Dodd is running unopposed. Courage California encourages you to write in a candidate of your choice to show support for progressives in this district. Keep reading for progressive recommendations in other key races and on ballot measures where your vote can make a critical difference.

Belia Ramos grew up in Pope Valley and St. Helena and lives with her family in American Canyon. She is the incumbent and has served in this position since 2017. Belia Ramos is seeking a second term as the District 5 Supervisor because she is “dedicated to making Napa County a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

As the District 5 Supervisor, Belia Ramos has focused on improving transportation and infrastructure, affordable housing, and helping residents rebuild after the 2017 and 2019 storms. Her achievements include promoting alternatives to Highway 29 and implementing Measure T and SB 1 funds to repave county roads. She also secured funding for 329 affordable housing units and wants to create a funding mechanism to construct more Accessible Dwelling Units (ADUs).  Supervisor Ramos serves as the Elected Vice President of the Association of Bay Area Governments where she addresses the housing crisis. Prior to her election to the County Board of Supervisors, she served as a member of the American Canyon City Council from 2012 to 2016, where she focused on transportation, economic development, public art, public safety, and community engagement. 

Supervisor Ramos is running against Mariam Aboudamous, the current Vice Mayor of the American Canyon City Council. Despite a similar progressive agenda, Supervisor Ramos is the better progressive choice because of her track record and experience.

Based on our analysis, Belia Ramos is a strong choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

A long-time resident of the City of Davis, Linda Deos originally intended to run for Davis City Council. She was inspired to run for Yolo County Supervisor after conversations with residents and activists made it clear issues like criminal justice reform and immigration were county-wide issues.

Linda Deos is a consumer protection attorney who has effectively defended clients in bankruptcy, student loans, and debt collection. She is running on a platform of criminal justice reform, housing, and sustainability. Deos wants to make Yolo a “Rural Innovation Hub” to attract higher paying jobs, affordable housing for all, non-incarcerative justice, and a local Green New Deal. She also volunteers at Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals’ Know Your Law Clinics, and as a mediator for ADA disability access cases for the Eastern District of California. She also serves on the Davis Utility Rate Advisory Commission, the Cannabis Tax Citizens’ Advisory Committee, and the Board of Directors for the Yolo Basin Foundation.

Linda Deos is running against David Abramson, a local activist, to unseat incumbent Jim Provenza. Linda Deos is the best progressive choice because of her strong, well-rounded vision for Yolo County.

According to our analysis, Linda Deos is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.