City of Sacramento

Representative Doris Matsui was born in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona; her parents had been forced from their homes in the Central Valley and met in the camp. Her family relocated back to the Central Valley, where Matsui was raised. She attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she met her husband, the late Congressman Bob Matsui. After his unexpected passing in 2005, she ran for his seat in a special election, which was then California’s 5th District, and won. The 2010 redistricting shifted her to the present 6th District; regardless, she has won every election since by comfortable margins.

Matsui serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and four subcommittees. Matsui has long campaigned on improving education, supporting green and renewable energies, and expanding access to healthcare. She has criticized the Trump administrations’ attacks on the EPA, and California's own efforts to combat air pollution and maintain CAFE standards. She supports tax incentives for clean energy, including loans for homeowners to retrofit homes and grants to modernize electrical grids.

She is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act, and has fought for comprehensive mental health reforms. In 2014, she sponsored and helped pass helped the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which funded community behavioral health clinics in pilot states.

Matsui has also become increasingly outspoken against the Trump administration's fear mongering, and discriminatory immigration and detention policies. After visiting a detention processing center in McAllen, Texas, the Congresswoman wrote an op-ed stating she was “sickened” by the conditions, and called for “wholesale reform” that includes investment in Central American nations, ending the separation of families at the border, and ending the role of private prisons at the border.

Rep. Matsui is challenged by Benjamin Emrad (D), Chris Bish (R), and Sherwood Ellsworthy Haisty, Jr. (R). Matsui stands out as the best progressive choice because of her commitment to progressive values and vision for a healthier, more just and vibrant future.

According to our analysis, Matsui is the strongest choice for progressive 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. 
 

According to her campaign website, Jackie Smith of Rocklin, CA, is running for office in Assembly District 6 in order to advocate for environmental justice, affordable housing for the California workforce, and healthcare.

Smith serves as a Commissioner and Legislative Representative on the Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission and is also a member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans. Her previous professional experience is largely oriented around technology, and she has also served on health-care oriented non-profit boards, including Sunburst Projects, and the Sacramento Rainbow of Commerce. Smith’s previous roles in her community indicate she will advocate for public health and inclusivity.

According to her campaign website, Smith is ready to advocate for the California workforce in regard to housing, education, healthcare, and stable retirement. That said, this position would be her first in public office.

Smith is running against Republican incumbent Kevin Kiley (R), who has consistently failed to fight corporate interests in favor of his constituents and has a lifetime score of 0 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator's progressive voting records. According to recent election results, it is challenging for Democrats to win this seat. Though the odds are against Smith, her recent endorsement by the California Labor Federation suggests that she has the momentum required to help inspire progressives in this race.

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

Assemblymember Marc Levine lives in Marin County with his wife and twin daughters. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2012. According to campaign materials, he is running for re-election to improve California's schools, preserve the environment, advocate for a sustainable government budget, and maintain an economy that welcomes innovation. 

In the State Assembly, Levine has helped increase investments for public education, supported measures to increase access to higher education, created incentives to promote sustainable practices for environmental preservation, and lifted up policies that increase access to affordable housing. Courage has criticized Levine in the past for accepting money from Big Oil investors and prioritizing the interests of real-estate developers over environmental protection. He has a lifetime “B” grade (83 out of 100) on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislator's progressive voting record. In deep-blue Marin County, that’s not good enough, particularly since he received an unacceptable “C” grade in both 2016 and 2017.

Levine currently serves as Chair of the Select Committee on International and Regional Agreements and sits on the committees on Agriculture, Higher Education, Rules, as well as Water, Parks, and Wildlife. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Levine served on the San Rafael City Council where he gained a reputation for a proactive approach to environmental issues on a local level. Prior to taking any public office, Levine earned his Master’s Degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School, and later developed technology for human rights organizations all over the world.

Levine is being challenged by Ted Cabral (D), Veronica “Roni” Jacobi (D), and Ron Sondergaard (R). Neither of the two Democrat challengers met our viability criteria detailed on the Methodology page. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Levine has done a decent job standing up for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians, but has room for improvement. Given the make-up of his district, improvement should be expected. 

According to our analysis, Levine is the best choice for progressive leadership in this district, although a viable progressive challenger would deserve a close look.
 

Katie Valenzuela has lived in Sacramento for 10 years. According to campaign materials she is running for Sacramento City Council to build on her family’s legacy of community service by using her advocacy and organizing experience to effect change for District 4 constituents.

Valenzuela is an activist and advocate, and currently serves as the Policy & Political Director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance. She does this work to identify the systemic barriers to health and prosperity that face her community, and to find solutions to those issues through the amplification of local voices. Valenzuela was instrumental in forming the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Coalition, which was used to advocate for policies around the growing and selling of food, and the Sacramento Community Land Trust. She was eventually appointed to the California Environmental Justice Committee. Valenzuela has worked in a civil rights law firm, at the State Capitol for the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, and as a private consultant. Her efforts have consistently been focused on providing community groups with the resources to influence the policies that impact them.

Valenzuela is running against Steve Hansen, the incumbent who has held the seat since 2012. Valenzuela stands out as the progressive choice because of her track record of working to advocate on homelessness and housing, and to empower local communities to work in support of diverse policy changes that eliminate systemic barriers to access.

According to our analysis, Katie Valenzuela is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.