9th Senate District

Christine “Chris” Bubser is from Pennsylvania and has lived in Mammoth Lakes for over 13 years. According to campaign materials, she’s running for office to bring responsive representation to California’s 8th Congressional district.  

Bubser is a biotech engineer and healthcare advocate. The 2017 attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act led her to advocate in Washington, and she decided to run for office after the indifference she experienced. In her community, Bubser is a trustee at her Temple and a co-founder of HODG (HangOutDoGood), a grassroots community of hundreds of volunteers who work to elect progressive candidates. 

Bubser is running against nine other candidates: Bob Conaway (D), James Ellars (D), Tim Donnelly (R), Jerry Laws (R), Jay Obernolte (R), Jeremy Staat (R), Justin David Whitehead (R), Jeff Esmus (NPP). Incumbent Paul Cook (R) is not seeking re-election. Recent election results show it's hard for Democrats to win this seat. Chris Bubser is the best progressive choice thanks to endorsements from over a dozen progressive organizations, elected officials, and community leaders. 

According to our analysis, Chris Bubser is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.

Rep. Josh Harder lives in his hometown of Turlock, CA. He is the incumbent, having beat the sitting republican in a tight race in 2018, which helped Democrats to win back control of Congress. According to campaign materials, Harder is running for re-election to protect access to health care, create good-paying jobs, reform our broken immigration system, and to secure and grow his area’s water supply.

In Congress, Rep. Harder has advocated for the needs of the agriculture industry by addressing issues of climate change, and has fought to support California’s farmers. Rep. Harder currently sits on the House Committees on Education and Labor, as well as the Agriculture Committee. Prior to serving in congress, Harder was a business professor at Modesto Junior College. Harder has also passed on his small business knowledge to developing economies through volunteer efforts. While working at Boston Consulting Group, he took a leave of absence to help small farmers in Kenya and Uganda organize for economic cooperation and development.

Rep. Harder is running against Michael “Mike” Barkley (D), Ryan Blevins (D), Bob Elliot (R), Maria Sousa Livengood (R), and Ted Howze (R). According to recent election results, it's difficult for Democrats to win this seat as Rep. Harder did in 2018. His strong progressive track record as well as his recent win in a recently flipped district make him the strongest choice in this race.
 

Congressional Representative and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and is the daughter of Baltimore Democratic Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She is the incumbent, having represented District 12 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 representing District 12. 

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

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. 

Notable legislation passed during her speakership includes the Affordable Care Act -- which she is credited with saving as it appeared to be falling apart in 2009-10 -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act. Speaker Pelosi will be remembered for her achievements in breaking down gender barriers on Capitol Hill and paving the way for women leaders to enter negotiations at every level in government.

As she manages her ideologically diverse Democratic caucus in the House, progressives have advanced many substantive, thoughtful critiques of Speaker Pelosi’s leadership. These include her slowness to embrace the impeachment of Donald Trump, her support for impeachment only on 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.

Speaker Pelosi is being challenged by Agatha Bacelar (D), Shahid Buttar (D), Tom Gallagher (D), John Dennis (R), and DeAnna Lorraine (R). Ideologically speaking, her Democratic challengers have stronger progressive positions, particularly Shahid Buttar (a self-identified democratic socialist) who has emerged at Pelosi’s most prominent challenger. While we are not recommending Buttar in this guide, we appreciate that he is pushing Speaker Pelosi to be bolder. Perhaps Buttar will succeed Pelosi in 2022, as there have been numerous reports that Speaker Pelosi plans to step down soon.

According to our analysis, despite progressive critiques with which we agree, Speaker Pelosi deserves your vote in 2020 as the strongest choice to maintain Democratic momentum and make real progressive change under a Democratic president in 2021.
 

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

Speier began her political career as a congressional staffer for Congressman Leo Ryan. While a congressional staffer for Congressman Leo Ryan, Speier went on a fact finding mission to investigate the Jonestown settlement, where she sustained five gunshot wounds during the massacre. She has co-sponsored and supported numerous pieces of legislation on gun violence prevention in her time in office since.

Speier has long fought for women’s rights as well as LGBTQ equality. She supports adding LGBTQ protections to ENDA, Title IX protections, gender pay equity, the Equal Rights Amendment, the #MeToo movement, and abortion protections. She has opposed discrimination on the basis of religious protection, and Trump’s Transgender Military Service Ban.

In Congress, Speier also helped secure funding for the district’s CalTrain services, and been active on legislation to address climate change. She supports the Green New Deal and policies to develop renewable energies and make them more accessible.

Jackie Speier is being challenged by Cristos Goodrow (D), Ran S. Petel (R), and Eric Taylor (NPP). Based on our analysis, Speier has consistently been a strong progressive voice in Congress and is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.

Assemblymember Tim Grayson has lived in the East Bay for nearly 20 years. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2017. According to campaign materials, he is running to keep his seat to continue to prioritize safe and secure neighborhoods in his district.

In the State Assembly, Assemblymember Grayson is currently working on passing a cap on interest rates on consumer loans that target financially vulnerable families with unaffordable loans that they cannot repay. He has also authored legislation that aims to increase transparency and accountability in the University of California system and to streamline the development of areas affected by military base closures into commercial and residential areas. Assemblymember Grayson currently serves as Chair of the Select Committee on Streamlining Services for Victims of Interpersonal Violence, and is a member of committees including Banking and Finance, Business and Professions, and Insurance. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, he served as Concord Councilmember and Mayor, and founded the Family Justice Center to support victims of domestic violence, child and elderly abuse, and human trafficking in the Concord area. He also worked as the City of Concord’s police chaplain directly working with survivors of violent crimes, their families, and first responders.

Assemblymember Grayson has helped to protect consumers and victims of domestic violence, child and elderly abuse, and human trafficking. He has also supported key legislation that strengthens the rights of formerly incarcerated people. That said, he often votes against or abstains from key progressive bills that address the needs of those very same communities, leading to a mixed track record on progressive legislation.

Assemblymember Grayson is being challenged by Janell Proctor (R) and Cassandra Devereaux (PFP). According to recent election results, Democrats usually win this seat. Though we question Assemblymember Grayson’s lack of support for key progressive legislation and would encourage him to use his close relationship with the police to push for criminal justice reforms, his strong base in District 14 and commitment to protecting Californians in a variety of ways makes him the strongest choice for progressive leadership in this race.
 

Buffy Wicks was raised in rural California and permanently moved to Oakland in 2016. She is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2019. According to campaign materials she is running for re-election because she is a lifelong Californian and a former grassroots organizer who wants to use her federal and local experience to continue to fight for equity and economic security in the region.

In the State Assembly, Wicks has introduced a renter’s protection bill, championed consumer protections, authored a bill to reestablish California's Healthy Start program to connect children and families with critical services, and joined a gun violence prevention working group. Wicks serves on five Assembly committees, including Budget, Public Safety, Banking and Finance, Privacy and Consumer Protection, and Rules. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Wicks campaigned for Howard Dean, and ran field operations for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Wicks served as the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Obama Administration and worked to advocate for the Affordable Care Act. After leaving the White House, Wicks was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress where she focused much of her work on seeking innovative ways to establish economic security for women and families.

Wicks is being challenged by Sara Brink (NPP) and Jeanne Solnordal (R). In 2019, she scored a 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislator's progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Wicks has consistently shown great courage in advocating for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians.

According to our analysis, Buffy Wicks is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan was raised in the Bay Area. She is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2018. According to campaign materials she is running for re-election to continue to use her leadership position to advocate for social issues and improve equity in the community.

In the State Assembly, Bauer-Kahan has worked on legislation to reallocate public funding to parks and schools and transportation projects, to protect women’s health and abortion rights, to codify standards for serving food allergens, and to instate protections for California college students. Shortly after her election in 2018, she was selected to serve as Assistant Speaker pro Tempore in the Assembly. She currently serves as Chair of the Select Committee on Women’s Reproductive Health, and sits on an additional four committees, including Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials, Privacy and Consumer Protection, Public Safety, and Banking & Finance.

Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Bauer-Kahan worked as an attorney, primarily on cases related to corporate environmental compliance and intellectual property. Her work involved an investigation of company practices, a detailed understanding of existing regulations, and how to balance compliance with profitability. Additionally, she has taught law at Santa Clara University and Golden Gate University. Bauer-Kahan has also used her professional credentials to benefit her community by growing her office’s pro-bono program to address cases related to civil rights and homelessness, and by partnering with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) to provide legal services at San Francisco International Airport after the Trump Administration’s travel ban.

Bauer-Kahan is being challenged by Joseph Rubay (R). In 2019, she scored an 81 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislator's progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Bauer-Kahan has consistently shown great courage in advocating for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians.

According to our analysis, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Rob Bonta was born in the Philippines and has lived in California since childhood. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2013, when he became the first Filipino to serve in the California legislature. According to campaign materials he is running for re-election to improve schools, increase local safety, and build economic prosperity in the region.

In the State Assembly, Bonta has worked to restore local funding to East Bay public schools, co-authored legislation on cannabis regulation, and helped to establish worker protections and minimum wage increases. He currently serves as the Assistant Majority Leader in the Assembly, and sits on four committees. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Bonta was the Deputy Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he worked on a variety of cases aimed at consumer and civil rights protections. Bonta started his career in public service as a member of the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors, served as the board president for the Social Service Human Relations Board, and was eventually elected to City Council where he served as the Vice Mayor of the City of Alameda. In these local roles, Bonta impacted policy around business retention, hospital financing, and youth development programs.

Bonta is being challenged by Stephen Slauson (R). He scores a lifetime 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting record. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Bonta 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, Rob Bonta is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Bill Quirk has lived in the Hayward area since 1978. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2013. According to campaign materials, he is running for re-election to build on his experiences combining his understanding of scientific research with public and community service.

In the State Assembly, Quirk has introduced legislation to have every child in California tested for lead poisoning, was part of a group of officials who proposed 10 new gun violence prevention measures in 2018, and has worked to make other environmental improvements around water recycling, and hazardous waste facilities. He currently serves as Chair of the Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee, and as Chair of the Select Committee on California’s Clean Energy Economy. Quirk sits on an additional four committees, including Appropriations, Public Safety, Revenue & Taxation, Utilities & Energy. Prior to serving in the State Assembly, Quirk worked as a climate scientist at NASA before moving over to the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Quirk participated in the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty negotiations, and was a physics teacher at Columbia, Caltech, and UC Davis. Quirk also has a long history of community service, and was actively involved in the PTA, Hayward Rotary, Hayward Library Commission, and the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. Quirk’s career in public service began in 2004 when he was elected to the Hayward City Council, where he worked to apply a scientific perspective to issues of local safety, economic revitalization, and transit-oriented housing projects.

Quirk is being challenged by Vipan Singh Bajwa (D), Alexis Villalobos (D), and Son Nguyen (R). In 2020 he scored an 88 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislator's progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Quirk 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, Bill Quirk is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Nancy Skinner has lived in Berkley, CA for over 40 years. She is the incumbent State Senator in District 9, having served in this position since 2017. According to campaign materials, she is running for re-election to continue to build on her record of fighting for criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and increased environmental protections across the state.

In the State Senate, Skinner has authored two significant criminal justice reform bills to increase police accountability and overhaul the felony murder rule. She has also authored legislation to improve California’s affordable housing shortage, and to protect the environment through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Skinner currently serves as the Chair of the Public Safety Committee and the Public Safety Budget Committee, and is a member of an additional six committees. 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.

Nancy Skinner is running unopposed in this race. She scores a lifetime 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting record. Based on our Courage Score 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 progressive leadership in office.
 

Elena Condes an LGBTQ+ Latinx attorney who has been in private practice in the Bay Area for over 20 years. Her practice offers criminal defense, work-related crimes, clearing criminal records, and other services. In her campaign materials, she says she will bring together all of her experiences to provide “equal access to justice” for all. 

Condes is currently the treasurer for East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association, which she has been a member of for 18 years. She also served on the board of Women Defenders, a professional organization of women criminal defense attorneys and served on the Executive Committee of Alameda County Court Appointed Attorneys Program (CAAP). 

Condes received the sole endorsement from the East Bay Times, who said Condes “stands out as the best experienced and most familiar with the workings of Alameda County courts. Condes’ practice focuses on courtroom advocacy that’s a key part of the day-to-day operations of the local judicial system.” Condes has been endorsed by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan, the judge who is retiring and leaving this seat open. 

Condes received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and her law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law. 

Condes is being challenged by Mark Fickes, a partner at Partner, Cannata O’Toole Fickes & Olson, who previously worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Lilla Julia Szelenyi, an administrative law judge for the state workers compensation agency.

Based on our analysis, Elena Condes is the best choice for judge in Alameda County. 

Bob Wieckowski is from the Bay Area and is a longtime resident of Fremont. According to campaign materials, he is running for the Board of Supervisors to use his accumulated experience in city and state government to benefit Alameda residents and address challenges such as income inequality, climate change, and housing affordability. 

Wieckowski is currently the State Senator for the 10th district, where he advocates for progressive policies that provide diverse benefits to Californians. He has had a variety of legislative successes, including authoring a bill to eliminate the barriers to constructing Accessory Dwelling Units, working to advance consumer protections, and championing climate research and a clean energy economy. Wieckowski has also been an advocate for college students, working to increase grant funding for tuition, and has pushed back against abusive lenders. Prior to his Senate election, Wieckowski’s public service included time in the State Assembly, on the Fremont City Council, and a term as Vice Mayor.

Wieckowski is running against Dublin Mayor David Haubert, Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon, and Dublin Vice Mayor Melissa Hernandez. While Melissa Hernandez is a strong challenger, Courage California cannot support her because she cast a decisive vote as Vice Mayor of Dublin to deny a request from a gay City Councilman to raise a rainbow flag over City Hall during Pride month. As State Senator, Wieckowski scores a lifetime 92 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting record. He stands out as the progressive choice because of his track record of working to eliminate barriers that create systemic inequality in housing, education, and the economy. 

According to our analysis, Bob Wieckowski is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Diane Burgis lives in Oakley with her family and has lived in Contra Costa County for most of her life. She has served as the Supervisor for District 3 for three years. According to campaign materials she is running for re-election to continue advocating for responsible environmental stewardship, improved transportation infrastructure, and effective delivery of county services. 

As the Supervisor for the County’s largest geographic district, Diane serves on over two dozen committees including the 2020 Census, the Delta Protection Commission, and the Contra Costa County Family Justice Center. Before her election to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, she served in the East Bay Regional Park District as the Ward 7 Director. While there, she managed a $205 million budget for over 120,000 acres in both Alameda and Contra Costa County. 

Diane Burgis is running against Paul Seger, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Diablo Water Project. Despite Paul Seger’s seemingly progressive agenda, Diane Burgis' notable strong support from local officials and organizations make her the stronger candidate. 

According to our analysis, Diane Burgis is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.