Orange County

Reelect Congressional Representative Linda Sanchez to keep CD-38 on the right track for progress.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.

The District

California’s 38th Congressional District includes parts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 22% are Republican and 47% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 61% Latino, 15% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be a strong Latino seat in the California congressional delegation. The most recent election results show that CD-38 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 33 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 27points.

The Race

There are three candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Representative Sanchez and Republican opponents Eric Ching and John Sarega. Sanchez’s campaign has raised over $670,000 and is not funded by police money but is funded by corporate PAC, real estate, and fossil fuel money.

The Recommendation

Rep. Sanchez, a past labor lawyer, is from Orange. According to campaign materials, Rep. Sanchez is running for reelection to continue making Southern California a better place to live and work. Rep. Sanchez won her 2020 reelection against a Democratic challenger by 48 points.

Rep. Sanchez’s priorities for CD-38 this year have included 22 bills about foreign affairs, gun control, and women, all of which have successfully passed the House. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This year, Rep. Sanchez has voted 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi and 95% of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Sanchez voted to authorize appropriations for the Department of Defense, while Rep. Ocasio-Cortez voted against the legislation.

First elected to Congress in 2002, Rep. Sanchez has worked to improve school safety, enable more women, minorities, and veterans to establish small businesses, and reform the tax code to give relief to long-term caregivers. She is a longtime supporter of the working families and the middle class. Sanchez is the co-founder and co-chair of the Labor and Working Families Caucus, where she works toward policies to ensure that workers are protected from workplace accidents and employer intimidation and retaliation. As a Ranking Member of the Ethics Committee, Sanchez works to ensure that Americans can have confidence in their elected leaders and that they are held accountable.

Rep. Sanchez is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and has the endorsement of many progressive groups in the district. Based on our analysis, Rep. Sanchez’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive champion for the constituents of CD-38 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Jay Chen to push CD-45 in the right direction.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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.

The District

California’s 45th Congressional District includes parts of Orange County. Republicans held this district until 2018, when Katie Porter won and flipped CD-45 from red to blue. Of the registered voters in this district, 38% are Republican and 33% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 23% Latino, 37% Asian, and 3% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, CD-45 is 10% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that CD-45 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 1 point and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 1 point.

The Race

There are three candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Jay Chen and Republican Incumbent Michelle Park Steel. Chen’s campaign has raised over $1 million and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel money. Steel’s campaign has raised over $2 million and is funded by fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate money. Incumbent Steel has repeatedly criticized California’s Sanctuary State Law, she has opposed Affirmative Action, and she has consistently supported corporations’ efforts to avoid paying taxes. In 2018, she and her husband, chair of the California Republican Party, greeted then President Trump when he visited California to view border wall prototypes.

The Recommendation

Chen, president of the Board of Trustees for Mt. San Antonio Community College and a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, is a 20-year resident of Hacienda Heights. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to restore integrity and accountability in Washington D.C., to support small businesses, and make health care more affordable. Chen has not run for office previously.

As president of the school board, Chen has created innovative programs, including free SAT tutoring to students. He has also used his experience in Harvard admissions to provide free college application workshops for students to improve their higher-education chances. Chen understands the challenges in the global economy and has dedicated himself to ensuring that others have the opportunities that school and service in the Navy Reserve provided him.

Chen has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE), Planned Parenthood, Equality California, and numerous labor unions, as well as many state and local officials. He is also endorsed by Democratic Congressmembers Nanette Barragan, Mark Takano, and Mike Levin. Based on our analysis, Chen’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of CD-45 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Mike Ortega to push CD-46 in the right direction.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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.  

The District

California’s 46th Congressional District includes parts of Orange County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 22% are Republican and 49% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 51% Latino, 19% Asian, and 3% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation. After the 2021 redistricting process, CD-46 is equally as Democratic as it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that CD-46 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 30 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 29 points.

The Race

There are six candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Mike Ortega and incumbent Democratic Representative Lou Correa. Ortega’s campaign has raised $42,000 and is entirely funded by individual donors. Rep. Correa’s campaign has raised $840,000 and has received donations from fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. 

The Recommendation

Mike Ortega, an engineer and an organizer, is from New Jersey and now lives in Anaheim. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to bring equal opportunity and resources to his community. Ortega has not run for office previously. 

Ortega is a biomedical engineer working in medical technology, using his aptitude for STEM to create devices that support medical advancement. He has credited this work with highlighting some of the fundamental inequalities that exist in access to health care across socioeconomic tiers, and it has driven his support of equalizing legislation like Medicare for All. Ortega’s awareness of class disparities and the power of organizing began during his childhood growing up in a working-class immigrant family. Along with classmates, he organized a walkout of his STEM magnet high school to successfully protest for building upgrades. In the years since, he has continued as an organizer with the Young Socialists, protesting for improved factory conditions, protections for undocumented workers, and the abolition of ICE. Ortega’s leadership was noticed by the socialist party, and he was encouraged to move to Los Angeles in 2006 to support organizing efforts against federal immigration policy during the Bush administration. In his own field, he established a new chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to provide support for hispanic students in STEM fields. 

Ortega has the endorsement of a few progressive groups in the district, including DSA Orange County, Our Revolution Orange County, and Progressive Democrats of America. Incumbent Rep. Correa is a centrist and fiscally conservative Democrat who has routinely slowed the legislative progress on a variety of regulatory issues. Based on our analysis, Ortega’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of CD-46 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
 

Reelect Congressional Representative Katie Porter to keep CA-47 moving toward progress.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.

The District

After redistricting, California’s 47th Congressional District includes parts of Orange County. While Democrats have typically held CD-47, the former CD-45 district was held by Republicans until 2018, when Katie Porter won and flipped CA-45 from red to blue. Of the registered voters in this district, 35% are Republican and 34% are Democrat, and the demographic breakdown is 13% Latino, 19% Asian, and 2% Black. Since the 2021 redistricting process, CA-47 is 0.4% more Republican than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that CD-47 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 11 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 3 points.

The Race

There are five candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Representative Katie Porter, Democratic challenger William Griffith, and Republican challengers Scott Baugh, Michelle Lyons, and Errol Webber. Rep. Porter’s campaign has raised over $10 million and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC money. She has received donations from the National Association of Realtors PAC. Errol Webber has raised $176,000, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, corporate PAC, or real estate money. Michelle Lyons has raised $21,000 and has received individual donations from the real estate industry. William Griffith and Scott Baugh have not filed any fundraising receipts as of January 2021.

The Recommendation

Rep. Katie Porter, a consumer protection attorney, is from Fort Dodge, IA, and now resides in Irvine, CA. According to campaign materials, Rep. Porter is running for reelection to continue to advocate for equitable taxation, health-care reform, and consumer protections that will improve the experience of middle-class families. Prior to redistricting, Rep. Porter won her 2020 reelection in the former CD-45 district against Republican challenger Greg Raths by 7 points.

Rep. Porter’s priorities for her district during this Congress have included 21 bills about consumer protections in health care, political accountability, campaign fundraising regulations, and disaster relief this year, of which one has successfully passed the House. In her first term, she played an instrumental role in advancing legislation to fight against abusive credit card fees. She currently holds leadership roles on two committees: Natural Resources and Oversight and Reform. Rep. Porter has gained notoriety for her expert style of questioning in congressional hearings, and now serves as chair of the subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and vice chair of the subcommittee on Government Operations. This year, Rep. Porter has voted 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi, and 96% of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Porter spent twenty years protecting working families as a consumer protection attorney. Ahead of the housing crisis in 2008, she issued early warnings of the financial system’s predatory lending, and has a strong track record of winning cases related to financial regulation. In 2012, then California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed Rep. Porter to oversee banks as they returned over $18 billion to cheated homeowners in the state. Rep. Porter is a longtime tenured professor of Law at University of California-Irvine, and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since her election in 2018.

Rep. Porter is the deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and has the endorsement of a strong majority progressive groups in the district, including League of Conservation Voters, End Citizens United, NARAL, and Progressive Action PAC. She is also endorsed by many progressive leaders at the state and national level, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ro Khanna, and former President Barack Obama. Based on our analysis, Rep. Porter’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for the constituents of CA-47 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Elizabeth Alcantar to push AD-64 in the right direction.

The Position

State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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 or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 56 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and four seats are currently vacant.

The District

California’s 64th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 17% are Republican and 54% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 65% Latino, 10% Asian, and 3% Black. The most recent election results show that AD-64 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 40 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 32 points.

The Race

There are five candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Elizabeth Alcantar and other Democrat challengers Blanca Pacheco, Ana Valencia, Roberto “Rob” Cancio, and Republican challenger Raul Ortiz, Jr. Ortiz’s platform includes anti-abortion positions and vaccine-conspiracy theories.

Our Endorsement

Elizabeth Alcantar, a community organizer and mayor of Cudahy City, is a lifelong resident of Southeast Los Angeles. According to campaign materials, she is running for election to fight for the needs of Southeast Los Angeles communities and to work for an equitable future for all Californians. Alcantar was elected to Cudahy City Council in 2018, was consequently named vice mayor, and in 2020, she was appointed mayor. She is the first Latina and the youngest person to serve as mayor of Cudahy.  

Alcantar works with the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights, where she educates and organizes the community around immigration and ensures that immigrant community members know their rights. Throughout her studies, she worked with students and alumni to host educational workshops on applying to college and obtaining financial aid, and she fundraised for scholarships for Cudahy students. She continued her advocacy work alongside car-wash workers and went on to serve as a field deputy for Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, former secretary of labor.

As mayor of Cudahy, she led the city through the Delta fuel dump and the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Cudahy City Council, Alcantar has worked on local city ordinances that promote environmental justice and housing justice issues, including rent stabilization, anti-eviction, and anti-displacement. She is a founding member of the Southeast Los Angeles United (SELA United) coalition of elected officials representing cities in Southeast Los Angeles that came together to gain access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for their residents. Alcantar represents the City of Cudahy on the Gateway Council of Governments, the Hub Cities Job Joint Powers Authority, and AQMD’s AB617 Community Steering Committee, while serving on the board of directors for California League of Cities, Women’s Caucus.

Alcantar has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups and leaders, including ACCE, Action, Communities for a Better Environment Action, Stonewall Democratic Club, California Teachers Association, LA Federation of Labor, SEIU CA, UFCW Local 324, and the California Legislative Progressive Caucus. She is also endorsed by many local elected leaders in Bell City, Commerce, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, Montebello, Santa Ana, South Gate City, and Compton. Based on our analysis, Alcantar’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-64 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
 

Elect Bulmaro Vicente to push AD-68 in the right direction.

The Position

State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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 or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 56 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and four seats are currently vacant.

The District

California’s 68th Assembly District includes parts of Orange County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 21% are Republican and 51% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 56% Latino, 12% Asian, and 2% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, AD-68 is 4% less Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that AD-68 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 40 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 31 points.

The Race

There are four candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Bulmaro Vicente, Democrat Avelino Valencia and Republicans James Wallace and Mike Tardif. Bulmaro’s campaign has raised over $8,000 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate money. Valencia’s campaign has not yet filed any fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State, but he has taken money from police groups in the past.

Our Endorsement

Bulmaro Vicente, a former Police Review Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, was born and raised in Santa Ana. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to be a champion for real change in the district, including around labor, the environment, and housing. Bulmaro has not run for office previously.

Bulmaro is the current policy director for Chispa, an organization for young Latinx people in Orange County. He has been involved in district issues since high school, including interning with labor unions to fight for better worker wages, and he has worked in housing, immigration, and police accountability, as well as in local and state fights to protect tenants. He helped pass a historic police decertification bill (SB2) and helped lead the Santa Ana People’s Budget Platform in 2020. If elected, Vicente pledges to advocate for COVID-19 sick pay and better worker protections as well as to reinstate the COVID-19 eviction moratorium.

Bulmaro has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups and leaders in the district, including Orange County Civic Engagement Table Action, Mijente, California Working Families Party, Orange County Lavender Democrats, and Anaheim City Councilmember José Moreno. Based on our analysis, Bulmaro’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-68 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen to push AD-70 in the right direction.

The Position

State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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 or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 56 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and four seats are currently vacant.

The District

California’s 70th Assembly District includes parts of Orange County. Republicans typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 33% are Republican and 37% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 25% Latino, 40% Asian, and 2% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, AD-70 is 6% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that AD-70 voted for Donald Trump for president in 2020 by 2 points and for John Cox governor in 2018 by 4 points.

The Race

There are six candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen and Republicans Kimberly Ho, Ted Bui, and Tri Ta. Nguyen’s campaign has raised $2,363,748 and is not funded by corporate PACs or the fossil fuel industry. She has accepted donations from the real estate industry and police unions. The campaigns of Ho, Bui, and Ta have not committed to refusing fossil fuel or corporate PAC money, and all have received donations from the real estate industry. Ho has also received police money.

The Recommendation

Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen, a cancer scientist and mayor pro tem of Garden Grove, is from Saigon, Vietnam, and has lived in Garden Grove, CA, since 1995. According to campaign materials, she is running for election because she wants to help preserve upward mobility for her constituents, who have been pressed by the costs of health care, college tuition, and family care. Nguyen has run for office previously, and won her first race for Garden Grove City Council. She lost her first race for State Assembly against the Republican incumbent by 8 points in a more Republican district. 

Nguyen ran for city council because she was frustrated by the lack of outreach and communication from the council to the local community, especially Vietnamese residents. On the Garden Grove City Council, she supported direct COVID-19 relief for renters and small businesses, as well as funding for nonprofits providing direct assistance in the district. She is a longtime community activist in the Vietnamese and Asian American communities, serving on the board and leadership teams of several Asian American interest organizations, including the Lunar New Year TET Festival and the Vietnamese Young Marines.

Nguyen has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood, Equality California, and labor unions, like NUHW, United Domestic Workers, and Unite Here Local 11. She is also endorsed by the Garden Grove Police Officers Association. Despite Nguyen’s relationship with police unions and lack of campaign-finance pledges, this is a key opportunity to flip this Orange County seat from Republican to Democratic. Based on our analysis, Nguyen’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-70 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Reelect State Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris to keep AD-73 on the right track for progress. 

The Position

State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

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 or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 56 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and four seats are currently vacant. 

The District

California’s 73rd Assembly District includes parts of Orange County. Prior to redistricting, Republicans typically held this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 27% are Republican and 40% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 17% Latino, 28% Asian, and 2% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, AD-73 is 11% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that AD-73 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 26 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 18 points.
Under newly drawn district maps, incumbent Assemblymembers Cottie Petrie-Norris and Steven Choi, representing the 74th and 68th Districts respectively, are positioned as challengers in the new 73rd District.

The Race

There are two candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris and Republican Incumbent Assemblymember Steven Choi. Assm. Petrie-Norris’s campaign has raised $1 million and has received donations from fossil fuel, police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Assm. Choi’s campaign has raised $232,000 and has also received donations from fossil fuel, police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. 

The Recommendation

Assm. Petrie-Norris, a businessperson, is from San Diego County. According to campaign materials, she is running for reelection to continue her efforts to support economic growth and protect public health in the district. Prior to redistricting, Assm. Petrie-Norris represents AD-74 and won her 2020 reelection for that seat against Republican Diane Dixon by a narrow one-point margin.

Assm. Petrie-Norris’s priorities for AD-74 this year have included 38 bills about climate and environmental protections, drug regulations, and health care. Of these, eight have been chaptered into law, 13 have died, and the rest remain in committee. She currently serves on five committees, including as chair of the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee. She is also chair of the two select committees, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Orange County Oil Spill. She scores a Lifetime CS of 29 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Petrie-Norris has supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote this term. Specifically, she has not supported bills related to public banking, expanding the California Racial Justice Act of 2020 and other criminal-justice reforms, and creating minimum wage and working conditions standards for those in the fast-food industry. She also missed a vote on legislation related to providing free and accessible COVID-19 testing and vaccination. While she has pursued progressive action on education reform and climate protections, her voting record on criminal-justice reform and workers’ rights has demonstrated a more moderate approach. 

Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Assm. Petrie-Norris was a business leader, working primarily in finance and technology. 

Assm. Petrie-Norris has the endorsement of a few progressive groups in the district, including California Teachers Association and Sierra Club. She has also received the endorsement of local officials across the state, including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Congressmember Katie Porter, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, and State Treasurer Fiona Ma. She is also endorsed by a variety of police groups, including California Association of Highway Patrolmen, California Correctional Peace Officers Association, and PORAC. Similarly, she has received problematic campaign donations from a variety of problematic funders, including Sempra Energy, Amazon, and California Real Estate PAC. While the threat of Republican Incumbent Steven Choi’s potential policies outweighs Assm. Petrie-Norris’s moderate voting record and problematic endorsements, voters are strongly encouraged to continue to hold her accountable for legislative efforts that may not be in the best interest of her constituents. Based on our analysis, Assm. Petrie-Norris will continue to be a leader for the constituents of AD-73 and will govern effectively for this diverse district with consistent voter oversight.

Elect Kimberly Carr to push SD-36 in the right direction.

The Position

State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

The California State Senate has 40 congressional districts. Each represents a population of about 930,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to two four-year terms (eight years) in the Senate. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold nine seats.

The District

California’s 36th Senate District includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Prior to redistricting, Republicans typically held this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 36% are Republican and 34% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 17% Latino, 26% Asian, and 2% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, SD-36 has a 2% Republican voter-registration advantage. The most recent election results show that SD-36 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 1 point and John Cox for governor in 2018 by 5 points.

The Race

There are two candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Kimberly Carr and Republican Assemblymember Janet Nguyen. Carr’s campaign has raised $152,000 and has not received donations from fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or police interests. Nguyen’s campaign has raised $141,000 and has received donations from real estate, fossil fuel, police, and corporate PAC interests. 

The Recommendation

Kimberly Carr, a sales executive and local official, grew up in the district and has lived in Huntington Beach for more than 25 years. According to campaign materials, she is running for election to leverage her local connections to effectively provide state-level advocacy for constituents. Carr ran for her seat on the Huntington Beach City Council in the nonpartisan 2018 election, and was one of four individuals elected to serve at large on the council in that race.

Carr has served in local public leadership for the past ten years, including serving as the Public Works Commissioner and as a member of the NY City Council, and by spending a year as mayor. As a third-generation Californian, she does this work to use her local knowledge to address issues of civic importance, like economic development. She was serving as mayor in 2021 when a catastrophic oil spill occurred off the coast of Huntington Beach, and was responsible for navigating the local response, ensuring the safety of residents, and limiting the impact on local wildlife. Although she has touted a community-focused approach to homelessness and mental health, she has also supported an increase in police patrols of high crime areas, where alternative programs and resources may have provided more holistic support. Carr has also worked as a sales and marketing executive in the media industry for over 25 years, working with small and large businesses throughout her career, and citing a commitment to building long-term relationships as a cornerstone of her success. 

Carr has the endorsement of many leaders in the district, including State Senator Dave Min, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris. Based on our analysis, Carr’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a champion for the constituents of SD-36 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Catherine Blakespear to push SD-38 in the right direction.

The Position

State senators represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

The California State Senate has 40 congressional districts. Each represents a population of about 930,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate’s 40 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to two four-year terms (eight years) in the Senate. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or the Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold nine seats.

The District

California’s 38th Senate District includes parts of Orange and San Diego Counties. Republicans typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 32% are Republican and 37% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 18% Latino, 9% Asian, and 3% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, SD-38 is 5% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that SD-38 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 16 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 5 points.

The Race

There are three candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Catherine Blakespear, Democrat Joe Kerr, and Republican Matt Gunderson. Blakespear’s campaign has raised $615,000, and has not received donations from police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. A significant portion of her funding has been raised through individual donations. Kerr’s campaign has raised $47,000, and has received donations from police through the California Association of Highway Patrolmen. Gunderson’s campaign has raised $496,000, and has received donations from real estate and corporate PAC interests. 

The Recommendation

Catherine Blakespear, an attorney and mayor of Encinitas, has lived in Encinitas for most of her life. According to campaign materials, she is running for election to bring trusted leadership to Sacramento to build progress in the areas of economic, social, and environmental justice. Blakespear was first elected to the Encinitas City Council in 2014, and won her bid for mayor in 2016 after earning 67% of the vote against her challenger. This is her first run for a state office.

Blakespear is mayor of Encinitas. Under her leadership, the city has begun to offer an opt-in 100% renewable energy program to residents and local businesses, provided grants to small businesses to help them weather the pandemic, and banned ghost guns. Blakespear has made significant progress on improving the affordable housing landscape in Encinitas by making ADU structures more accessible to builders, creating a low-income housing plan, and strictly enforcing vacation rental laws. She was awarded for this work, and for her overall advocacy of pro-housing policies, by the San Diego Housing Federation. Blakespear also currently works as a private-sector estate attorney, and chairs the board of local gardening nonprofit Scrumptious Schoolyards. Prior to her mayoral election, she served for three years as traffic commissioner of Encinitas, and worked in journalism before attending law school.

Blakespear has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Federation of Teachers, California Women’s List, YIMBY Action, and many labor unions and local Democratic clubs. She has also received the endorsement of many elected officials in the state, including State Senator Lena Gonzalez, California Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen, Assemblymember Akilah Weber, and San Diego Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. Based on our analysis, Blakespear’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for the constituents of SD-38 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Reelect Senator Alex Padilla to the United States Senate to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

Members of the Senate represent and advocate for the needs of their state constituency and share legislative responsibility with the House of Representatives. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues of national importance. Senators have the exclusive responsibility of providing advice and consent to the executive branch on treaties, and on the nomination and approval of cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and federal judges. The Senate also has the sole authority to bring and try an impeachment of a high official, up to and including removal from office with a two-thirds majority vote.

Each state, regardless of population, is represented by two senators. Senate elections are statewide, and senators are elected to serve a six-year term. There is no term limit for this position.

The District

California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Since 1992, Democrats have steadily held both California Senate seats. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 24 points.

The Race

This Senate race will appear twice on primary ballots: as a special election marked as the “Unexpired/Partial Term,” which will fill the seat from November 2022 to January 2023, and as a regular full-term election for a six-year term that begins in January 2023. Sen. Alex Padilla is the recommended candidate for your vote in both of these races. 

Senator Alex Padilla was appointed to fill the remainder of the term for the Senate seat vacated by then Senator Kamala Harris after she was elected to the vice presidency in November 2020. Sen. Padilla is now running for his first full elected term in the United States Senate. There are 23 candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Senator Alex Padilla and Republican Mark Meuser. Sen. Padilla’s campaign has raised $9.5 million, and has received donations from fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests. Meuser’s campaign has raised $330,000 and is primarily funded by individual donors.

The Recommendation

Sen. Padilla, a longtime public official, is from the San Fernando Valley. According to campaign materials, he is running for reelection to continue his efforts to protect voting rights, defend democracy, and support working families. Sen. Padilla was appointed to the Senate by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2021, which will make this his first electoral campaign for the seat. He was previously elected to serve as the California Secretary of State in 2014, winning his 2018 reelection bid over Republican Mark Meuser by 29 points.

Sen. Padilla’s priorities for California this year have included 32 bills about environmental and water protections, the economy, immigration, and child welfare. Of these, all are currently in committee. He currently serves on five committees, including Judiciary, Budget, and Environment and Public Works. He serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety. In his brief time in the Senate, Sen. Padilla has signed on as a sponsor of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, and has been a strong supporter of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.

Prior to his appointment, Sen. Padilla served Californians in several elected roles, including two terms each in the Los Angeles City Council, in the state Senate, and as the California secretary of state. Sen. Padilla is a longtime supporter of environmental justice, and credits his parents with introducing him to activism around this issue in the Los Angeles community where he was raised. Sen. Padilla has also been a longtime supporter of voting rights and democratic protections, which was the cornerstone of his work as secretary of state. In the Senate, he co-authored the Freedom to Vote Act, and was a strong supporter of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

Sen. Padilla has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Environmental Voters, Equality California, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and many labor unions. He is also endorsed by a broad coalition of federal and local elected officials, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Karen Bass, Rep. Katie Porter, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta. Based on our analysis, Sen. Padilla’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive champion for the constituents of California and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
 

Reelect Governor Gavin Newsom to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

Governors serve as the chief executive officer of a state, and have the authority to sign and implement state laws. They are responsible for overseeing the operations of the executive branch of the state government, and advancing statewide initiatives and programs through executive orders, legislative proposals, or executive budgets. Governors have the exclusive authority to nominate or appoint officials, including agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and state court judges. Gubernatorial power varies across states, as each state government operates under the guidance of a state constitution. 

Each governor is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. In California, governors are elected to serve a four-year term, and are limited to two terms in office.

The District

California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Democrats have held the governorship since 2011. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points.

The Race

There are 26 candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom, Republican State Senator Brian Dahle, and Republican businesswoman Jenny Rae Le Roux. Gov. Newsom’s campaign has raised $14.4 million and has not received donations from fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests. Sen. Dahle’s campaign has raised $1.2 million and has not received donations from fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests. Le Roux’s campaign has raised $1.3 million and has not received donations from fossil fuel, police, corporate PAC, or real estate interests. 

The Recommendation

Gov. Newsom, a career public official, is from San Francisco. According to campaign materials, he is running for reelection to continue to provide steady crisis leadership for California through policy reform on economic, environmental, education, and criminal-justice issues. He was elected to serve as the California governor in 2018, winning his bid over Republican John Cox by 24 points. He defeated a Republican-backed recall election by the same margin in 2021.

Gov. Newsom’s priorities for California this term have included action on issues across the policy spectrum. On criminal-justice reform, he has paused executions across the state, and established new limitations on police use of force. On education reform, he has expanded early childhood education to include 4-year olds, established updated standards and guidelines for charter schools, and provided free school meals to all public schools during the pandemic. On the economy, he has used federal pandemic money to provide the largest economic stimulus package in state history, and signed legislation that provided protections for individuals working in the gig economy. On climate protections, he has moved the state closer to an eventual full ban on fracking, and ordered a ban on gas-powered cars by 2035. Gov. Newsom has also advanced an executive order to use state agencies to store and remove carbon from the atmosphere, and to establish a first-in-the-nation goal of conserving 30 percent of the state’s land and coastal water by 2030. Gov. Newsom has also failed to take strong action on several important issues, including replacing police with mental-health professionals, reforming the state taxation system, bringing new financial reporting standards to public education, and establishing a single-payer health-care system. Gov. Newsom’s administration has expended significant resources for responding to some of the state’s worst wildfire seasons, and has worked with local governments as they pursue resolutions to the ongoing homelessness crisis across the state.

Gov. Newsom was the target of a recall campaign in fall 2021. The recall was backed by a right-wing coalition eager to capitalize on the perception of political weakness that had resulted from the ongoing economic impact of his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recall effort was unsuccessful, and running the special election a year ahead of the 2022 election cycle is estimated to have cost California taxpayers an additional $200 million.

Prior to his election in 2018, Gov. Newsom served in positions across state and local governments. He served two terms as lieutenant governor under former Gov. Jerry Brown, two terms as mayor of San Francisco, and two terms as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. 

Gov. Newsom has the endorsement of many progressive groups in the state, including NARAL Pro-Choice, California Teachers Association, and California Labor Federation. Based on our analysis, Gov. Newsom’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive champion for the constituents of California and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
 

Reelect Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

Lieutenant governors serve as the second-highest executive officer of a state. They are responsible for acting as governor in the case that the sitting governor is temporarily absent, incapacitated, or removed from office, and have additional responsibilities that vary by state. In California, this position chairs the Commission for Economic Development and the State Lands Commission, and provides guidance to the governor on issues across state policy. The lieutenant governor serves as president of the state Senate, and casts a vote in the case of a tie. The lieutenant governor also holds a variety of leadership roles, including as a voting member of the Board of Regents of the University of California, and the Board of Trustees of the California University System. 

Each lieutenant governor is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. In California, lieutenant governors are elected to serve a four-year term, and are limited to two terms in office.

The District

California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Democrats have held the Lieutenant Governor seat since 2011. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 24 points.

The Race

There are eight candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Republican Angela Underwood Jacobs. Lt. Gov. Kounalakis’s campaign has raised $3.9 million and has received donations from fossil fuel, police, and corporate PAC interests. Underwood Jacobs’s campaign has raised $23,000 and is funded entirely by individual donors. None of the other candidates have filed fundraising receipts with the secretary of state.

The Recommendation

Lt. Gov. Kounalakis, a businessperson and former U.S. ambassador, is from Sacramento. According to campaign materials, she is running for reelection to continue to use her business acumen and public experience to guide California to a better economic path. She was elected to serve as California’s lieutenant governor in 2018, winning her bid over Democrat Edward Hernandez by 14 points, and is the first woman in state history to be elected to this role. 

Lt. Gov. Kounalakis has provided administrative and political support for the governor’s agenda this term, including action related to pausing executions, placing limitations on police use of force, incremental efforts to ban fracking, distributing the largest stimulus package in state history, and expanding access to early childhood education. However, her administration has failed to take significant action on several progressive priorities, including transitioning to first responders with a mental-health focus, reforming the state tax system, establishing a single-payer health-care system, or significantly reducing the population of homeless individuals in the state. More recently, Lt. Gov. Kounalakis had the individual responsibility of setting the date for the 2021 recall election, and worked in support of Gov. Newsom’s successful campaign to defeat the recall. She has also been outspoken about new efforts to ensure that abortion remains legal in California, including potentially establishing sanctuary protections for women who seek abortion care in the state. In 2022, she became the first woman in state history to sign a bill into law after she authorized an eviction-protection extension bill while Gov. Newsom was abroad. 

Prior to serving in this role, Lt. Gov. Kounalakis held a variety of positions in public service and the private sector. She served under Gov. Jerry Brown as chair of the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment, was a fellow at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary under former President Barack Obama. Before her public service, Lt. Gov. Kounalakis was a businessperson who served as president of AKT Development, a housing- and land-development firm founded by her father. The firm is the largest in the Sacramento area, and primarily focuses on residential master-planned communities.

Lt. Gov. Kounalakis has the endorsement of many progressive groups in the state, including Equality California and EMILY’s List. Based on our analysis, Lt. Gov. Kounalakis’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a champion for the constituents of California and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
 

Reelect Attorney General Rob Bonta to keep California on the right track for progress.

The Position

The state attorney general acts as the lead attorney and law-enforcement official for the state of California, and has oversight of over 4,500 state-employed district attorneys, investigators, police officers, and administrators. The attorney general executes a variety of responsibilities in the state, including representing the people of California in criminal and civil matters in court, coordinating statewide law-enforcement efforts, providing legal counsel to state agencies, and managing special projects to protect the rights of Californians. California has 58 elected district attorneys who report to the attorney general, one for every county in the state. The attorney general is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats, including current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, and current Vice President Kamala Harris.

Democrat incumbent Rob Bonta was appointed to this seat by Governor Gavin Newsom in March 2021, after Secretary Becerra was appointed to the Biden administration’s cabinet. Attorney General Bonta is the first Filipino American to serve in this role. The most recent election results show that Becerra won the statewide election in 2018 with 64% of the vote.

The Race

There are four candidates running in the primary for attorney general: Democrat Incumbent Attorney General Rob Bonta, Independent challenger and Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, and Republican challengers Nathan Hochman and Eric Early. Attorney General Bonta’s campaign has raised over $2 million, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, or real estate donations. Schubert’s campaign has raised $833,000, and has received donations from over ten police organizations across the state. She has also received significant donations from billionaire Angelo Tsakopoulos and his family, who work in real estate development. Hochman’s campaign has raised $900,000 and has not committed to refuse fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC money. He is backed by a significant number of individual donors with connections to real estate, and has also received over $20,000 from companies connected to Jeong Hwan Kim, who pled guilty to tax crimes in 2017 in a case prosecuted by the attorney general’s office. Early’s campaign has raised $235,000, and has not committed to refuse fossil fuel, police, corporate PAC, or real estate money in his campaign. He previously ran for attorney general in 2018.

Our Endorsement

Attorney General Rob Bonta, a civil rights attorney, is from Alameda, CA. Prior to his appointment to the attorney general’s office, he was elected to serve three terms in the California State Assembly as the representative from the 18th District. According to campaign materials, Attorney General Bonta is running for reelection to continue his focus on resolving systemic injustice across the state through action on environmental justice, labor rights, and corporate accountability.

Attorney General Bonta’s priorities for California this year include establishing stronger protections for victims of hate crimes, working toward regulations that protect consumers from unjust corporate behavior, and creating a more equitable criminal-justice system. His office recently secured a judgment requiring Amazon to pay a $500,000 fine and adhere to a stricter process of reporting workplace COVID-19 prevention efforts and recorded infections to the company’s employees and the state. Attorney General Bonta has been outspoken about other forms of consumer and workplace protections, including recent efforts to curb robocalls and spearheading a nationwide investigation into targeted marketing tactics from Instagram and Meta Inc. He has also taken aim at the housing crisis with the creation of the Housing Strike Force and an online Housing Portal designed to address access, affordability, and equity. These new initiatives will enforce housing-development laws, reaffirm tenant rights, provide consumer protection and alerts, and provide legal advocacy for the right to housing.

In his first several months in office, Attorney General Bonta has demonstrated a collaborative approach to his work locally, and an interest in leveraging his position for national impact. In California, he has established the Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE) to communicate directly with underrepresented community and advocacy groups in the state. This office is designed to advance equity, and to ensure that the work of the attorney general’s office is inclusive for diverse perspectives. Nationally, he has been proactive in partnering with state attorney generals across the country to file briefs on legislation of national importance, including a public opposition to Texas’s recent abortion ban (SB 8).

During his time in the State Assembly, he was an effective legislator who worked on bills related to climate protections, criminal justice and prison reform, immigrant rights, and housing protections. Bonta scored 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, he supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote.

Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta 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.

Attorney General Bonta has received the endorsement of an overwhelming number of elected officials across the state, including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, State Controller Betty Yee, State Senator Sydney Kamlager, and State Senator Scott Weiner. He is also endorsed by several progressive groups, including SEIU CA, NARAL Pro-Choice CA, and California Teachers Association. According to our analysis, Attorney General Bonta is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office. Based on our analysis, Attorney General Bonta’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive champion for all Californians and will execute his responsibilities effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.

Reelect Secretary of State Shirley Weber to keep California on the right track for progress.

The Position

The secretary of state acts as the lead records officer for the state of California, and manages an office of 500 civil-service employees responsible for ensuring transparency and accessibility in elections, campaigning, business records, and legislative advocacy. The secretary of state’s office has a significant responsibility for election implementation and integrity, as it produces information pamphlets for voters in ten languages, provides statewide testing and approval for voting equipment, maintains the voter database, and certifies the official candidate lists and the official election results. The secretary of state’s office also oversees the filing and disclosure of campaign-finance information, the management of business records, the safeguarding of statewide address confidentiality, and the maintenance of registries for domestic partnerships and advance health-care directives. The secretary of state is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats, and most recently by current U.S. Senator Alex Padilla.

Democrat incumbent Shirley Weber was appointed to this seat by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020, after he appointed Sen. Padilla to fill Vice President Kamala Harris’s open Senate seat. Secretary Weber is the first Black person to hold this position. The most recent election results show that Padilla won the statewide election in 2018 with 64% of the vote.

The Race

At this time, Democrat Secretary of State Shirley Weber is running unopposed to maintain her seat. Secretary Weber’s campaign has raised over $490,000, and is not funded by corporate PAC money. She has not publicly refused to take fossil fuel donations, and has received police donations from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC, and real estate donations from the California Real Estate PAC.

Our Endorsement

Secretary Shirley Weber, a former San Diego State University professor and longtime member of the California State Assembly, is originally from Los Angeles, and lived in the greater San Diego area for over 30 years. According to campaign materials, Secretary Weber is running for reelection to further strengthen election integrity and transparency in the state, and to work toward expanded access to voting for all Californians.

Secretary Weber’s priorities this year include increased outreach to formerly incarcerated Californians to align election practices to the recently passed Proposition 17, which returns voting rights to parolees, to strengthen businesses across the state, and to upgrade the cybersecurity system to ensure that all California elections are protected from interference. As a public servant, Sec. Weber has established herself as a collaborative leader focused on supporting communities that have been under-resourced. In her first months in office, Secretary Weber has worked to establish connections with groups working to improve election information and engagement, including education professionals who can reach young voters and formerly incarcerated individuals now eligible to vote.

As a member of the State Assembly, she sponsored bills on a variety of issues, including school safety, full-day kindergarten, reducing the use of deadly force by police, and strengthening the CalFresh program. Her successes also included environmental cleanup, increasing food access for food-insecure communities, establishing protections for residents of long-term nursing facilities, and lowering the cost of childcare. She scored a lifetime 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sec. Weber supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, prior to her appointment to the secretary of state seat, she did not support lowering the voting age to 17.

In 1972, early in her career, Secretary Weber founded the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University, and taught there for forty years. She also served as president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002 to 2006, as president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988 to 1996, and as chairperson of San Diego’s Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. Secretary Weber holds three degrees from UCLA and has been a longtime champion of the power of well-funded and well-staffed public education.

According to our analysis, Secretary Weber is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office. Based on our analysis, Secretary Weber’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for all Californians and will execute her responsibilities effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.

Reelect State Treasurer Fiona Ma to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

Treasurers serve as a state’s chief banker, overseeing revenue and finances for schools, roads, housing, levees, public-health facilities, and infrastructure projects. They can be responsible for pension administration, public employee payroll, and fraud oversight. Treasurers manage the state’s investments and the sale of state bonds, and serve as the trustee of the state’s debt portfolio. In California, the state treasurer manages the banking for the world’s fifth-largest economy and typically oversees around $2.5 trillion in banking transactions during each fiscal year. 

The California state treasurer is elected by popular vote in a statewide election. The state treasurer is elected to serve four-year terms, and is limited to two terms in office.

The District

California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Democrats have held the Treasurer’s seat since 1999. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 24 points.

The Race

There are four candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Treasurer Fiona Ma and Republican Andrew Do. Treasurer Ma’s campaign has raised $3.3 million and has received donations from corporate PAC, real estate, and police interests. Do’s campaign has raised $203,000 and has not received donations from fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. 

The Recommendation

Treasurer Ma, a certified public accountant and public official, has lived in California for most of her adult life. According to campaign materials, she is running for reelection to continue to provide fiscal leadership on economic, environmental, and educational reforms in the state. She was elected to serve as the California treasurer in 2018, winning her bid over Republican Greg Conlon by 28 points. 

Treasurer Ma’s priorities for California this term have included action on a variety of issues. Her office worked to distribute small-business loans and to expand health-care access in response to the community effects of COVID-19, and to establish new clean-energy initiatives, including financing for the purchase of low-emissions trucks and equipment. Treasurer Ma was also a strong supporter of AB 132, which provides funding for the establishment of college savings accounts for low-income students at every grade level across the state. Although she has made progress on a collaborative initiative to create more affordable housing in the state, there has been a measurable increase in homelessness since she assumed office. Treasurer Ma has been accused of sexual harassment and wrongful termination by a former staff member in a complaint that cites lewd behavior and  excessive gifting by the treasurer. The complainant indicates that the circumstances produced a hostile work environment prior to her abrupt termination. Treasurer Ma has denied the accusations. 

Prior to her election in 2018, Treasurer Ma served in positions across state and local governments. She served one term on the California Board of Equalization, three terms in the State Assembly, and one term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She has held a variety of leadership positions, including serving as the speaker pro tempore and the majority whip during her time in the Assembly, as chair of the National Association of State Treasurers ABLE Committee, and as president of Women in California Politics. Prior to seeking elected office, Treasurer Ma worked as a licensed certified public accountant in California. 

Treasurer Ma has the endorsement of many progressive groups in the state, including SEIU California, Equality California, and California Labor Federation. Based on our analysis, Treasurer Ma’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a champion for the constituents of California and will manage effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
 

Elect Malia Cohen to be the next state controller to keep California on the right track for progress.

The Position

The state controller acts as the lead fiscal authority for the state of California, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world. The state controller manages an office of 1,400 public servants responsible for the disbursement of financial resources across the state. The state controller’s office oversees audits of funds distributed to state agencies and programs, acts as a steward for unclaimed property that falls to state possession, provides accounting and reporting services for government entities, and manages payroll accounting and data for state employees. The state controller also serves as a policy liaison to a variety of finance organizations, including the state’s two pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board. The state controller is elected for a four-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms in office. This office has traditionally been held by Democrats, and is currently held by two-term Controller Betty Yee. The most recent election results show that Controller Yee won the statewide election in 2018 with 65% of the vote.

The Race

There are four candidates running for this seat, including Democrats Malia Cohen, Yvonne Yiu, and Ron Galperin, and Republican Lanhee Chen. Cohen’s campaign has raised $316,000, and is not funded by police money or corporate PAC money. Democratic opponent Yiu has raised $548,000, of which $455,000 has been self-donated. She has had an additional nine donors to her campaign, and has not received police, corporate PAC, or real estate donations. Democratic opponent Galperin has raised $26,000, and is not funded by police, corporate PAC, real estate, or fossil fuel money. Republican Chen’s campaign has raised $945,000, and has received funding from a real estate organization. The remainder of his fundraising has come almost entirely from large-dollar individual donors.

Our Endorsement

Malia Cohen, a member of the California State Board of Equalization, is a lifelong Californian. According to campaign materials, Cohen is running for election to pursue a more equitable economic foundation for Californians through investments in housing, job programs, health care, and education. She believes that accountability and transparency in fiscal leadership is essential to closing the state’s significant equity gap, and that she can play a critical role in guiding financial decisions that will benefit previously neglected communities.

As controller, Cohen hopes to create a more efficient system to connect unclaimed property to individuals who have ownership rights, streamline financial services for Californians who are unbanked, and create a Golden State Stimulus program that will ensure that residents have the resources they need to cover their basic living expenses.

Cohen has an extensive resume and significant experience in fiscal oversight. As a current member of the California State Board of Equalization representing District 2, Cohen has experience administering statewide policy related to property tax, alcoholic beverage tax, and tax on insurers. Prior to holding this role, she served two terms as a member and president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she chaired the Budget and Finance Committee. Cohen has also served as commissioner of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System (SFERS), which manages the city’s municipal pension fund. In each of these positions, Cohen has kept equity in focus and has worked to leverage her role to create opportunities to establish more inclusive policies. In her elected roles, she was instrumental in implementing a free community college program in San Francisco, co-authored the Fair Chance Ordinance for individuals reentering the workforce after incarceration, and championed the creation of a Department of Officer Accountability for the San Francisco Police Department. She also worked to divest SFERS investments from fossil fuels and thermal coal investments to bring a more ethical foundation to the pension system. These and other efforts demonstrate her deft ability to use her knowledge and authority to return benefits to communities that have been historically marginalized and disadvantaged by fiscal and public policy.

Democrat Yvonne Yiu, the current mayor of Monterey Park, is running on a platform that centers on financial-information security and expanding financial-skills training to reach young people, immigrants, women, and other diverse communities through the creation of a new Office of Financial Empowerment. While she is dedicated to using the authority of the office to advocate for issues related to climate, the LGBTQIA+ community, and racial injustice, she has not provided a comprehensive outline for how her work as controller would benefit these progressive priorities beyond the creation of the Office of Financial Empowerment.

Malia Cohen has the endorsement of many elected officials in the state, including Congresswoman Karen Bass, current State Controller Betty Yee, State Attorney General Rob Bonta, Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, State Senator Sydney Kamlager, and State Senator Scott Weiner. She has also received the endorsement of some progressive groups in the district, including NARAL Pro-Choice California PAC, California Federation of Teachers, Elect Black Women PAC, and a variety of trade organizations, including UNITE Here PAC. Based on our analysis, Cohen’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for Californians and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.

Elect Braden Murphy to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The board of equalization is responsible for managing  taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and board of equalization staff. 

Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms. 

The District

California’s 1st Board of Equalization district spans across most of inland California, from San Bernardino County to the Oregon border, and includes over 60% of California’s land area. California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents, with District 1 including approximately 10 million Californians. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points.

The Race

District 1 is currently represented by incumbent Republican Ted Gaines, who is running for reelection and was a candidate to replace Gov. Newsom during the 2021 recall campaign. There are four candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Braden Murphy and incumbent Republican Ted Gaines. Murphy’s campaign has raised $25,000 and has not received any donations from police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Board Member Gaines’s campaign has raised $186,000 and has received donations from police and real estate interests. 

The Recommendation

Braden Murphy, a policy advocate, lives in Folsom. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to bring fairness to California’s property tax system. He has not run for public office before. 

Murphy was born with cerebral palsy and has been an advocate for universal health care and universal early childhood education. His platform draws a connection between the property tax burden on homeowners and the crisis of home ownership and homelessness in the state, and emphasizes the importance of ensuring that low corporate taxation doesn’t shift additional burden on to middle-class property owners. Additionally, Murphy sees the intersections of health-care access, education policy, and homeownership, and how the failure to transition to universal models can limit the capacity of families and individuals with disabilities to transition to a middle-class lifestyle. He would bring this knowledge to his equity efforts as a member of the board of equalization. 

Murphy is endorsed by some progressive groups, including California Nurses Association and the California Democratic Party. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. Based on our analysis, Murphy’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of District 1 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Sally Lieber to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The board of equalization is responsible for managing  taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and board of equalization staff. 

Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms. 

The District

California’s 2nd Board of Equalization district contains parts of 23 counties, spanning from Del Norte to Santa Barbara. California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents, with District 2 including approximately 10 million Californians. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points.

The Race

The current member representing District 2, Malia Cohen, is seeking election to be California State Controller in 2022, leaving the seat open this cycle. There are three candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Sally Lieber, Democrat Michela Alioto-Pier, and Republican Peter Verbica. Lieber’s campaign has raised $165,000 and has not received donations from police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests. Alioto-Pier’s campaign has raised $217,000 and has not received donations from police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Verbica’s campaign has raised $35,000 and is primarily funded by individual donors. 

The Recommendation

Sally Lieber, a public official, has lived in California for over 40 years. According to campaign materials, she is running for election to prioritize the needs of everyday Californians over the corporations and big money interests that are often centered in tax law. She ran for the 13th district state Senate seat in 2020, but lost to Senator Josh Becker in the primary by a margin of 7 points. 

Lieber has long been involved in advocacy and local politics. She has recently returned to the Mountain View City Council, where she had previously served terms as a councilmember and as mayor. In this role, she has worked on committees for finance, inclusion, transportation and youth services. Her current term expires in 2025, and she could maintain the seat while also serving on the board of equalization until that time. Lieber also served two terms as the assemblymember for the 22nd district. While in the legislature, she worked on bills that increased the minimum wage, addressed sea-level rise, codified human trafficking as a felony, and created the Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights. Her platform for the board of equalization seeks to build on these legislative successes by pursuing a coalition approach to highlighting equity and fairness, accountability, and climate protections in her approach to tax implementation. 

Lieber is endorsed by many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Teachers Association, and Sierra Club. She has also received the endorsement of many political leaders, including activist Dolores Huerta, Assemblymember Laura Friedman, and Senator Josh Becker. Based on our analysis, Lieber’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive champion for the constituents of District 2 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect David Dodson to the Board of Equalization to keep California on the right track for progress. 

The Position

The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The board of equalization is responsible for managing  taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and board of equalization staff. 

Board members are elected to four-year terms in office and cannot serve more than two terms. 

The District

California’s 4th Board of Equalization district contains portions of San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Imperial Counties. California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents, with District 4 including approximately 10 million Californians. The demographic breakdown of the total residential population is 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black. Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. The most recent election results show that California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points.

The Race

District 4 is currently represented by incumbent Democrat Mike Schaefer, who is running for reelection. Board member Schaefer has been disbarred in both California and Nevada, was convicted of spousal abuse in 1993, and was successfully sued for being a slumlord in Los Angeles in the 1980s. In addition, his campaign dishonestly indicated that he had received 2022 endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, although neither has formally endorsed his candidacy. 

There are seven candidates running for this seat, including Democrat David Dodson, incumbent Democrat Mike Schaefer, and Republican Denis Bilodeau. Dodson’s campaign has raised $2,000 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC donors. Board Member Schaefer’s campaign has raised $127,000 and is entirely self-funded. Bilodeau’s campaign has raised $31,000 and has received donations from real estate interests. 

The Recommendation

David Dodson, a property tax appraiser, lives in Dana Point. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to leverage his unique tax expertise to serve the community and to guide board decisions that center constituents. He ran for this seat in 2018, but lost in the primary after earning only 15% of the vote.

Dodson has spent his 30-year career working in property tax appraisal. He worked for the Los Angeles County assessor, and now leads the Southern California office of the board of equalization. He cites this work as having allowed him to develop a strong expertise of this specialized field, and a particular understanding of the changes needed to make the system work for all taxpayers in the state. Over the course of his career, he has developed a deep network of colleagues with whom he could liaise as a member of the board of equalization. Dodson is a longtime union member, and has supported union lobbying efforts throughout his career. 

Dodson is endorsed by some progressive groups in the state, including Progressive Democrats of California. He has also received the endorsement of some local political leaders. Based on our analysis, Dodson’s track record and professional knowledge demonstrate that he will be a progressive leader for the constituents of District 4 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.

Elect Pete Hardin to push Orange County in the right direction. 

The Position

Each of the 58 counties in California elects a district attorney to manage the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the violation of state and county laws. The district attorney has investigative authority, manages the apprehension of individuals identified through the investigative process, and holds charging and prosecutorial power. The work of the district attorney includes municipal and superior court operations, and serving as a legal liaison to the grand jury. The county board of supervisors provides financial oversight to the district attorney’s office, but holds no operational power over their work. District attorneys are elected to four-year terms in office. 

The District

Orange County is California’s 3rd most populous county, with a population of 3.1 million. Orange County’s district attorney oversees an office of deputy district attorneys and administrators, and the prosecution of criminal offenses across the county and unincorporated areas. Orange County has a demographic breakdown of 34% Latino, 22% Asian, and 2% Black.

The Race

There are four candidates running for this seat, including Pete Hardin, incumbent District Attorney Todd Spitzer, Bryan Chehock, and Mike Jacobs. Hardin’s campaign has raised $847,000 and has not received donations from police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. District Attorney Spitzer’s campaign has raised $1.7 million and has received donations from fossil fuel, real estate, and police interests, including from the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association. District Attorney Spitzer has had a destructive effect on the culture and efficiency of the DA’s Office that has resulted in an exodus of talent and institutional knowledge, including 70 prosecutors. During his first term, he has launched retaliatory internal investigations, has been found guilty of violating the Racial Justice Act, and failed to provide transparency around victim advocacy. Chehock and Jones have not filed any fundraising disclosures with the county. 

Our Endorsement

Pete Hardin, a veteran and an attorney, has lived in Orange County for over ten years. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to increase safety and victim support, and to restore integrity to the office. He has not run for public office before. 

Hardin is an attorney who has most recently worked in private practice on civil and criminal cases in collaboration with a variety of federal agencies, including the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. He has also served as a deputy district attorney for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. In these roles, he was primarily responsible for advising law enforcement and toxicology teams, and litigating cases related to government fraud, mail fraud, drug trafficking, and violent crimes. Hardin’s platform is heavily rooted in reform, restorative justice, and ending mass incarceration. With an attention to the interconnection between social disparities and crime, he has proposed an approach that would reinvest in communities, mental health care, and housing while simultaneously shifting away from the death penalty, cash bail, and the prosecution of children as adults. 

Prior to his civilian service, Hardin was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, which he entered after completing officer candidate school as a law student. He was a judge advocate and served in a deployment to Afghanistan. 

Hardin is endorsed by some progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood, Working Families Party, and Orange County League of Conservation Voters. He has also received the endorsement of many state and local elected officials, including Rep. Mike Levin, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, Assm. Anthony Rendon, and State Senator Dave Min. Based on our analysis, Hardin’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of Orange County and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.