Courage California endorses Michelle Chambers for state Senate to put SD-35 on the right track for progress.
Michelle Chambers’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of SD-35 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Chambers has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including LA Voice Action, SEIU California, and California Environmental Voters. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Assm. Tina McKinnor, and LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
Electoral history: Chambers has run for office previously, and won her 2019 race for Compton City Council District 1 against the incumbent with over 65% of the vote. She resigned from the seat midway through her first term in March 2022 to work in Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.
Top issues: Quality of life improvement, homelessness and housing, health care, economic improvement, public safety, senior and veteran services, and creating employment opportunities
Governance and community leadership experience: Chambers is a public policy professional, which she does to support services and systems that improve quality of life for members of the community. Aside from her tenure on the Compton City Council, Chambers has served in a variety of leadership positions in the state, including as external affairs manager to Attorney General Rob Bonta, special assistant to Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, and senior field deputy to Assm. Mike Gipson. Over a 30-year career, she has supported the work of state legislative leaders, congressional offices, local public works, and organized labor. These positions have provided Chambers with a comprehensive understanding of the public sector, and how to create positive outcomes across communities.
Other background: Michelle Chambers is a longtime resident of Compton.
The Race
Primary election: There are seven candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Michelle Chambers (D), Lamar Lyons (D), Nilo Michelin (D), Alex Monteiro (D), Laura Richardson (D), Pierre Homer Tijerino (D), and Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Chambers’s campaign has raised $60,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Nilo Michelin
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Michelin’s campaign has raised $50,000 as of October 2023, and is entirely self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Alex Monteiro
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Monteiro’s campaign has raised $96,000 as of October 2023, and has received donations from real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Laura Richardson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Richardson’s campaign has raised $285,000 as of October 2023, and is primarily self-funded. She has not received any donations from problematic funders.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williams’s campaign has raised $104,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 35th State Senate District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 61% Democrat, 11% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 47% Latino, 9% Asian, and 31% Black.
Recent election results: SD-35 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 61 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 54 points.
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 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 Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 9 seats.
Courage California endorses Michelle Chambers for state Senate to put SD-35 on the right track for progress.
Michelle Chambers’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of SD-35 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Chambers has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including LA Voice Action, SEIU California, and California Environmental Voters. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Assm. Tina McKinnor, and LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
Electoral history: Chambers has run for office previously, and won her 2019 race for Compton City Council District 1 against the incumbent with over 65% of the vote. She resigned from the seat midway through her first term in March 2022 to work in Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.
Top issues: Quality of life improvement, homelessness and housing, health care, economic improvement, public safety, senior and veteran services, and creating employment opportunities
Governance and community leadership experience: Chambers is a public policy professional, which she does to support services and systems that improve quality of life for members of the community. Aside from her tenure on the Compton City Council, Chambers has served in a variety of leadership positions in the state, including as external affairs manager to Attorney General Rob Bonta, special assistant to Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, and senior field deputy to Assm. Mike Gipson. Over a 30-year career, she has supported the work of state legislative leaders, congressional offices, local public works, and organized labor. These positions have provided Chambers with a comprehensive understanding of the public sector, and how to create positive outcomes across communities.
Other background: Michelle Chambers is a longtime resident of Compton.
The Race
Primary election: There are seven candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Michelle Chambers (D), Lamar Lyons (D), Nilo Michelin (D), Alex Monteiro (D), Laura Richardson (D), Pierre Homer Tijerino (D), and Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Chambers’s campaign has raised $60,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Nilo Michelin
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Michelin’s campaign has raised $50,000 as of October 2023, and is entirely self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Alex Monteiro
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Monteiro’s campaign has raised $96,000 as of October 2023, and has received donations from real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Laura Richardson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Richardson’s campaign has raised $285,000 as of October 2023, and is primarily self-funded. She has not received any donations from problematic funders.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williams’s campaign has raised $104,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 35th State Senate District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 61% Democrat, 11% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 47% Latino, 9% Asian, and 31% Black.
Recent election results: SD-35 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 61 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 54 points.
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 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 Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 9 seats.