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Voting has changed in Santa Clara County this year. The Voter’s Choice Act was enacted in the county to make voting more convenient. Changes include an expanded period of in-person early voting, every registered voter in the county will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, and every registered voter in the county is able to vote in-person at any Vote Center in their county. Have questions about the changes to voting in Santa Clara County? Find out how to vote in Santa Clara County.
Federal
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
There are 22 candidates running for California’s open U.S. Senate seat. Based on our analysis, three qualified candidates for this position have a distinct vision for the state. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
Primary election: In October 2022, Governor Newsom appointed labor leader, political advisor, and former Emily’s List President Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of the six-year term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died September 2022 after serving in the U.S. Senate since 1992. There are 22 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D), Rep. Katie Porter (D), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Representative Barbara Lee is a longtime Congresswoman and has been a consistent progressive voice in Congress. She has been a prolific author of legislation related to ending AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, has moved efforts to reduce poverty forward, and was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the attacks on September 11, 2001, a controversial position at the time. In recent legislative sessions, she has authored and sponsored legislation to curtail CEO overpay, improve research and public awareness of sickle cell disease, address the national backlog of unprocessed rape kits, and improve mental health resources for students. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives, Rep. Lee worked as a social worker and founded a mental-health service organization, Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education, to benefit her local East Bay community. She then spent eleven years working on the staff of Rep. Ron Dellums, eventually serving as his chief of staff. After her tenure in congressional staffing, she founded a facilities-management company. A few years later, in 1990, Rep. Lee launched a successful bid for a seat in the California Assembly, where she served for six years, before she was elected to the state Senate.
Representative Katie Porter is an attorney and public servant and has been a strong advocate for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and government transparency. She has gained notoriety for her meticulous and expert style of questioning in congressional hearings, and exercises this skill during Oversight and Reform Committee sessions. Her legislative successes include bills to lower prescription drug prices, increase the fee oil and gas companies pay to drill on public lands, lower the income threshold for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and extend mental healthcare coverage. She has also recently supported efforts to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks. Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Porter spent twenty years 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.
Representative Adam Schiff is an attorney and public official and has been a consistent legislator on issues of government accountability, voting access, healthcare, and voting access. He rose to prominence as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment inquiry of the Trump Administration. He has had legislative success on bills to increase pension payments for teachers, expand labor organizing protections, secure nearly $200 million in funding to address affordable housing development and homelessness in the state, create the patient bill of rights, and limit corporate spending to influence elections. He is also the lead author of legislation to end the NRA and the gun industry’s immunity from liability, which prevented victims and their families from seeking legal recourse. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Schiff worked as a law clerk and then as Assistant United States Attorney before being elected to California’s State Senate in 1996. He is a longtime supporter of progressive education, immigration, and environmental policies, but has cast unfavorable votes on issues pertaining to military spending and the use of military force, including a 2002 vote in favor of authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Rep. Lee has served in Congress since 1998, when she was elected with over 66% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection to CD-12 over a Republican challenger by 81 points. Her campaign has raised $3.3 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Rep. Lee has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Gen Z for Change, Feminist Majority PAC, Our Revolution, and Reproductive Freedom for All California (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice California). She has also received the endorsement of some community and elected leaders, including Dolores Huerta, State Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Rep. Porter has served in Congress since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection against a Republican challenger by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $22 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or real estate interests. Rep. Porter has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Women in Leadership PAC. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assm. Alex Lee, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Rep. Robert Garcia, and State Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
Rep. Schiff has served in Congress since 2000, when he was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Democratic challenger by 42 points. His campaign has raised $21 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, or fossil fuel interests. Rep. Schiff has the endorsement of some labor groups, including IATSE California Council, IAFF, and Amalgamated Transit Union. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Tina McKinnor, Assm. Rick Chavez Zbur, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Other background: Rep. Lee is from El Paso, TX, and moved to the San Fernando Valley when she was a child. She attended Mills College, where she served as president of the Black Student Union and invited Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm to speak on campus. Her interaction with Rep. Chisholm was an early inspiration for her pursuit of a career in public service.
Rep. Porter is from Fort Dodge, IA, and now resides in Irvine, CA. Along with her legal practice, she is a longtime tenured professor of law at University of California-Irvine.
Rep. Schiff is from the Bay Area. He holds a law degree from Harvard University.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 39 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 22% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat in the state since 2011.
District demographics: 40% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points. Sen. Feinstein won her 2018 reelection against now-Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León by 8 points.
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.
There are 22 candidates running for California’s open U.S. Senate seat. Based on our analysis, three qualified candidates for this position have a distinct vision for the state. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
Primary election: In October 2022, Governor Newsom appointed labor leader, political advisor, and former Emily’s List President Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of the six-year term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died September 2022 after serving in the U.S. Senate since 1992. There are 22 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D), Rep. Katie Porter (D), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Representative Barbara Lee is a longtime Congresswoman and has been a consistent progressive voice in Congress. She has been a prolific author of legislation related to ending AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, has moved efforts to reduce poverty forward, and was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the attacks on September 11, 2001, a controversial position at the time. In recent legislative sessions, she has authored and sponsored legislation to curtail CEO overpay, improve research and public awareness of sickle cell disease, address the national backlog of unprocessed rape kits, and improve mental health resources for students. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives, Rep. Lee worked as a social worker and founded a mental-health service organization, Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education, to benefit her local East Bay community. She then spent eleven years working on the staff of Rep. Ron Dellums, eventually serving as his chief of staff. After her tenure in congressional staffing, she founded a facilities-management company. A few years later, in 1990, Rep. Lee launched a successful bid for a seat in the California Assembly, where she served for six years, before she was elected to the state Senate.
Representative Katie Porter is an attorney and public servant and has been a strong advocate for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and government transparency. She has gained notoriety for her meticulous and expert style of questioning in congressional hearings, and exercises this skill during Oversight and Reform Committee sessions. Her legislative successes include bills to lower prescription drug prices, increase the fee oil and gas companies pay to drill on public lands, lower the income threshold for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and extend mental healthcare coverage. She has also recently supported efforts to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks. Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Porter spent twenty years 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.
Representative Adam Schiff is an attorney and public official and has been a consistent legislator on issues of government accountability, voting access, healthcare, and voting access. He rose to prominence as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment inquiry of the Trump Administration. He has had legislative success on bills to increase pension payments for teachers, expand labor organizing protections, secure nearly $200 million in funding to address affordable housing development and homelessness in the state, create the patient bill of rights, and limit corporate spending to influence elections. He is also the lead author of legislation to end the NRA and the gun industry’s immunity from liability, which prevented victims and their families from seeking legal recourse. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Schiff worked as a law clerk and then as Assistant United States Attorney before being elected to California’s State Senate in 1996. He is a longtime supporter of progressive education, immigration, and environmental policies, but has cast unfavorable votes on issues pertaining to military spending and the use of military force, including a 2002 vote in favor of authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Rep. Lee has served in Congress since 1998, when she was elected with over 66% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection to CD-12 over a Republican challenger by 81 points. Her campaign has raised $3.3 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Rep. Lee has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Gen Z for Change, Feminist Majority PAC, Our Revolution, and Reproductive Freedom for All California (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice California). She has also received the endorsement of some community and elected leaders, including Dolores Huerta, State Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Rep. Porter has served in Congress since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection against a Republican challenger by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $22 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or real estate interests. Rep. Porter has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Women in Leadership PAC. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assm. Alex Lee, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Rep. Robert Garcia, and State Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
Rep. Schiff has served in Congress since 2000, when he was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Democratic challenger by 42 points. His campaign has raised $21 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, or fossil fuel interests. Rep. Schiff has the endorsement of some labor groups, including IATSE California Council, IAFF, and Amalgamated Transit Union. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Tina McKinnor, Assm. Rick Chavez Zbur, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Other background: Rep. Lee is from El Paso, TX, and moved to the San Fernando Valley when she was a child. She attended Mills College, where she served as president of the Black Student Union and invited Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm to speak on campus. Her interaction with Rep. Chisholm was an early inspiration for her pursuit of a career in public service.
Rep. Porter is from Fort Dodge, IA, and now resides in Irvine, CA. Along with her legal practice, she is a longtime tenured professor of law at University of California-Irvine.
Rep. Schiff is from the Bay Area. He holds a law degree from Harvard University.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 39 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 22% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat in the state since 2011.
District demographics: 40% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points. Sen. Feinstein won her 2018 reelection against now-Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León by 8 points.
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.
18th Congressional District
Re-elect Congressional Representative Zoe Lofgren to keep CD-18 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Lofgren has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California and California Environmental Voters, as well as labor unions like United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Immigration, the environment, safety, agriculture.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Lofgren’s priorities for CD-18 have included 9 bills about expanding pathways to citizenship and employment for immigrants, and prioritizing public safety in construction and development. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: Yes.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Lofgren currently sits on 2 committees, including the House Committee on the Judiciary. She is also the ranking member on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Lofgren has served in this congressional seat since 1994, when she was elected with over 45% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 32 points.
Prior to her role as a member of Congress, she was an immigration lawyer, taught at Santa Clara Law School, and served as staff assistant to Congressman Don Edwards. Rep. Lofgren has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights, abortion protections, and LGBTQIA+ equity. In Congress, she helped pass the DREAM Act of 2019 (and 2010), and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House. She has opposed the Trump administration's immigration policies, and has called for an end to the detention centers, and for foreign aid to end the instability in Central America that leads to people fleeing their homes. As the representative for the heart of Silicon Valley, she has been active on internet and technology issues. She fought the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the NSA surveillance of Americans, and recently introduced the Online Privacy Act. However, she has been criticized for not taking a stronger stance on holding Big Tech more accountable, even on antitrust bills that have bipartisan support and despite strong support from her constituents.
Other background: Rep. Lofgren was born and raised in the Bay Area, and attended Stanford and Santa Clara Law School.
The Race
Primary election: There are 4 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D), Peter Hernandez (R), Luele Kifle (D), and Lawrence Milan (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Lofgren’s campaign has raised $1,038,116 and is not funded by police money. She has accepted donations from the fossil fuel and real estate industries, as well as from corporate PACs.
Opposing candidate: Republican Peter Hernandez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Hernandez’s campaign has raised $41,458. He has not pledged to refuse donations from the police, the fossil fuel industry, real estate industry, or corporate PACs. He is also funded by WinRed, a
Republican PAC backed by Donald Trump that came under fire in 2021 for
misleading donors by marking their one-time donations as recurring.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 18th Congressional District includes San Benito County and parts of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
Voter registration: 54% Democrat, 17% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 51% Latino, 14% Asian, and 3% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 44 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 points.
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 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Zoe Lofgren to keep CD-18 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Lofgren has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California and California Environmental Voters, as well as labor unions like United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Immigration, the environment, safety, agriculture.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Lofgren’s priorities for CD-18 have included 9 bills about expanding pathways to citizenship and employment for immigrants, and prioritizing public safety in construction and development. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: Yes.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Lofgren currently sits on 2 committees, including the House Committee on the Judiciary. She is also the ranking member on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Lofgren has served in this congressional seat since 1994, when she was elected with over 45% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 32 points.
Prior to her role as a member of Congress, she was an immigration lawyer, taught at Santa Clara Law School, and served as staff assistant to Congressman Don Edwards. Rep. Lofgren has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights, abortion protections, and LGBTQIA+ equity. In Congress, she helped pass the DREAM Act of 2019 (and 2010), and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House. She has opposed the Trump administration's immigration policies, and has called for an end to the detention centers, and for foreign aid to end the instability in Central America that leads to people fleeing their homes. As the representative for the heart of Silicon Valley, she has been active on internet and technology issues. She fought the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the NSA surveillance of Americans, and recently introduced the Online Privacy Act. However, she has been criticized for not taking a stronger stance on holding Big Tech more accountable, even on antitrust bills that have bipartisan support and despite strong support from her constituents.
Other background: Rep. Lofgren was born and raised in the Bay Area, and attended Stanford and Santa Clara Law School.
The Race
Primary election: There are 4 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D), Peter Hernandez (R), Luele Kifle (D), and Lawrence Milan (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Lofgren’s campaign has raised $1,038,116 and is not funded by police money. She has accepted donations from the fossil fuel and real estate industries, as well as from corporate PACs.
Opposing candidate: Republican Peter Hernandez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Hernandez’s campaign has raised $41,458. He has not pledged to refuse donations from the police, the fossil fuel industry, real estate industry, or corporate PACs. He is also funded by WinRed, a
Republican PAC backed by Donald Trump that came under fire in 2021 for
misleading donors by marking their one-time donations as recurring.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 18th Congressional District includes San Benito County and parts of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
Voter registration: 54% Democrat, 17% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 51% Latino, 14% Asian, and 3% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 44 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 points.
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 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Zoe Lofgren to keep CD-18 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Lofgren has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California and California Environmental Voters, as well as labor unions like United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Immigration, the environment, safety, agriculture.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Lofgren’s priorities for CD-18 have included 9 bills about expanding pathways to citizenship and employment for immigrants, and prioritizing public safety in construction and development. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: Yes.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Lofgren currently sits on 2 committees, including the House Committee on the Judiciary. She is also the ranking member on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Lofgren has served in this congressional seat since 1994, when she was elected with over 45% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 32 points.
Prior to her role as a member of Congress, she was an immigration lawyer, taught at Santa Clara Law School, and served as staff assistant to Congressman Don Edwards. Rep. Lofgren has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights, abortion protections, and LGBTQIA+ equity. In Congress, she helped pass the DREAM Act of 2019 (and 2010), and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House. She has opposed the Trump administration's immigration policies, and has called for an end to the detention centers, and for foreign aid to end the instability in Central America that leads to people fleeing their homes. As the representative for the heart of Silicon Valley, she has been active on internet and technology issues. She fought the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the NSA surveillance of Americans, and recently introduced the Online Privacy Act. However, she has been criticized for not taking a stronger stance on holding Big Tech more accountable, even on antitrust bills that have bipartisan support and despite strong support from her constituents.
Other background: Rep. Lofgren was born and raised in the Bay Area, and attended Stanford and Santa Clara Law School.
The Race
Primary election: There are 4 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D), Peter Hernandez (R), Luele Kifle (D), and Lawrence Milan (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Lofgren’s campaign has raised $1,038,116 and is not funded by police money. She has accepted donations from the fossil fuel and real estate industries, as well as from corporate PACs.
Opposing candidate: Republican Peter Hernandez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Hernandez’s campaign has raised $41,458. He has not pledged to refuse donations from the police, the fossil fuel industry, real estate industry, or corporate PACs. He is also funded by WinRed, a
Republican PAC backed by Donald Trump that came under fire in 2021 for
misleading donors by marking their one-time donations as recurring.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 18th Congressional District includes San Benito County and parts of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties.
Voter registration: 54% Democrat, 17% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 51% Latino, 14% Asian, and 3% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 44 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 points.
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 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
State Assembly, 28th District
Re-elect Assemblymember Gail Pellerin to keep AD-28 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Gail Pellerin’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-28 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Pellerin has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, Sierra Club California, and AFSCME California. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, and several current and former members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Assm. Pellerin has also received problematic police endorsements from California Association of Highway Patrol, and Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Top issues: Voting rights and election integrity, health care, homelessness and housing, environmental protections, education, and economic growth.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Pellerin’s priorities for AD-28 have included 19 bills about election security, health care, and water and environmental protections. Of these, 13 have been successfully chaptered into law and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to improve maternal mental health, improve election access for people with disabilities, and increase transparency in business filings. She scores a CS of 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Pellerin has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote this session.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Pellerin currently sits on nine committees, including Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife. She serves as chair of the Committee on Elections. Assm. Pellerin is also a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Pellerin has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 68% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Pellerin spent 35 years as a public servant who worked to support marriage-equality issues, fight for voting rights, and strengthen democracy. As Santa Cruz County Clerk, she authored several election guidebooks to assist voters, has implemented innovative voter-outreach programs that targeted high school students, and has made polling places more accessible to people with disabilities. Along with her election advocacy, she has been a longtime supporter of marriage equality.
Other background: Assm. Pellerin is a longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. She has received awards for her work on disability issues, voting rights, and government transparency.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Gail Pellerin (D), Liz Lawler (R), and Ronald Meyer (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Pellerin’s campaign has raised $277,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Neither of the challengers in this race have filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 28th Assembly District includes parts of Santa Clara and Santa Curz Counties.
Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 24% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 15% Asian, and 2% Black.
Recent election results: AD-28 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 48 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 38 points.
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 three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.
Re-elect Assemblymember Gail Pellerin to keep AD-28 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Gail Pellerin’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-28 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Pellerin has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, Sierra Club California, and AFSCME California. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, and several current and former members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Assm. Pellerin has also received problematic police endorsements from California Association of Highway Patrol, and Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Top issues: Voting rights and election integrity, health care, homelessness and housing, environmental protections, education, and economic growth.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Pellerin’s priorities for AD-28 have included 19 bills about election security, health care, and water and environmental protections. Of these, 13 have been successfully chaptered into law and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to improve maternal mental health, improve election access for people with disabilities, and increase transparency in business filings. She scores a CS of 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Pellerin has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote this session.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Pellerin currently sits on nine committees, including Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife. She serves as chair of the Committee on Elections. Assm. Pellerin is also a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Pellerin has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 68% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Pellerin spent 35 years as a public servant who worked to support marriage-equality issues, fight for voting rights, and strengthen democracy. As Santa Cruz County Clerk, she authored several election guidebooks to assist voters, has implemented innovative voter-outreach programs that targeted high school students, and has made polling places more accessible to people with disabilities. Along with her election advocacy, she has been a longtime supporter of marriage equality.
Other background: Assm. Pellerin is a longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. She has received awards for her work on disability issues, voting rights, and government transparency.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Gail Pellerin (D), Liz Lawler (R), and Ronald Meyer (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Pellerin’s campaign has raised $277,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Neither of the challengers in this race have filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 28th Assembly District includes parts of Santa Clara and Santa Curz Counties.
Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 24% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 15% Asian, and 2% Black.
Recent election results: AD-28 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 48 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 38 points.
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 three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.
Re-elect Assemblymember Gail Pellerin to keep AD-28 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Gail Pellerin’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-28 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Pellerin has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, Sierra Club California, and AFSCME California. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, and several current and former members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Assm. Pellerin has also received problematic police endorsements from California Association of Highway Patrol, and Peace Officers Research Association of California.
Top issues: Voting rights and election integrity, health care, homelessness and housing, environmental protections, education, and economic growth.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Pellerin’s priorities for AD-28 have included 19 bills about election security, health care, and water and environmental protections. Of these, 13 have been successfully chaptered into law and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to improve maternal mental health, improve election access for people with disabilities, and increase transparency in business filings. She scores a CS of 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Pellerin has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote this session.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Pellerin currently sits on nine committees, including Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife. She serves as chair of the Committee on Elections. Assm. Pellerin is also a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Pellerin has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 68% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Pellerin spent 35 years as a public servant who worked to support marriage-equality issues, fight for voting rights, and strengthen democracy. As Santa Cruz County Clerk, she authored several election guidebooks to assist voters, has implemented innovative voter-outreach programs that targeted high school students, and has made polling places more accessible to people with disabilities. Along with her election advocacy, she has been a longtime supporter of marriage equality.
Other background: Assm. Pellerin is a longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. She has received awards for her work on disability issues, voting rights, and government transparency.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Gail Pellerin (D), Liz Lawler (R), and Ronald Meyer (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Pellerin’s campaign has raised $277,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Neither of the challengers in this race have filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 28th Assembly District includes parts of Santa Clara and Santa Curz Counties.
Voter registration: 52% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 24% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 15% Asian, and 2% Black.
Recent election results: AD-28 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 48 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 38 points.
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 three-quarters supermajority of 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.
State Senator, 15th District
Re-elect State Senator Dave Cortese to keep SD-15 on the right track for progress.
Sen. Cortese’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of SD-15 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Sen. Cortese has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and SEIU California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Rep. Ro Khanna, Assm. Ash Kalra, four members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and San Jose Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei. Sen. Cortese has received problematic donations from companies and organizations associated with real estate, corporate PAC, and police interests.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, public safety, environmental protections and clean energy, health-care access, education, transportation, and government accountability.
Priority bills: This year, Sen. Cortese’s priorities for SD-15 have included 30 bills about workers’ compensation, occupational safety, criminal justice, and civil law. Of these, 14 have been successfully chaptered into law, and the rest remain in committee. He has authored two significant criminal justice bills this session, including SB94 to allow individuals who have served at least 25 years of a life session to petition for resentencing, and SB309 to increase access to broad religious freedoms for incarcerated individuals. In support of expanding worker protections, he has also authored SB553 to mandate that employers maintain a workplace violence plan and a process for documenting threats and incidents. He scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Cortese has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Sen. Cortese currently sits on nine committees, including Education, Housing, Transportation, Human Services, and the Joint Committee on Rules. He serves as chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee. Sen. Cortese is a member of the California Native American Legislative Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Sen. Cortese has served in this state Senate seat since 2020, when he was elected with over 54% of the vote. In 2014, he ran for mayor of San Jose, but was defeated in the general election.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Sen. Cortese was a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for 12 years, where he worked to bring increased equity and justice to the community. He served as the Board’s president for four years, and led on several initiatives, including addressing and reducing homelessness in the region, advocating for changes to criminal-justice custody operations, and decreasing the number of children involved in the child welfare system. Before entering public service, Sen. Cortese ran a large family agriculture and real estate business, and served as a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Valley Transportation Authority, and served as a trustee for the East Side Union High School District. In each of these roles, Cortese worked to build funding for capital projects intended to support local communities.
Other background: Sen. Cortese is from East San Jose. He is the son of former Assm. Dominic Cortese.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Dave Cortese (D), Mark Hinkle (LIB), Robert Howell (R), Roy Loaiza (R), and Anthony Macias (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Cortese’s campaign has raised $853,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel interests. He has received problematic donations from police, real estate, and corporate PAC donors, including PG&E, California Real Estate PAC, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: The campaigns of Hinkle, Howell, Loaiza, and Macias have not filed any fundraising receipts with the California Secretary of State’s office as of October 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 15th State Senate District includes parts of Santa Clara County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 26% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 28% Latino, 29% Asian, and 3% Black.
Recent election results: SD-15 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 43 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 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.
Re-elect State Senator Dave Cortese to keep SD-15 on the right track for progress.
Sen. Cortese’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of SD-15 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Sen. Cortese has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and SEIU California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Rep. Ro Khanna, Assm. Ash Kalra, four members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and San Jose Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei. Sen. Cortese has received problematic donations from companies and organizations associated with real estate, corporate PAC, and police interests.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, public safety, environmental protections and clean energy, health-care access, education, transportation, and government accountability.
Priority bills: This year, Sen. Cortese’s priorities for SD-15 have included 30 bills about workers’ compensation, occupational safety, criminal justice, and civil law. Of these, 14 have been successfully chaptered into law, and the rest remain in committee. He has authored two significant criminal justice bills this session, including SB94 to allow individuals who have served at least 25 years of a life session to petition for resentencing, and SB309 to increase access to broad religious freedoms for incarcerated individuals. In support of expanding worker protections, he has also authored SB553 to mandate that employers maintain a workplace violence plan and a process for documenting threats and incidents. He scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Cortese has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Sen. Cortese currently sits on nine committees, including Education, Housing, Transportation, Human Services, and the Joint Committee on Rules. He serves as chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee. Sen. Cortese is a member of the California Native American Legislative Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Sen. Cortese has served in this state Senate seat since 2020, when he was elected with over 54% of the vote. In 2014, he ran for mayor of San Jose, but was defeated in the general election.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Sen. Cortese was a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for 12 years, where he worked to bring increased equity and justice to the community. He served as the Board’s president for four years, and led on several initiatives, including addressing and reducing homelessness in the region, advocating for changes to criminal-justice custody operations, and decreasing the number of children involved in the child welfare system. Before entering public service, Sen. Cortese ran a large family agriculture and real estate business, and served as a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Valley Transportation Authority, and served as a trustee for the East Side Union High School District. In each of these roles, Cortese worked to build funding for capital projects intended to support local communities.
Other background: Sen. Cortese is from East San Jose. He is the son of former Assm. Dominic Cortese.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Dave Cortese (D), Mark Hinkle (LIB), Robert Howell (R), Roy Loaiza (R), and Anthony Macias (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Cortese’s campaign has raised $853,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel interests. He has received problematic donations from police, real estate, and corporate PAC donors, including PG&E, California Real Estate PAC, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: The campaigns of Hinkle, Howell, Loaiza, and Macias have not filed any fundraising receipts with the California Secretary of State’s office as of October 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 15th State Senate District includes parts of Santa Clara County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 26% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 28% Latino, 29% Asian, and 3% Black.
Recent election results: SD-15 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 43 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 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.
Re-elect State Senator Dave Cortese to keep SD-15 on the right track for progress.
Sen. Cortese’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of SD-15 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Sen. Cortese has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and SEIU California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Rep. Ro Khanna, Assm. Ash Kalra, four members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and San Jose Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei. Sen. Cortese has received problematic donations from companies and organizations associated with real estate, corporate PAC, and police interests.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, public safety, environmental protections and clean energy, health-care access, education, transportation, and government accountability.
Priority bills: This year, Sen. Cortese’s priorities for SD-15 have included 30 bills about workers’ compensation, occupational safety, criminal justice, and civil law. Of these, 14 have been successfully chaptered into law, and the rest remain in committee. He has authored two significant criminal justice bills this session, including SB94 to allow individuals who have served at least 25 years of a life session to petition for resentencing, and SB309 to increase access to broad religious freedoms for incarcerated individuals. In support of expanding worker protections, he has also authored SB553 to mandate that employers maintain a workplace violence plan and a process for documenting threats and incidents. He scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Sen. Cortese has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Sen. Cortese currently sits on nine committees, including Education, Housing, Transportation, Human Services, and the Joint Committee on Rules. He serves as chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee. Sen. Cortese is a member of the California Native American Legislative Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Sen. Cortese has served in this state Senate seat since 2020, when he was elected with over 54% of the vote. In 2014, he ran for mayor of San Jose, but was defeated in the general election.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Sen. Cortese was a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for 12 years, where he worked to bring increased equity and justice to the community. He served as the Board’s president for four years, and led on several initiatives, including addressing and reducing homelessness in the region, advocating for changes to criminal-justice custody operations, and decreasing the number of children involved in the child welfare system. Before entering public service, Sen. Cortese ran a large family agriculture and real estate business, and served as a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Valley Transportation Authority, and served as a trustee for the East Side Union High School District. In each of these roles, Cortese worked to build funding for capital projects intended to support local communities.
Other background: Sen. Cortese is from East San Jose. He is the son of former Assm. Dominic Cortese.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Sen. Dave Cortese (D), Mark Hinkle (LIB), Robert Howell (R), Roy Loaiza (R), and Anthony Macias (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Cortese’s campaign has raised $853,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel interests. He has received problematic donations from police, real estate, and corporate PAC donors, including PG&E, California Real Estate PAC, and California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: The campaigns of Hinkle, Howell, Loaiza, and Macias have not filed any fundraising receipts with the California Secretary of State’s office as of October 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 15th State Senate District includes parts of Santa Clara County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 18% Republican, and 26% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 28% Latino, 29% Asian, and 3% Black.
Recent election results: SD-15 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 43 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 36 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.
Santa Clara County, District 5
Depending on where you live, you may have the below county-districted races on your ballot.
Elect Sally Lieber for Supervisor to put Santa Clara County on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Santa Clara County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Lieber has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Democratic Socialists of America and California Working Families Party. In her previous elections, she has also received endorsements from Equality California, California Teachers Association, Sierra Club, Assm. Laura Friedman, and State Sen. Josh Becker.
Electoral history: Lieber has run for office previously, and won her race to represent the California State Board of Equalization’s District 2 in 2022 with 69% of the vote. Lieber served as a Mountain View City Councilmember after winning election in 2020 with the second-highest vote total for the at-large seat. This was Lieber’s second turn on the city council, where she first served as mayor and vice mayor after winning election in 1998. She was then elected to the 22nd Assembly District seat in 2002, and won reelection in 2004 and 2006. Prior to winning her 2022 race, she had unsuccessfully run for seats in the California State Senate in 2020 and 2012.
Top issues: Sustainable county staffing, homelessness and affordable housing, childcare accessibility, environmental protection, mental health-care resources and public health, public safety, and government transparency.
Governance and community leadership experience: Lieber is a longtime public official, which she does to support advocacy, local politics, and communities. She has served as vice chair of the State Board of Equalization since she took office in January 2023. Prior to this state role, Lieber had recently taken her second turn on the Mountain View City Council, where she had previously served terms as a councilmember and as mayor. In this role, she worked on committees for finance, inclusion, transportation, and youth services. She also served three 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.
Other background: Lieber has lived in California for over 40 years, spending much of that time as a resident of Mountain View.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Sally Lieber, Margaret Abe-Koga, Barry Chang, Peter Fung, and Sandy Sans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and wins outright in the primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Lieber’s campaign has raised $5,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Margaret Abe-Koga
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Abe-Koga’s campaign has raised $142,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police and real estate interests.
The District
County: Santa Clara County is California’s sixth most populous county. District 5 includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and unincorporated areas.
Governance structure: Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.9 million people and manages an estimated budget of $10.2 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Santa Clara County is governed by the five-member Board of Supervisors and the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Elect Sally Lieber for Supervisor to put Santa Clara County on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Santa Clara County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Lieber has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Democratic Socialists of America and California Working Families Party. In her previous elections, she has also received endorsements from Equality California, California Teachers Association, Sierra Club, Assm. Laura Friedman, and State Sen. Josh Becker.
Electoral history: Lieber has run for office previously, and won her race to represent the California State Board of Equalization’s District 2 in 2022 with 69% of the vote. Lieber served as a Mountain View City Councilmember after winning election in 2020 with the second-highest vote total for the at-large seat. This was Lieber’s second turn on the city council, where she first served as mayor and vice mayor after winning election in 1998. She was then elected to the 22nd Assembly District seat in 2002, and won reelection in 2004 and 2006. Prior to winning her 2022 race, she had unsuccessfully run for seats in the California State Senate in 2020 and 2012.
Top issues: Sustainable county staffing, homelessness and affordable housing, childcare accessibility, environmental protection, mental health-care resources and public health, public safety, and government transparency.
Governance and community leadership experience: Lieber is a longtime public official, which she does to support advocacy, local politics, and communities. She has served as vice chair of the State Board of Equalization since she took office in January 2023. Prior to this state role, Lieber had recently taken her second turn on the Mountain View City Council, where she had previously served terms as a councilmember and as mayor. In this role, she worked on committees for finance, inclusion, transportation, and youth services. She also served three 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.
Other background: Lieber has lived in California for over 40 years, spending much of that time as a resident of Mountain View.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Sally Lieber, Margaret Abe-Koga, Barry Chang, Peter Fung, and Sandy Sans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and wins outright in the primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Lieber’s campaign has raised $5,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Margaret Abe-Koga
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Abe-Koga’s campaign has raised $142,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police and real estate interests.
The District
County: Santa Clara County is California’s sixth most populous county. District 5 includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and unincorporated areas.
Governance structure: Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.9 million people and manages an estimated budget of $10.2 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Santa Clara County is governed by the five-member Board of Supervisors and the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Elect Sally Lieber for Supervisor to put Santa Clara County on the right track for progress.
Sally Lieber’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Santa Clara County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Lieber has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Democratic Socialists of America and California Working Families Party. In her previous elections, she has also received endorsements from Equality California, California Teachers Association, Sierra Club, Assm. Laura Friedman, and State Sen. Josh Becker.
Electoral history: Lieber has run for office previously, and won her race to represent the California State Board of Equalization’s District 2 in 2022 with 69% of the vote. Lieber served as a Mountain View City Councilmember after winning election in 2020 with the second-highest vote total for the at-large seat. This was Lieber’s second turn on the city council, where she first served as mayor and vice mayor after winning election in 1998. She was then elected to the 22nd Assembly District seat in 2002, and won reelection in 2004 and 2006. Prior to winning her 2022 race, she had unsuccessfully run for seats in the California State Senate in 2020 and 2012.
Top issues: Sustainable county staffing, homelessness and affordable housing, childcare accessibility, environmental protection, mental health-care resources and public health, public safety, and government transparency.
Governance and community leadership experience: Lieber is a longtime public official, which she does to support advocacy, local politics, and communities. She has served as vice chair of the State Board of Equalization since she took office in January 2023. Prior to this state role, Lieber had recently taken her second turn on the Mountain View City Council, where she had previously served terms as a councilmember and as mayor. In this role, she worked on committees for finance, inclusion, transportation, and youth services. She also served three 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.
Other background: Lieber has lived in California for over 40 years, spending much of that time as a resident of Mountain View.
The Race
Primary election: There are five candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Sally Lieber, Margaret Abe-Koga, Barry Chang, Peter Fung, and Sandy Sans. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5, unless one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote and wins outright in the primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Lieber’s campaign has raised $5,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Margaret Abe-Koga
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Abe-Koga’s campaign has raised $142,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police and real estate interests.
The District
County: Santa Clara County is California’s sixth most populous county. District 5 includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and unincorporated areas.
Governance structure: Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.9 million people and manages an estimated budget of $10.2 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Santa Clara County is governed by the five-member Board of Supervisors and the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Statewide Ballot Measures
Proposition 1 will establish a $6.4 billion bond to fund an increase in the number of treatment beds and housing units the state provides to individuals struggling with mental health and addiction, and to direct counties to reallocate their Mental Health Services Act funding to address the local housing shortage.
In an effort to address an ongoing housing shortage and addiction crisis in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills—SB326 and AB531—to send a $6.4 billion bond measure to voters in March. This bond would be used to increase capacity in health care and housing across the state by adding 6,800 behavioral health treatment beds, building 4,300 housing units, and creating 26,000 outpatient treatment slots for Californians. Proposition 1 would also require each county to redirect 30% of its Mental Health Services Act funding to housing, including creating new real estate development, and the provision of rental subsidies. Mental Health Services Act funds are raised through a tax on millionaires in the state, and the reallocated portion is expected to total $1 billion annually across the state. Overall, Proposition 1 aims to reduce homelessness and tent encampments, and provide support to individuals who do not have the resources to address behavioral health challenges.
Top support for Proposition 1:
- The legislation that sent Proposition 1 to voters received overwhelming support from the state legislature. SB326 received a unanimous floor vote in the Senate, and earned 68 floor votes in the Assembly. AB531 received 35 floor votes in the Senate, and 66 floor votes in the Assembly.
- YES ON 1 has received over $10.7 million in donations, primarily through Yes on Prop 1—Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee. The committee has received donations from police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests, including from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund, AirBnB, Google, and PG&E.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has enthusiastically supported Proposition 1, arguing that the establishment of more treatment options and housing units has the potential to have a significant impact on marginalized populations within the state over time, and is a humane approach to this ongoing public health crisis.
Top opposition to Proposition 1:
- Groups like Disability Rights California and the League of Women Voters California are concerned that this policy could be interpreted to permit involuntary treatment of mental health and addiction patients in locked facilities. They argue that this aspect of the bill is regressive and is the result of hasty passage, a lack of meaningful legislative debate, and limited input from community groups. Republican activist Carl DeMaio, his conservative PAC Reform California, and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are also opposing Proposition 1.
- Some housing and homeless advocates have criticized Proposition 1’s narrow projected impact on a statewide homeless population that is estimated to include 180,000 people. With over half of the proposed new housing units earmarked for veterans, the number of homeless civilians who will benefit from this program is statistically insignificant.
- Proposition 1 has raised concerns among opponents—including several counties and county leaders—around its mandate that 30% of county Mental Health Services Act funding be allocated to address local housing shortages. Stripping funding out of this budget line to fund housing programs will disrupt existing and effective county mental health programs, many of which are tailored to serve marginalized local populations, including Indigenous communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color.
Proposition 1 will establish a $6.4 billion bond to fund an increase in the number of treatment beds and housing units the state provides to individuals struggling with mental health and addiction, and to direct counties to reallocate their Mental Health Services Act funding to address the local housing shortage.
In an effort to address an ongoing housing shortage and addiction crisis in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills—SB326 and AB531—to send a $6.4 billion bond measure to voters in March. This bond would be used to increase capacity in health care and housing across the state by adding 6,800 behavioral health treatment beds, building 4,300 housing units, and creating 26,000 outpatient treatment slots for Californians. Proposition 1 would also require each county to redirect 30% of its Mental Health Services Act funding to housing, including creating new real estate development, and the provision of rental subsidies. Mental Health Services Act funds are raised through a tax on millionaires in the state, and the reallocated portion is expected to total $1 billion annually across the state. Overall, Proposition 1 aims to reduce homelessness and tent encampments, and provide support to individuals who do not have the resources to address behavioral health challenges.
Top support for Proposition 1:
- The legislation that sent Proposition 1 to voters received overwhelming support from the state legislature. SB326 received a unanimous floor vote in the Senate, and earned 68 floor votes in the Assembly. AB531 received 35 floor votes in the Senate, and 66 floor votes in the Assembly.
- YES ON 1 has received over $10.7 million in donations, primarily through Yes on Prop 1—Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee. The committee has received donations from police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests, including from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund, AirBnB, Google, and PG&E.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has enthusiastically supported Proposition 1, arguing that the establishment of more treatment options and housing units has the potential to have a significant impact on marginalized populations within the state over time, and is a humane approach to this ongoing public health crisis.
Top opposition to Proposition 1:
- Groups like Disability Rights California and the League of Women Voters California are concerned that this policy could be interpreted to permit involuntary treatment of mental health and addiction patients in locked facilities. They argue that this aspect of the bill is regressive and is the result of hasty passage, a lack of meaningful legislative debate, and limited input from community groups. Republican activist Carl DeMaio, his conservative PAC Reform California, and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are also opposing Proposition 1.
- Some housing and homeless advocates have criticized Proposition 1’s narrow projected impact on a statewide homeless population that is estimated to include 180,000 people. With over half of the proposed new housing units earmarked for veterans, the number of homeless civilians who will benefit from this program is statistically insignificant.
- Proposition 1 has raised concerns among opponents—including several counties and county leaders—around its mandate that 30% of county Mental Health Services Act funding be allocated to address local housing shortages. Stripping funding out of this budget line to fund housing programs will disrupt existing and effective county mental health programs, many of which are tailored to serve marginalized local populations, including Indigenous communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color.