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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.
12th Congressional District
Courage California endorses Lateefah Simon for C to keep CD-12 on the right track for progress.
Lateefah Simon’s experience and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of CD-12 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Simon has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Courage California, California Working Families Party, SEIU, Sister Warrior Action Fund, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the National Union of Healthcare Workers. She has also received endorsements from some elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Sen. Nancy Skinner, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Assm. Isaac Bryan.
Electoral history: In 2016, Simon ran for the nonpartisan District 7 seat on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors and won with 59% of the vote. She won her re-election bid in 2020 with over 64% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and affordable housing, civil rights, environmental protections, racial justice, transportation, criminal justice and police reform, comprehensive economic improvement, immigration reform, and voting rights.
Priority bills: As a member of the BART Board of Directors, Lateefah Simon has been a strong supporter of efforts to ensure that BART is affordable and designed to support transit-dependent communities. She worked to ensure transit access for essential workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and rejected Trump administration deportation efforts by operating BART as a sanctuary public transit system. Throughout her time on the board, she has worked closely with the transit workers union to ensure that city and federal support were aligned to their expectations. Simon served as president of the BART Board of Directors during her first term, providing progressive leadership for the transit system.
Governance and community leadership experience: Simon is a non-profit executive and a social justice activist, which she does to advocate for communities who have not traditionally been centered in public policy. She has had a prodigious service career, which began when she became executive director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center at 19. During her decade with the organization, their work to reduce recidivism and the criminalization of young women and trans youth drew national acclaim, including Simon’s receipt of a Macarthur Genius Fellowship. Simon expanded on this work when she was appointed by then San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to create the Back on Track anti-recidivism initiative, and during her time as executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. She has since served as the program director for the Rosenberg Foundation, and president of the Akonadi Foundation, and she is currently president of MeadowFund. In 2016, she was appointed by then Gov. Brown to sit on the California State University Board of Trustees, and in 2020, she was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a senior advisor on police reform. She is a highly respected professional in the state, and is affiliated with a variety of organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and Tipping Point Foundation. In all her roles, Simon has maintained a commitment to advancing the dialogue on complex issues, and takes a solutions-oriented approach to her advocacy. Racial justice and systems change have been throughlines of Simon’s work and are demonstrative of her ongoing commitment to improving access, outcomes, and equity for individuals who have traditionally been marginalized.
Other background: Simon has lived in CD-12 for over 20 years. She was born legally blind, and has been a strong supporter of accessibility and protections for people with disabilities.
The Race
Primary election: There are 11 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Lateefah Simon (D), Tony Daysog (D), Tim Sanchez (D), and Jennifer Tran (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5. This seat is held by longtime Rep. Barbara Lee, who is running for California’s open Senate seat in 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Simon’s campaign has raised $861,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tony Daysog
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Daysog’s campaign has raised $3,000 as of October 2023, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tim Sanchez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Jennifer Tran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $94,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 12th Congressional District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 15% Latino, 21% Asian, and 20% Black.
Recent election results: CD-12 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 81 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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.
Courage California endorses Lateefah Simon for C to keep CD-12 on the right track for progress.
Lateefah Simon’s experience and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of CD-12 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Simon has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Courage California, California Working Families Party, SEIU, Sister Warrior Action Fund, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the National Union of Healthcare Workers. She has also received endorsements from some elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Sen. Nancy Skinner, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Assm. Isaac Bryan.
Electoral history: In 2016, Simon ran for the nonpartisan District 7 seat on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors and won with 59% of the vote. She won her re-election bid in 2020 with over 64% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and affordable housing, civil rights, environmental protections, racial justice, transportation, criminal justice and police reform, comprehensive economic improvement, immigration reform, and voting rights.
Priority bills: As a member of the BART Board of Directors, Lateefah Simon has been a strong supporter of efforts to ensure that BART is affordable and designed to support transit-dependent communities. She worked to ensure transit access for essential workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and rejected Trump administration deportation efforts by operating BART as a sanctuary public transit system. Throughout her time on the board, she has worked closely with the transit workers union to ensure that city and federal support were aligned to their expectations. Simon served as president of the BART Board of Directors during her first term, providing progressive leadership for the transit system.
Governance and community leadership experience: Simon is a non-profit executive and a social justice activist, which she does to advocate for communities who have not traditionally been centered in public policy. She has had a prodigious service career, which began when she became executive director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center at 19. During her decade with the organization, their work to reduce recidivism and the criminalization of young women and trans youth drew national acclaim, including Simon’s receipt of a Macarthur Genius Fellowship. Simon expanded on this work when she was appointed by then San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to create the Back on Track anti-recidivism initiative, and during her time as executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. She has since served as the program director for the Rosenberg Foundation, and president of the Akonadi Foundation, and she is currently president of MeadowFund. In 2016, she was appointed by then Gov. Brown to sit on the California State University Board of Trustees, and in 2020, she was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a senior advisor on police reform. She is a highly respected professional in the state, and is affiliated with a variety of organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and Tipping Point Foundation. In all her roles, Simon has maintained a commitment to advancing the dialogue on complex issues, and takes a solutions-oriented approach to her advocacy. Racial justice and systems change have been throughlines of Simon’s work and are demonstrative of her ongoing commitment to improving access, outcomes, and equity for individuals who have traditionally been marginalized.
Other background: Simon has lived in CD-12 for over 20 years. She was born legally blind, and has been a strong supporter of accessibility and protections for people with disabilities.
The Race
Primary election: There are 11 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Lateefah Simon (D), Tony Daysog (D), Tim Sanchez (D), and Jennifer Tran (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5. This seat is held by longtime Rep. Barbara Lee, who is running for California’s open Senate seat in 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Simon’s campaign has raised $861,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tony Daysog
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Daysog’s campaign has raised $3,000 as of October 2023, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tim Sanchez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Jennifer Tran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $94,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 12th Congressional District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 15% Latino, 21% Asian, and 20% Black.
Recent election results: CD-12 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 81 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
Courage California endorses Lateefah Simon for C to keep CD-12 on the right track for progress.
Lateefah Simon’s experience and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of CD-12 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Simon has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Courage California, California Working Families Party, SEIU, Sister Warrior Action Fund, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the National Union of Healthcare Workers. She has also received endorsements from some elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Sen. Nancy Skinner, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, and Assm. Isaac Bryan.
Electoral history: In 2016, Simon ran for the nonpartisan District 7 seat on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors and won with 59% of the vote. She won her re-election bid in 2020 with over 64% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and affordable housing, civil rights, environmental protections, racial justice, transportation, criminal justice and police reform, comprehensive economic improvement, immigration reform, and voting rights.
Priority bills: As a member of the BART Board of Directors, Lateefah Simon has been a strong supporter of efforts to ensure that BART is affordable and designed to support transit-dependent communities. She worked to ensure transit access for essential workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and rejected Trump administration deportation efforts by operating BART as a sanctuary public transit system. Throughout her time on the board, she has worked closely with the transit workers union to ensure that city and federal support were aligned to their expectations. Simon served as president of the BART Board of Directors during her first term, providing progressive leadership for the transit system.
Governance and community leadership experience: Simon is a non-profit executive and a social justice activist, which she does to advocate for communities who have not traditionally been centered in public policy. She has had a prodigious service career, which began when she became executive director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center at 19. During her decade with the organization, their work to reduce recidivism and the criminalization of young women and trans youth drew national acclaim, including Simon’s receipt of a Macarthur Genius Fellowship. Simon expanded on this work when she was appointed by then San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to create the Back on Track anti-recidivism initiative, and during her time as executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. She has since served as the program director for the Rosenberg Foundation, and president of the Akonadi Foundation, and she is currently president of MeadowFund. In 2016, she was appointed by then Gov. Brown to sit on the California State University Board of Trustees, and in 2020, she was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a senior advisor on police reform. She is a highly respected professional in the state, and is affiliated with a variety of organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and Tipping Point Foundation. In all her roles, Simon has maintained a commitment to advancing the dialogue on complex issues, and takes a solutions-oriented approach to her advocacy. Racial justice and systems change have been throughlines of Simon’s work and are demonstrative of her ongoing commitment to improving access, outcomes, and equity for individuals who have traditionally been marginalized.
Other background: Simon has lived in CD-12 for over 20 years. She was born legally blind, and has been a strong supporter of accessibility and protections for people with disabilities.
The Race
Primary election: There are 11 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Lateefah Simon (D), Tony Daysog (D), Tim Sanchez (D), and Jennifer Tran (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5. This seat is held by longtime Rep. Barbara Lee, who is running for California’s open Senate seat in 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Simon’s campaign has raised $861,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tony Daysog
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Daysog’s campaign has raised $3,000 as of October 2023, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Tim Sanchez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Democrat Jennifer Tran
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Sanchez’s campaign has raised $94,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 12th Congressional District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 15% Latino, 21% Asian, and 20% Black.
Recent election results: CD-12 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 81 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
State Assembly
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below State Assembly races on your ballot.
State Assembly, 14th District
Re-elect Assemblymember Buffy Wicks to keep AD-14 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Buffy Wicks’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-14 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Wicks has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Climate protections, employment protections, homelessness and housing, health education, and gun violence protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Wicks’s priorities for AD-14 have included 27 bills about housing, water and environmental protections, paid family leave, and violence intervention. Of these, eleven have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. A strong supporter of progressive legislation, she scores a CS of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a Courage All-Star for almost every legislative year since 2019. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Wicks has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Wicks currently sits on six committees, including Banking and Finance, Budget, Privacy and Consumer Protection, and Transportation. She serves as hair of the Housing and Community Development Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Wicks has served in the Assembly since 2018, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 77 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Wicks was deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House during President Obama’s presidency. She also worked in Hillary Clinton’s campaign as its California state director. Assm. Wicks has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights and health care.
Other background: Assm. Wicks is from Foresthill.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Buffy Wicks (D), Margot Smith (D), and Utkarsh Jain (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Wicks’s campaign has raised $274,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 14th Assembly District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 21% Asian, and 14% Black.
Recent election results: AD-14 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 78 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 77 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 Buffy Wicks to keep AD-14 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Buffy Wicks’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-14 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Wicks has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Climate protections, employment protections, homelessness and housing, health education, and gun violence protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Wicks’s priorities for AD-14 have included 27 bills about housing, water and environmental protections, paid family leave, and violence intervention. Of these, eleven have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. A strong supporter of progressive legislation, she scores a CS of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a Courage All-Star for almost every legislative year since 2019. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Wicks has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Wicks currently sits on six committees, including Banking and Finance, Budget, Privacy and Consumer Protection, and Transportation. She serves as hair of the Housing and Community Development Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Wicks has served in the Assembly since 2018, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 77 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Wicks was deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House during President Obama’s presidency. She also worked in Hillary Clinton’s campaign as its California state director. Assm. Wicks has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights and health care.
Other background: Assm. Wicks is from Foresthill.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Buffy Wicks (D), Margot Smith (D), and Utkarsh Jain (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Wicks’s campaign has raised $274,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 14th Assembly District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 21% Asian, and 14% Black.
Recent election results: AD-14 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 78 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 77 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 Buffy Wicks to keep AD-14 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Buffy Wicks’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-14 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Wicks has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
Top issues: Climate protections, employment protections, homelessness and housing, health education, and gun violence protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Wicks’s priorities for AD-14 have included 27 bills about housing, water and environmental protections, paid family leave, and violence intervention. Of these, eleven have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. A strong supporter of progressive legislation, she scores a CS of 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a Courage All-Star for almost every legislative year since 2019. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Wicks has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Wicks currently sits on six committees, including Banking and Finance, Budget, Privacy and Consumer Protection, and Transportation. She serves as hair of the Housing and Community Development Committee.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Wicks has served in the Assembly since 2018, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 77 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Wicks was deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House during President Obama’s presidency. She also worked in Hillary Clinton’s campaign as its California state director. Assm. Wicks has been a longtime supporter of women’s rights and health care.
Other background: Assm. Wicks is from Foresthill.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Buffy Wicks (D), Margot Smith (D), and Utkarsh Jain (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Wicks’s campaign has raised $274,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 14th Assembly District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 70% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 21% Asian, and 14% Black.
Recent election results: AD-14 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 78 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 77 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 Assembly, 18th District
Re-elect Assemblymember Mia Bonta to keep AD-18 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Mia Bonta’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Bonta has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California.
Top issues: Public lands and open spaces, homelessness and housing, public education, health-care access, and criminal justice.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Bonta’s priorities for AD-18 have included 24 bills about public lands, education, worker protections, housing, and health care. Of these, five have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to prohibit low-income tax credits from increasing monthly rents, establish a mentorship program between young people enrolled in behavior health programs and local community organizations, and adjust child support requirements for justice-involved individuals. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, earning an All-Star distinction. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Bonta has supported all progressive bills that made it to a vote, and was a contributing author on four of the progressive bills evaluated for this year’s Courage Score.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Bonta currently sits on 15 committees, including Budget, Business and Professions, Communications and Conveyance, Human Services, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Health, and chair of the Select Committee on Place Based Systems of Coordinated Care for Children and Families. Assm. Bonta is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus, the California Legislative Black Caucus, and the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Bonta has served in this assembly seat since 2021, when she won a special election with over 56% of the vote. In 2022, she won her first full term against a Republican challenger by 79 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Bonta was a nonprofit executive at Oakland Promise, a nonprofit focused on low-income students. She was elected to the Alameda Unified School District School Board in 2018, and served as president of that body. Assm. Bonta has been a longtime supporter of education initiatives, and making the district more affordable and inclusive.
Other background: Assm. Bonta is originally from the Bronx.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Mia Bonta (D), Cheyenne Kenney (R), and Mindy Ruth Pechenuk (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Bonta’s campaign has raised $391,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 18th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 27% Black.
Recent election results: AD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 80 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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 Mia Bonta to keep AD-18 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Mia Bonta’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Bonta has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California.
Top issues: Public lands and open spaces, homelessness and housing, public education, health-care access, and criminal justice.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Bonta’s priorities for AD-18 have included 24 bills about public lands, education, worker protections, housing, and health care. Of these, five have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to prohibit low-income tax credits from increasing monthly rents, establish a mentorship program between young people enrolled in behavior health programs and local community organizations, and adjust child support requirements for justice-involved individuals. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, earning an All-Star distinction. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Bonta has supported all progressive bills that made it to a vote, and was a contributing author on four of the progressive bills evaluated for this year’s Courage Score.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Bonta currently sits on 15 committees, including Budget, Business and Professions, Communications and Conveyance, Human Services, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Health, and chair of the Select Committee on Place Based Systems of Coordinated Care for Children and Families. Assm. Bonta is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus, the California Legislative Black Caucus, and the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Bonta has served in this assembly seat since 2021, when she won a special election with over 56% of the vote. In 2022, she won her first full term against a Republican challenger by 79 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Bonta was a nonprofit executive at Oakland Promise, a nonprofit focused on low-income students. She was elected to the Alameda Unified School District School Board in 2018, and served as president of that body. Assm. Bonta has been a longtime supporter of education initiatives, and making the district more affordable and inclusive.
Other background: Assm. Bonta is originally from the Bronx.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Mia Bonta (D), Cheyenne Kenney (R), and Mindy Ruth Pechenuk (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Bonta’s campaign has raised $391,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 18th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 27% Black.
Recent election results: AD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 80 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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 Mia Bonta to keep AD-18 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Mia Bonta’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-18 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Bonta has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California.
Top issues: Public lands and open spaces, homelessness and housing, public education, health-care access, and criminal justice.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Bonta’s priorities for AD-18 have included 24 bills about public lands, education, worker protections, housing, and health care. Of these, five have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to prohibit low-income tax credits from increasing monthly rents, establish a mentorship program between young people enrolled in behavior health programs and local community organizations, and adjust child support requirements for justice-involved individuals. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, earning an All-Star distinction. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Bonta has supported all progressive bills that made it to a vote, and was a contributing author on four of the progressive bills evaluated for this year’s Courage Score.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Bonta currently sits on 15 committees, including Budget, Business and Professions, Communications and Conveyance, Human Services, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Health, and chair of the Select Committee on Place Based Systems of Coordinated Care for Children and Families. Assm. Bonta is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus, the California Legislative Black Caucus, and the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Bonta has served in this assembly seat since 2021, when she won a special election with over 56% of the vote. In 2022, she won her first full term against a Republican challenger by 79 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Bonta was a nonprofit executive at Oakland Promise, a nonprofit focused on low-income students. She was elected to the Alameda Unified School District School Board in 2018, and served as president of that body. Assm. Bonta has been a longtime supporter of education initiatives, and making the district more affordable and inclusive.
Other background: Assm. Bonta is originally from the Bronx.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Mia Bonta (D), Cheyenne Kenney (R), and Mindy Ruth Pechenuk (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Bonta’s campaign has raised $391,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police 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 18th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 5% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 27% Black.
Recent election results: AD-18 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 80 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 80 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 Assembly, 20th District
Re-elect Assemblymember Liz Ortega to keep AD-20 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Liz Ortega’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-20 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Ortega has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California. In previous elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen, Assm. Alex Lee, and labor leader Dolores Huerta.
Top issues: Reproductive freedom, workforce development, environmental justice, homelessness and housing, community safety, and worker protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Ortega’s priorities for AD-20 have included 18 bills about health care, worker protections, and vocational and workforce services. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to strengthen OSHA regulations, expand social service access, and create a Workplace Readiness Week to be observed by schools with a workers’ rights curriculum. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and received an Honorable Mention for her record this session. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Ortega has supported all of the progressive bills that made it to a vote this year.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Ortega currently sits on 11 committees, including Higher Education, Insurance, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Labor & Employment. Assm. Ortega is the Program Committee chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and a member of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Ortega has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 62% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Ortega was a labor organizer and community activist, which she did to form coalitions and develop strategies necessary to build union power. As statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union, Ortega ensured the passage of state legislation to preserve and protect essential service jobs at every UC campus. She was the first Latina elected as executive secretary–treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, where she fought for an equitable minimum wage to support working families. In 2014, she was elected delegate to the Alameda Democratic Central Committee where she facilitated meetings and discussions between Democrats and labor leaders on issues facing their members. As a member of the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, she helped job-seekers develop workplace skills and find employment. Ortega serves on the Alameda County Vaccine Equity Task Force, where she has secured paid sick leave and hazard pay for essential public safety, health providers, and frontline workers. During the pandemic, she focused her work on testing and vaccination efforts to ensure the safety of frontline workers.
Other background: Assm. Ortega is a lifelong resident of the East Bay and currently lives in San Leandro. She came to the United States at the age of three.
The Race
Primary election: Assm. Liz Ortega (D) is running unopposed in this race.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Ortega’s campaign has raised $311,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police or real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 20th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 57% Democrat, 13% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 24% Latino, 32% Asian, and 10% Black.
Recent election results: AD-20 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 52 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 45 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 Liz Ortega to keep AD-20 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Liz Ortega’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-20 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Ortega has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California. In previous elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen, Assm. Alex Lee, and labor leader Dolores Huerta.
Top issues: Reproductive freedom, workforce development, environmental justice, homelessness and housing, community safety, and worker protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Ortega’s priorities for AD-20 have included 18 bills about health care, worker protections, and vocational and workforce services. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to strengthen OSHA regulations, expand social service access, and create a Workplace Readiness Week to be observed by schools with a workers’ rights curriculum. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and received an Honorable Mention for her record this session. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Ortega has supported all of the progressive bills that made it to a vote this year.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Ortega currently sits on 11 committees, including Higher Education, Insurance, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Labor & Employment. Assm. Ortega is the Program Committee chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and a member of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Ortega has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 62% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Ortega was a labor organizer and community activist, which she did to form coalitions and develop strategies necessary to build union power. As statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union, Ortega ensured the passage of state legislation to preserve and protect essential service jobs at every UC campus. She was the first Latina elected as executive secretary–treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, where she fought for an equitable minimum wage to support working families. In 2014, she was elected delegate to the Alameda Democratic Central Committee where she facilitated meetings and discussions between Democrats and labor leaders on issues facing their members. As a member of the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, she helped job-seekers develop workplace skills and find employment. Ortega serves on the Alameda County Vaccine Equity Task Force, where she has secured paid sick leave and hazard pay for essential public safety, health providers, and frontline workers. During the pandemic, she focused her work on testing and vaccination efforts to ensure the safety of frontline workers.
Other background: Assm. Ortega is a lifelong resident of the East Bay and currently lives in San Leandro. She came to the United States at the age of three.
The Race
Primary election: Assm. Liz Ortega (D) is running unopposed in this race.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Ortega’s campaign has raised $311,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police or real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 20th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 57% Democrat, 13% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 24% Latino, 32% Asian, and 10% Black.
Recent election results: AD-20 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 52 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 45 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 Liz Ortega to keep AD-20 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Liz Ortega’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-20 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Ortega has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California. In previous elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Board of Equalization Member Malia Cohen, Assm. Alex Lee, and labor leader Dolores Huerta.
Top issues: Reproductive freedom, workforce development, environmental justice, homelessness and housing, community safety, and worker protections.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Ortega’s priorities for AD-20 have included 18 bills about health care, worker protections, and vocational and workforce services. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to strengthen OSHA regulations, expand social service access, and create a Workplace Readiness Week to be observed by schools with a workers’ rights curriculum. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and received an Honorable Mention for her record this session. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Ortega has supported all of the progressive bills that made it to a vote this year.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Ortega currently sits on 11 committees, including Higher Education, Insurance, and Public Safety. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Labor & Employment. Assm. Ortega is the Program Committee chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and a member of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Ortega has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 62% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Ortega was a labor organizer and community activist, which she did to form coalitions and develop strategies necessary to build union power. As statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union, Ortega ensured the passage of state legislation to preserve and protect essential service jobs at every UC campus. She was the first Latina elected as executive secretary–treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, where she fought for an equitable minimum wage to support working families. In 2014, she was elected delegate to the Alameda Democratic Central Committee where she facilitated meetings and discussions between Democrats and labor leaders on issues facing their members. As a member of the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board, she helped job-seekers develop workplace skills and find employment. Ortega serves on the Alameda County Vaccine Equity Task Force, where she has secured paid sick leave and hazard pay for essential public safety, health providers, and frontline workers. During the pandemic, she focused her work on testing and vaccination efforts to ensure the safety of frontline workers.
Other background: Assm. Ortega is a lifelong resident of the East Bay and currently lives in San Leandro. She came to the United States at the age of three.
The Race
Primary election: Assm. Liz Ortega (D) is running unopposed in this race.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Ortega’s campaign has raised $311,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police or real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 20th Assembly District includes parts of Alameda County.
Voter registration: 57% Democrat, 13% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this seat.
District demographics: 24% Latino, 32% Asian, and 10% Black.
Recent election results: AD-20 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 52 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 45 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, 7th District
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
Elect Jovanka Beckles and Kathryn Lybarger for State Senate to keep SD-7 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Jovanka Beckles has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Richmond Progressive Alliance, California Environmental Justice Alliance Action, Women in Politics, Berkeley Tenants Union, and East Bay Democratic Socialists of America. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez, Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy, Alameda County DA Pamela Price, and many members of the East Bay City Council.
Kathryn Lybarger has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including United Farm Workers, UNITE HERE, Women’s Political Committee Los Angeles, California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and many other labor unions. She also has the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Anthony Rendon, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Hercules Mayor Alex Walker-Griffin.
Key Initiatives: As a member of the Richmond City Council, Beckles has supported initiatives to prevent city contractors from inquiring about past criminal history on job applications, establish a municipal ID program, and increase the minimum wage. She has been a strong advocate for improving housing access and resources, and was instrumental in the passage of rent control and just-cause eviction laws in Richmond. These laws protect tenants’ rights and help keep the city affordable and accessible to individuals and families across income levels. As a member of the Alameda County Transit Board, she has worked to make public transportation more accessible for local residents, maintain service routes, create pandemic protections for drivers and operators, and acknowledge the intersections of racial and transit justice.
As President of the California Labor Federation, Lybarger has been successful in advocating for increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and improving health insurance coverage and the cost of prescription drugs. She represents 2.1 million union members and 1,200 affiliated unions in her role, while also serving as president of AFSCME Local 3299 through her role as a professional gardener at UC Berkeley, where she leads a 30,000 member union. These roles have provided Lybarger with the opportunity to advocate for legislation in Sacramento and provide representative leadership to individuals working across trades and industries.
Governance and Community Leadership Experience: Beckles was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2010 with over 13% of the vote in a 10-person field, and served two terms. In 2020, she was elected to the Alameda County Transit Board Ward 1 seat over the incumbent with 48% of the vote.
Prior to her elected roles, she served on Richmond’s Economic Development Commission, and the Planning Commission. Alongside her public service, Beckles is a mental-health clinician, which she does to support the development of youth and families experiencing hardship. This work has allowed her to create systems and services to meet community needs and improve social and economic advancement. She is a longtime supporter of climate, social, and racial justice, and has used her local leadership roles to bring visibility and resources to these issues.
Lybarger has not run for public office before. She spent her early career as an artist and activist. A member of the queer community, she was involved in efforts to raise awareness for AIDS in the 90s, and has been a consistent supporter of marriage equality and queer family rights. She has spent over 20 years as a blue-collar worker in UC Berkeley’s Facilities division, and has served as head of AFSCME Local 3299 since 2011. She is a longtime supporter of labor organizing, equal treatment, and creating access to living wages for all Californians.
Other background: Beckles is from Panama and immigrated to the United States as a child. If elected, she would be the first queer, Black, Latinx person to serve in the California State Senate.
Lybarger is from the Midwest and has lived in California for nearly 30 years, residing primarily in Berkeley. She and her wife share two adult children with their close friends, a gay couple, and have taken advantage of a recent California law allowing all four adults to establish a legal parental relationship with the children.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Jovanka Beckles (D), Kathryn Lybarger (D), Jesse Arreguín (D), Dan Kalb (D), and Sandré Swanson (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Beckles’s campaign has raised $43,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Lybarger’s campaign has raised $278,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Arreguín’s campaign has raised $381,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Kalb’s campaign has raised $146,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by real estate, fossil fuel, police, or corporate PAC interests.
Opponent’s fundraising and pledges: Swanson’s campaign has raised $108,000 as of October 2023 and is funded by police donors.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th State Senate District includes parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Voter registration: 69% Democrat, 6% Republican, and 20% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 16% Latino, 21% Asian, and 21% Black.
Recent election results: SD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 79 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 78 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.
County District Races
Depending on where you live, you may have the below county-districted races on your ballot.
Alameda County, District 4
Elect Jennifer Esteen for Supervisor to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Jennifer Esteen’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Esteen has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Oakland Rising Action, and Our Revolution East Bay. She has also received the endorsement of some local elected leaders, including Livermore Vice Mayor Brittni Kiick, Fremont Councilmember Jenny Kassan, and San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton.
Electoral history: Esteen ran for the AD-20 seat in 2022, but came in third in the primary with 22% of the vote behind now Assm. Liz Ortega and another Democratic challenger. She did not advance to the general election.
Top issues: Homelessness, affordable housing development, health care and community-based preventative care, workforce development, job creation, criminal justice reform, and mental health care and addiction support.
Governance and community leadership experience: Esteen is a registered nurse, single working mother, and community activist, and is running for office to advocate for working families and for increased health and safety resources across the community. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse in the San Francisco General Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room, and seeing firsthand the cycle of disadvantage that patients experience from diminished funding for mental-health care, galvanized her to organize for better access to health care. While serving on a steering committee on mental health in San Francisco, she put together a plan to put a progressive tax on the CEO’s income to fund mental-health services, which passed with voter support. After working five years in the Behavioral Health Center, she fought alongside residents to stop the closure of 41 permanent board and care beds in the Adult Residential Facility. It was after saving those beds that she was appointed vice president of organizing for SEIU 1021. Esteen now serves as vice president of the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees and on the Eden Area Municipal Advisory Council, which allows her to use her deep understanding of the intersections of health care and housing to support better outcomes for residents.
Other background: Jennifer Esteen has lived in the East Bay for 20 years and has been a resident of Ashland since 2015.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Jennifer Esteen and incumbent Nate Miley. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Esteen’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Nate Miley
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Miley’s campaign has raised $61,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate and police interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California’s 7th most populous county. District 4 includes Ashland, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Cherryland, El Portal Ridge, Fairmont Terrace, Fairview, and Hill Crest Knolls.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county administrator, 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 Jennifer Esteen for Supervisor to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Jennifer Esteen’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Esteen has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Oakland Rising Action, and Our Revolution East Bay. She has also received the endorsement of some local elected leaders, including Livermore Vice Mayor Brittni Kiick, Fremont Councilmember Jenny Kassan, and San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton.
Electoral history: Esteen ran for the AD-20 seat in 2022, but came in third in the primary with 22% of the vote behind now Assm. Liz Ortega and another Democratic challenger. She did not advance to the general election.
Top issues: Homelessness, affordable housing development, health care and community-based preventative care, workforce development, job creation, criminal justice reform, and mental health care and addiction support.
Governance and community leadership experience: Esteen is a registered nurse, single working mother, and community activist, and is running for office to advocate for working families and for increased health and safety resources across the community. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse in the San Francisco General Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room, and seeing firsthand the cycle of disadvantage that patients experience from diminished funding for mental-health care, galvanized her to organize for better access to health care. While serving on a steering committee on mental health in San Francisco, she put together a plan to put a progressive tax on the CEO’s income to fund mental-health services, which passed with voter support. After working five years in the Behavioral Health Center, she fought alongside residents to stop the closure of 41 permanent board and care beds in the Adult Residential Facility. It was after saving those beds that she was appointed vice president of organizing for SEIU 1021. Esteen now serves as vice president of the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees and on the Eden Area Municipal Advisory Council, which allows her to use her deep understanding of the intersections of health care and housing to support better outcomes for residents.
Other background: Jennifer Esteen has lived in the East Bay for 20 years and has been a resident of Ashland since 2015.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Jennifer Esteen and incumbent Nate Miley. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Esteen’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Nate Miley
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Miley’s campaign has raised $61,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate and police interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California’s 7th most populous county. District 4 includes Ashland, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Cherryland, El Portal Ridge, Fairmont Terrace, Fairview, and Hill Crest Knolls.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county administrator, 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 Jennifer Esteen for Supervisor to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Jennifer Esteen’s policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Esteen has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Oakland Rising Action, and Our Revolution East Bay. She has also received the endorsement of some local elected leaders, including Livermore Vice Mayor Brittni Kiick, Fremont Councilmember Jenny Kassan, and San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton.
Electoral history: Esteen ran for the AD-20 seat in 2022, but came in third in the primary with 22% of the vote behind now Assm. Liz Ortega and another Democratic challenger. She did not advance to the general election.
Top issues: Homelessness, affordable housing development, health care and community-based preventative care, workforce development, job creation, criminal justice reform, and mental health care and addiction support.
Governance and community leadership experience: Esteen is a registered nurse, single working mother, and community activist, and is running for office to advocate for working families and for increased health and safety resources across the community. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse in the San Francisco General Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room, and seeing firsthand the cycle of disadvantage that patients experience from diminished funding for mental-health care, galvanized her to organize for better access to health care. While serving on a steering committee on mental health in San Francisco, she put together a plan to put a progressive tax on the CEO’s income to fund mental-health services, which passed with voter support. After working five years in the Behavioral Health Center, she fought alongside residents to stop the closure of 41 permanent board and care beds in the Adult Residential Facility. It was after saving those beds that she was appointed vice president of organizing for SEIU 1021. Esteen now serves as vice president of the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees and on the Eden Area Municipal Advisory Council, which allows her to use her deep understanding of the intersections of health care and housing to support better outcomes for residents.
Other background: Jennifer Esteen has lived in the East Bay for 20 years and has been a resident of Ashland since 2015.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Jennifer Esteen and incumbent Nate Miley. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Esteen’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Nate Miley
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Miley’s campaign has raised $61,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate and police interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California’s 7th most populous county. District 4 includes Ashland, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Cherryland, El Portal Ridge, Fairmont Terrace, Fairview, and Hill Crest Knolls.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county administrator, 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.
Alameda County, District 5
Elect Nikki Fortunato Bas to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Nikki Fortunato Bas’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Fortunato Bas has the endorsement of some local groups, including Bay Rising Action, Oakland Rising Action, and Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County. She has also received the endorsement of several elected leaders, including State Sen. Nancy Skinner and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins.
Electoral history: Fortunato Bas has run for office previously, and won her 2018 race for Oakland City Council with 54% of the vote. She was reelected in 2022 after earning over 67% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, job creation, and expanding mental health care.
Governance and community leadership experience: Fortunato Bas is a community organizer and public official, which she does to advocate for policies that will bring progressive change to the Oakland community. During her two terms on the Oakland City Council, she has supported several housing initiatives, including the establishment of robust eviction protections, the opening of a tiny-home program for unhoused residents, and the creation of a fund to support first-time homeownership. She has worked to improve the function of emergency personnel by launching a nonviolent crisis-response program, and improving violence-prevention programs in the community. She has also supported funding for youth-development programs, a progressive taxation ballot measure, and infrastructure improvements. Prior to her election, Fortunato Bas advocated for change through her nonprofit leadership roles with Partnership for Working Families and East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy. She is a longtime supporter of economic improvements, including minimum-wage increases, paid sick leave, and creating local jobs through redevelopment.
Other background: Fortunato Bas has lived in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood for over 25 years. She is Filipina-American.
The Race
Primary election: There are nine candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Nikki Fortunato Bas, Ben Bartlett, John Bauters, Ken Berrick, Omar Farmer, Gregory Hodge, Chris Moore, Gerald Pechenuk, and Lorrel Plimier. 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: Nikki Fortunato Bas’s campaign has raised $34,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ben Bartlett
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bartlett’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: John Bauters
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bauters’s campaign has raised $73,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ken Berrick
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Berrick’s campaign has raised $55,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California's 7th most populous county. District 5 includes the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, West Oakland, North Oakland, Rockridge, and Grand Lake.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors and the county administrator, 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 Nikki Fortunato Bas to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Nikki Fortunato Bas’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Fortunato Bas has the endorsement of some local groups, including Bay Rising Action, Oakland Rising Action, and Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County. She has also received the endorsement of several elected leaders, including State Sen. Nancy Skinner and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins.
Electoral history: Fortunato Bas has run for office previously, and won her 2018 race for Oakland City Council with 54% of the vote. She was reelected in 2022 after earning over 67% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, job creation, and expanding mental health care.
Governance and community leadership experience: Fortunato Bas is a community organizer and public official, which she does to advocate for policies that will bring progressive change to the Oakland community. During her two terms on the Oakland City Council, she has supported several housing initiatives, including the establishment of robust eviction protections, the opening of a tiny-home program for unhoused residents, and the creation of a fund to support first-time homeownership. She has worked to improve the function of emergency personnel by launching a nonviolent crisis-response program, and improving violence-prevention programs in the community. She has also supported funding for youth-development programs, a progressive taxation ballot measure, and infrastructure improvements. Prior to her election, Fortunato Bas advocated for change through her nonprofit leadership roles with Partnership for Working Families and East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy. She is a longtime supporter of economic improvements, including minimum-wage increases, paid sick leave, and creating local jobs through redevelopment.
Other background: Fortunato Bas has lived in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood for over 25 years. She is Filipina-American.
The Race
Primary election: There are nine candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Nikki Fortunato Bas, Ben Bartlett, John Bauters, Ken Berrick, Omar Farmer, Gregory Hodge, Chris Moore, Gerald Pechenuk, and Lorrel Plimier. 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: Nikki Fortunato Bas’s campaign has raised $34,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ben Bartlett
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bartlett’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: John Bauters
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bauters’s campaign has raised $73,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ken Berrick
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Berrick’s campaign has raised $55,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California's 7th most populous county. District 5 includes the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, West Oakland, North Oakland, Rockridge, and Grand Lake.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors and the county administrator, 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 Nikki Fortunato Bas to put Alameda County on the right track for progress.
Nikki Fortunato Bas’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Alameda County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Fortunato Bas has the endorsement of some local groups, including Bay Rising Action, Oakland Rising Action, and Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County. She has also received the endorsement of several elected leaders, including State Sen. Nancy Skinner and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins.
Electoral history: Fortunato Bas has run for office previously, and won her 2018 race for Oakland City Council with 54% of the vote. She was reelected in 2022 after earning over 67% of the vote.
Top issues: Homelessness and housing, job creation, and expanding mental health care.
Governance and community leadership experience: Fortunato Bas is a community organizer and public official, which she does to advocate for policies that will bring progressive change to the Oakland community. During her two terms on the Oakland City Council, she has supported several housing initiatives, including the establishment of robust eviction protections, the opening of a tiny-home program for unhoused residents, and the creation of a fund to support first-time homeownership. She has worked to improve the function of emergency personnel by launching a nonviolent crisis-response program, and improving violence-prevention programs in the community. She has also supported funding for youth-development programs, a progressive taxation ballot measure, and infrastructure improvements. Prior to her election, Fortunato Bas advocated for change through her nonprofit leadership roles with Partnership for Working Families and East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy. She is a longtime supporter of economic improvements, including minimum-wage increases, paid sick leave, and creating local jobs through redevelopment.
Other background: Fortunato Bas has lived in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood for over 25 years. She is Filipina-American.
The Race
Primary election: There are nine candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary, including Nikki Fortunato Bas, Ben Bartlett, John Bauters, Ken Berrick, Omar Farmer, Gregory Hodge, Chris Moore, Gerald Pechenuk, and Lorrel Plimier. 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: Nikki Fortunato Bas’s campaign has raised $34,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ben Bartlett
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bartlett’s campaign has raised $53,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: John Bauters
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bauters’s campaign has raised $73,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Ken Berrick
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Berrick’s campaign has raised $55,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
County: Alameda County is California's 7th most populous county. District 5 includes the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, West Oakland, North Oakland, Rockridge, and Grand Lake.
Governance structure: Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.6 million people and manages an estimated budget of $4.1 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Alameda County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors and the county administrator, 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.
Alameda County Ballot Measures
Have questions about voting in Alameda County? Read our guide to voting in Alameda County.
Measure B would replace the county’s recall rules with the existing statewide recall standards.
In an attempt to realign the county’s recall standards with the statewide requirements—as is the case with most counties in California—the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of adopting the state’s recall standards in place of the county rules outlined in the county charter in November 2023. This change to Section 62 of the county charter now goes to voters as Measure B, which would make three significant changes to the county’s recall process. First, it would strike the requirement that signature gatherers be registered voters of Alameda County. Second, it would increase the number of signatures required to qualify a recall for the ballot, from 15% of voter turnout for the last election to 10% of registered voters. Third, it would give the Board of Supervisors the power to appoint a replacement for a recalled official instead of allowing voters to elect one. A vote in favor of Measure B affirms these changes, and a vote against Measure B maintains the existing county charter language governing recall elections.
The outcome of this measure may affect the recall effort launched in June 2023 against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who was elected in November 2022.
Top funders of Measure B:
- There are no committees supporting or opposing Measure B.
Measure B would replace the county’s recall rules with the existing statewide recall standards.
In an attempt to realign the county’s recall standards with the statewide requirements—as is the case with most counties in California—the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of adopting the state’s recall standards in place of the county rules outlined in the county charter in November 2023. This change to Section 62 of the county charter now goes to voters as Measure B, which would make three significant changes to the county’s recall process. First, it would strike the requirement that signature gatherers be registered voters of Alameda County. Second, it would increase the number of signatures required to qualify a recall for the ballot, from 15% of voter turnout for the last election to 10% of registered voters. Third, it would give the Board of Supervisors the power to appoint a replacement for a recalled official instead of allowing voters to elect one. A vote in favor of Measure B affirms these changes, and a vote against Measure B maintains the existing county charter language governing recall elections.
The outcome of this measure may affect the recall effort launched in June 2023 against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who was elected in November 2022.
Top funders of Measure B:
- There are no committees supporting or opposing Measure B.