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Welcome to the Progressive Voters Guide! The Progressive Voters Guide compiles the information that allows you to make informed decisions about the races on your ballot, based on your values. Please share this guide with your friends and family!
Voting has changed in Sacramento County this year. The Voter’s Choice Act was enacted in the county to make voting more convenient. Changes include an expanded period of in-person early voting, every registered voter in the county will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, and every registered voter in the county is able to vote in-person at any Vote Center in their county. Have questions about the changes to voting in Sacramento County? Find out how to vote in Sacramento County.
Federal
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
Re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep America on track.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a track record and policy positions that demonstrate that they will continue to govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse nation.
Progressive endorsements: President Biden and Vice President Harris have the endorsement of some progressive groups, including the Sierra Club, Reproductive Freedom for All America, League of Conservation Voters, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Students Demand Action. They have also received the endorsement of a significant number of labor unions, including United Auto Workers, Actors’ Equity Association, AFL-CIO, IATSE, National Nurses United, and the American Federation of Teachers. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have the backing of the Democratic National Committee and a significant number of current and former Democratic officials, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Climate Envoy John Kerry, 14 current governors, 30 sitting U.S. senators, and over 70 members of the House of Representatives. This list includes California’s elected leaders Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
Priority policies: The Biden administration has had policy successes across a diversity of issue areas during their first term. Immediately after taking office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden worked to move the American Rescue Plan through Congress and successfully passed legislation to provide stimulus checks, boosts to unemployment payments, and increased funds for education and small-business loans. The plan also ramped up the distribution and administration of vaccines. This legislative effort was followed by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law that made a $1 billion investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, national road and bridge repair, clean drinking water modifications, and power grid updates. In addition to these investments, the administration passed President Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive bill to provide needed funding to cap prescription drug costs for the elderly, increase corporate taxes, invest in clean energy and climate protections, reduce the federal deficit, and increase tax accountability by provided additional funding to the IRS. The White House has indicated that nearly 170,000 clean energy jobs have been created by this legislation, clean energy investments have increased by $110 billion, and insulin has been capped at $35 a month. After years of inaction from the federal government, President Biden signed a significant gun-safety bill into law, which strengthens background check laws, incentivizes state-based red flag laws, and expands limitations on the acquisition of firearms by perpetrators of domestic abuse. President Biden also signed the CHIPS Act into law to increase domestic production of the semiconductors used in the manufacturing of many of the products Americans use daily.
The Biden administration’s economic policies have contributed to the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years, at 3.4% as of January 2024, economic growth of 3.1% in 2023, and an inflation rate that dropped below 3% at the end of December. The administration has led the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, forgiven $136 billion in education debt, and provided consistent support to striking labor unions across the country. While many of these accomplishments came during the first two years of the administration, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked across the aisle to move impactful legislation forward for the American people with a divided Congress.
While the administration’s legislative successes have been substantial, they have been subject to significant criticism from progressives during this first term. While President Biden has maintained strong support for Israel during the October 7 Hamas attacks and the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, the electorate and congressional representatives have expressed concerns about the U.S. government providing continued funding to the Israeli military, and activists and leaders have called on the Biden administration to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. On immigration and the southern border, the federal government’s failure to act has effectively continued the anti-immigrant policies enacted under the Trump administration and caused big city mayors and Democratic governors to publicly request that the White House and Congress pass meaningful legislation to reform an increasingly overwhelmed asylum and immigration system. Under Republican control, Congress has not passed any immigration reforms, and Republican leaders have advocated for more punitive and inhumane immigration policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: President Biden and Vice President Harris have served in the White House since 2020, when they were elected on a joint ticket with 306 electoral votes and over 51% of the national popular vote. Their campaign won six critical swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona—to secure the electoral college victory.
Prior to his election, President Biden had a long and prominent political career. He served two terms as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and was responsible for managing the 2009 economic recovery, helping to expand health care through the Affordable Care Act, and acting as the administration’s liaison to the Senate. Before joining the Obama administration, he spent 36 years representing Delaware in the Senate. He was often critiqued as being an unremarkable, status quo Democrat, and mid-career votes in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, anti-drug legislation, and the Iraq War reaffirm that characterization. In 1991, Vice President Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and presided over the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, who had been credibly accused of sexual harassment by a former colleague, Anita Hill. Vice President Biden’s mismanagement of the hearing resulted in a targeted and unfair character assassination of Anita Hill and remains a reminder of his complicity in the patriarchal and racist systems on which our American government is built.
Prior to her election, Vice President Harris was the first woman of color elected to represent California in the United States Senate. She sponsored legislation on climate and environmental protections, rental and housing protections, women’s health, and pandemic relief. She was also an original cosponsor of the progressive Green New Deal authored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey. Before serving in the Senate, Vice President Harris had a long legal career in California, serving for 8 years in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office before transitioning to a role as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she won her bid to become district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, where she served two terms before being elected as the attorney general for the state of California in 2010. She was the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat. Vice President Harris’s record was both progressive for the time and complicated by her moderate approach to policing and criminal justice. She has been criticized for failing to institute comprehensive police accountability measures, for not establishing meaningful prison reform, and for taking a hands-off approach to cases related to police misconduct. However, her lenient approach to policing was often punctuated by decidedly progressive support for social justice issues, including the establishment of an education and workforce reentry program designed to diminish recidivism.
Other background: President Biden is from Scranton, PA, and moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old. He has been a resident of Wilmington, Delaware, for most of his adult life. Vice President Harris grew up in Berkeley, CA, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles. She is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, who both emigrated to the Bay Area in the 1960s.
The Race
Primary election: Eight candidates are running in the March 5 Democratic primary, including incumbent President Joe Biden (D), Rep. Dean Phillips (D), and Marianne Williamson (D). The candidate who receives the most delegates in the national Democratic primary will formally become the party’s designated Presidential candidate in August 2024.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: President Biden’s campaign has raised $56 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate: Rep. Dean Phillips
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Phillips’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the FEC as of December 2023.
Opposing candidate: Marianne Williamson
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Williamson’s campaign has raised $2.6 million as of December 2023, and is funded by corporate PAC interests. A significant amount of her campaign funding has been through candidate donations and loans taken out by the candidate.
The Position
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, and the commander-in-chief for all branches of the armed forces. A president has the power to make diplomatic, executive, and judicial appointments, and can sign into law or veto legislation. Presidential administrations are responsible for both foreign and domestic policy priorities. Presidents are limited to serving two four-year terms in office.
There are 22 candidates running for California’s open U.S. Senate seat. Based on our analysis, three qualified candidates for this position have a distinct vision for the state. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
Primary election: In October 2022, Governor Newsom appointed labor leader, political advisor, and former Emily’s List President Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of the six-year term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died September 2022 after serving in the U.S. Senate since 1992. There are 22 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D), Rep. Katie Porter (D), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Representative Barbara Lee is a longtime Congresswoman and has been a consistent progressive voice in Congress. She has been a prolific author of legislation related to ending AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, has moved efforts to reduce poverty forward, and was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the attacks on September 11, 2001, a controversial position at the time. In recent legislative sessions, she has authored and sponsored legislation to curtail CEO overpay, improve research and public awareness of sickle cell disease, address the national backlog of unprocessed rape kits, and improve mental health resources for students. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives, Rep. Lee worked as a social worker and founded a mental-health service organization, Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education, to benefit her local East Bay community. She then spent eleven years working on the staff of Rep. Ron Dellums, eventually serving as his chief of staff. After her tenure in congressional staffing, she founded a facilities-management company. A few years later, in 1990, Rep. Lee launched a successful bid for a seat in the California Assembly, where she served for six years, before she was elected to the state Senate.
Representative Katie Porter is an attorney and public servant and has been a strong advocate for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and government transparency. She has gained notoriety for her meticulous and expert style of questioning in congressional hearings, and exercises this skill during Oversight and Reform Committee sessions. Her legislative successes include bills to lower prescription drug prices, increase the fee oil and gas companies pay to drill on public lands, lower the income threshold for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and extend mental healthcare coverage. She has also recently supported efforts to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks. Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Porter spent twenty years as a consumer-protection attorney. Ahead of the housing crisis in 2008, she issued early warnings of the financial system’s predatory lending, and has a strong track record of winning cases related to financial regulation. In 2012, then California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed Rep. Porter to oversee banks as they returned over $18 billion to cheated homeowners in the state.
Representative Adam Schiff is an attorney and public official and has been a consistent legislator on issues of government accountability, voting access, healthcare, and voting access. He rose to prominence as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment inquiry of the Trump Administration. He has had legislative success on bills to increase pension payments for teachers, expand labor organizing protections, secure nearly $200 million in funding to address affordable housing development and homelessness in the state, create the patient bill of rights, and limit corporate spending to influence elections. He is also the lead author of legislation to end the NRA and the gun industry’s immunity from liability, which prevented victims and their families from seeking legal recourse. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Schiff worked as a law clerk and then as Assistant United States Attorney before being elected to California’s State Senate in 1996. He is a longtime supporter of progressive education, immigration, and environmental policies, but has cast unfavorable votes on issues pertaining to military spending and the use of military force, including a 2002 vote in favor of authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Rep. Lee has served in Congress since 1998, when she was elected with over 66% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection to CD-12 over a Republican challenger by 81 points. Her campaign has raised $3.3 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Rep. Lee has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Gen Z for Change, Feminist Majority PAC, Our Revolution, and Reproductive Freedom for All California (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice California). She has also received the endorsement of some community and elected leaders, including Dolores Huerta, State Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Rep. Porter has served in Congress since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection against a Republican challenger by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $22 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or real estate interests. Rep. Porter has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Women in Leadership PAC. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assm. Alex Lee, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Rep. Robert Garcia, and State Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
Rep. Schiff has served in Congress since 2000, when he was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Democratic challenger by 42 points. His campaign has raised $21 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, or fossil fuel interests. Rep. Schiff has the endorsement of some labor groups, including IATSE California Council, IAFF, and Amalgamated Transit Union. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Tina McKinnor, Assm. Rick Chavez Zbur, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Other background: Rep. Lee is from El Paso, TX, and moved to the San Fernando Valley when she was a child. She attended Mills College, where she served as president of the Black Student Union and invited Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm to speak on campus. Her interaction with Rep. Chisholm was an early inspiration for her pursuit of a career in public service.
Rep. Porter is from Fort Dodge, IA, and now resides in Irvine, CA. Along with her legal practice, she is a longtime tenured professor of law at University of California-Irvine.
Rep. Schiff is from the Bay Area. He holds a law degree from Harvard University.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 39 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 22% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat in the state since 2011.
District demographics: 40% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points. Sen. Feinstein won her 2018 reelection against now-Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León by 8 points.
The Position
Members of the Senate represent and advocate for the needs of their state constituency and share legislative responsibility with the House of Representatives. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues of national importance. Senators have the exclusive responsibility of providing advice and consent to the executive branch on treaties, and on the nomination and approval of cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and federal judges. The Senate also has the sole authority to bring and try an impeachment of a high official, up to and including removal from office with a two-thirds majority vote.
Each state, regardless of population, is represented by two senators. Senate elections are statewide, and senators are elected to serve a six-year term. There is no term limit for this position.
There are 22 candidates running for California’s open U.S. Senate seat. Based on our analysis, three qualified candidates for this position have a distinct vision for the state. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
The Race
Primary election: In October 2022, Governor Newsom appointed labor leader, political advisor, and former Emily’s List President Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of the six-year term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died September 2022 after serving in the U.S. Senate since 1992. There are 22 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D), Rep. Katie Porter (D), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
The Candidates
Key Initiatives: Representative Barbara Lee is a longtime Congresswoman and has been a consistent progressive voice in Congress. She has been a prolific author of legislation related to ending AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, has moved efforts to reduce poverty forward, and was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the attacks on September 11, 2001, a controversial position at the time. In recent legislative sessions, she has authored and sponsored legislation to curtail CEO overpay, improve research and public awareness of sickle cell disease, address the national backlog of unprocessed rape kits, and improve mental health resources for students. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives, Rep. Lee worked as a social worker and founded a mental-health service organization, Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education, to benefit her local East Bay community. She then spent eleven years working on the staff of Rep. Ron Dellums, eventually serving as his chief of staff. After her tenure in congressional staffing, she founded a facilities-management company. A few years later, in 1990, Rep. Lee launched a successful bid for a seat in the California Assembly, where she served for six years, before she was elected to the state Senate.
Representative Katie Porter is an attorney and public servant and has been a strong advocate for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and government transparency. She has gained notoriety for her meticulous and expert style of questioning in congressional hearings, and exercises this skill during Oversight and Reform Committee sessions. Her legislative successes include bills to lower prescription drug prices, increase the fee oil and gas companies pay to drill on public lands, lower the income threshold for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and extend mental healthcare coverage. She has also recently supported efforts to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks. Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Porter spent twenty years as a consumer-protection attorney. Ahead of the housing crisis in 2008, she issued early warnings of the financial system’s predatory lending, and has a strong track record of winning cases related to financial regulation. In 2012, then California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed Rep. Porter to oversee banks as they returned over $18 billion to cheated homeowners in the state.
Representative Adam Schiff is an attorney and public official and has been a consistent legislator on issues of government accountability, voting access, healthcare, and voting access. He rose to prominence as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who led the first impeachment inquiry of the Trump Administration. He has had legislative success on bills to increase pension payments for teachers, expand labor organizing protections, secure nearly $200 million in funding to address affordable housing development and homelessness in the state, create the patient bill of rights, and limit corporate spending to influence elections. He is also the lead author of legislation to end the NRA and the gun industry’s immunity from liability, which prevented victims and their families from seeking legal recourse. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Schiff worked as a law clerk and then as Assistant United States Attorney before being elected to California’s State Senate in 1996. He is a longtime supporter of progressive education, immigration, and environmental policies, but has cast unfavorable votes on issues pertaining to military spending and the use of military force, including a 2002 vote in favor of authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
Community Leadership Experience, Fundraising, and Endorsements: Rep. Lee has served in Congress since 1998, when she was elected with over 66% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection to CD-12 over a Republican challenger by 81 points. Her campaign has raised $3.3 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests. Rep. Lee has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Black Women Organized for Political Action PAC, Gen Z for Change, Feminist Majority PAC, Our Revolution, and Reproductive Freedom for All California (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice California). She has also received the endorsement of some community and elected leaders, including Dolores Huerta, State Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Controller Malia Cohen, California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Rep. Porter has served in Congress since 2018, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, she won her reelection against a Republican challenger by 3 points. Her campaign has raised $22 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, or real estate interests. Rep. Porter has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Labor Federation, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Women in Leadership PAC. She has also received the endorsement of many elected leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assm. Alex Lee, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Rep. Robert Garcia, and State Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
Rep. Schiff has served in Congress since 2000, when he was elected with over 52% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Democratic challenger by 42 points. His campaign has raised $21 million as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, or fossil fuel interests. Rep. Schiff has the endorsement of some labor groups, including IATSE California Council, IAFF, and Amalgamated Transit Union. He has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, Assm. Tina McKinnor, Assm. Rick Chavez Zbur, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Other background: Rep. Lee is from El Paso, TX, and moved to the San Fernando Valley when she was a child. She attended Mills College, where she served as president of the Black Student Union and invited Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm to speak on campus. Her interaction with Rep. Chisholm was an early inspiration for her pursuit of a career in public service.
Rep. Porter is from Fort Dodge, IA, and now resides in Irvine, CA. Along with her legal practice, she is a longtime tenured professor of law at University of California-Irvine.
Rep. Schiff is from the Bay Area. He holds a law degree from Harvard University.
The District
State: California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 39 million residents.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 22% have no party preference. Democrats have held the Governor’s seat in the state since 2011.
District demographics: 40% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 points. Sen. Feinstein won her 2018 reelection against now-Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León by 8 points.
The Position
Members of the Senate represent and advocate for the needs of their state constituency and share legislative responsibility with the House of Representatives. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues of national importance. Senators have the exclusive responsibility of providing advice and consent to the executive branch on treaties, and on the nomination and approval of cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and federal judges. The Senate also has the sole authority to bring and try an impeachment of a high official, up to and including removal from office with a two-thirds majority vote.
Each state, regardless of population, is represented by two senators. Senate elections are statewide, and senators are elected to serve a six-year term. There is no term limit for this position.
Congress
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below congressional districts on your ballot.
6th Congressional District
Re-elect Congressional Representative Ami Bera to keep CD-6 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Bera’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he is a member of the centrist New Democrat coalition. Voters should continue to hold him accountable while in office to make sure he represents the people of the district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Bera has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and Planned Parenthood.
Top issues: Health care, veterans’ affairs, diplomatic relations with China, support for first responders and health-care workers.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Bera’s priorities for CD-6 have included 14 bills about improving access to health care, including reproductive health care, relations with Asian countries and China in particular, and protecting the mental health of first responders and the police. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Bera currently sits on 3 committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Select Committees Intelligence and the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Bera has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when he won by over 3 points. In 2022, he won his re-election against a Republican challenger by 12 points.
Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bera had a long career as a medical doctor in several California health systems. He is a longtime supporter of streamlining health-care services, and has leveraged his medical knowledge as a legislator. Rep. Bera has routinely been criticized from the left for his willingness to compromise with Republicans, even on policies that prove detrimental for his constituents. For example, he supported Republican legislation that removed $20 billion from SNAP benefits while representing a district in which more than 23,000 households rely on nutrition-assistance programs. Additionally, Rep. Bera’s father was sentenced to a year in prison for federal campaign-finance violations after he funneled funds to contacts to donate to his son’s 2010 and 2012 campaigns, then repaid donations using campaign accounts.
Other background: Rep. Bera is from Orange County. He earned his B.S. and medical degree from UC Irvine.
The Race
Primary election: There are 7 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Ami Bera (D), Craig DeLuz (R), Chris Bish (R), and Ray Riehle (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Bera’s campaign has raised $459,095 and is not funded by the police. He has accepted donations from the real estate industry and the fossil fuel industry. He is also funded by corporate PACs, including nearly $250,000 from the pharmaceutical industry.
Opposing candidate: Republican Chris Bish
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bish’s campaign has raised $34,187 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Craig DeLuz
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: DeLuz’s campaign has raised $15,481 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Ray Riehle
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Riehle’s campaign has raised $11,269 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 27% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 11% Asian, and 11% Black.
Recent election results: CD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 18 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 9 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Ami Bera to keep CD-6 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Bera’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he is a member of the centrist New Democrat coalition. Voters should continue to hold him accountable while in office to make sure he represents the people of the district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Bera has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and Planned Parenthood.
Top issues: Health care, veterans’ affairs, diplomatic relations with China, support for first responders and health-care workers.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Bera’s priorities for CD-6 have included 14 bills about improving access to health care, including reproductive health care, relations with Asian countries and China in particular, and protecting the mental health of first responders and the police. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Bera currently sits on 3 committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Select Committees Intelligence and the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Bera has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when he won by over 3 points. In 2022, he won his re-election against a Republican challenger by 12 points.
Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bera had a long career as a medical doctor in several California health systems. He is a longtime supporter of streamlining health-care services, and has leveraged his medical knowledge as a legislator. Rep. Bera has routinely been criticized from the left for his willingness to compromise with Republicans, even on policies that prove detrimental for his constituents. For example, he supported Republican legislation that removed $20 billion from SNAP benefits while representing a district in which more than 23,000 households rely on nutrition-assistance programs. Additionally, Rep. Bera’s father was sentenced to a year in prison for federal campaign-finance violations after he funneled funds to contacts to donate to his son’s 2010 and 2012 campaigns, then repaid donations using campaign accounts.
Other background: Rep. Bera is from Orange County. He earned his B.S. and medical degree from UC Irvine.
The Race
Primary election: There are 7 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Ami Bera (D), Craig DeLuz (R), Chris Bish (R), and Ray Riehle (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Bera’s campaign has raised $459,095 and is not funded by the police. He has accepted donations from the real estate industry and the fossil fuel industry. He is also funded by corporate PACs, including nearly $250,000 from the pharmaceutical industry.
Opposing candidate: Republican Chris Bish
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bish’s campaign has raised $34,187 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Craig DeLuz
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: DeLuz’s campaign has raised $15,481 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Ray Riehle
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Riehle’s campaign has raised $11,269 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 27% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 11% Asian, and 11% Black.
Recent election results: CD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 18 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 9 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Ami Bera to keep CD-6 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Bera’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he is a member of the centrist New Democrat coalition. Voters should continue to hold him accountable while in office to make sure he represents the people of the district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Bera has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and Planned Parenthood.
Top issues: Health care, veterans’ affairs, diplomatic relations with China, support for first responders and health-care workers.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Bera’s priorities for CD-6 have included 14 bills about improving access to health care, including reproductive health care, relations with Asian countries and China in particular, and protecting the mental health of first responders and the police. All currently remain in committee.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Bera currently sits on 3 committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Select Committees Intelligence and the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Bera has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when he won by over 3 points. In 2022, he won his re-election against a Republican challenger by 12 points.
Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Bera had a long career as a medical doctor in several California health systems. He is a longtime supporter of streamlining health-care services, and has leveraged his medical knowledge as a legislator. Rep. Bera has routinely been criticized from the left for his willingness to compromise with Republicans, even on policies that prove detrimental for his constituents. For example, he supported Republican legislation that removed $20 billion from SNAP benefits while representing a district in which more than 23,000 households rely on nutrition-assistance programs. Additionally, Rep. Bera’s father was sentenced to a year in prison for federal campaign-finance violations after he funneled funds to contacts to donate to his son’s 2010 and 2012 campaigns, then repaid donations using campaign accounts.
Other background: Rep. Bera is from Orange County. He earned his B.S. and medical degree from UC Irvine.
The Race
Primary election: There are 7 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Rep. Ami Bera (D), Craig DeLuz (R), Chris Bish (R), and Ray Riehle (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Bera’s campaign has raised $459,095 and is not funded by the police. He has accepted donations from the real estate industry and the fossil fuel industry. He is also funded by corporate PACs, including nearly $250,000 from the pharmaceutical industry.
Opposing candidate: Republican Chris Bish
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Bish’s campaign has raised $34,187 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Craig DeLuz
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: DeLuz’s campaign has raised $15,481 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
Opposing candidate: Republican Ray Riehle
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Riehle’s campaign has raised $11,269 and has not committed to refusing donations from corporate PACs, the real estate or fossil fuel industries, or the police.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 27% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 17% Latino, 11% Asian, and 11% Black.
Recent election results: CD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 18 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 9 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.
7th Congressional District
Re-elect Congressional Representative Doris Matsui to keep CD-7 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Doris Matsui’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-7 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Matsui has the endorsement of many groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and California Democratic Party. In recent elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Jared Huffman.
Top issues: Affordable and accessible health care, internet access, technology education, net neutrality, environmental protections, natural disaster preparedness, energy, and transportation and public works.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Matsui’s priorities for CD-7 have included 19 bills to improve school cybersecurity, expand Medicare treatment access, and address internet transparency. All of these are currently in committee. She has sponsored legislation to support gender equity in education, reduce diesel emissions, and create more transparency in online algorithms.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Matsui currently sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee. She serves as the co-chair of seven caucuses, including Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Rare Disease, Congressional High-Tech, and House Task Force on Aging and Families. She is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Matsui has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when she was elected with over 75% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 36 points.
Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Matsui served as board chair for the KVIE public television station in Sacramento, as well as in leadership roles for the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Children’s Home, and the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra. Her political involvement began when she volunteered for former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, and served on his transition team before becoming a deputy assistant to the president. In this role, one of her responsibilities was supporting the administration’s outreach and engagement with Asian American communities.
Other background: Rep. Matsui is from California’s Central Valley. She is a longtime supporter of reproductive rights, net neutrality, and the arts.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Doris Matsui (D), David Mandel (D), and Tom Silva (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Matsui’s campaign has raised $610,000 as of January 2024, and is not funded by police organizations.
Opposing candidate: David Mandel
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mandel’s campaign has raised $28,000 as of January 2024, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Tom Silva
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Silva’s campaign has raised $4,000 as of January 2024, and is entirely self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento, Yolo, and Solano Counties.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 20% Latino, 21% Asian, and 13% Black.
Recent election results: CD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 37 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 28 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Doris Matsui to keep CD-7 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Doris Matsui’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-7 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Matsui has the endorsement of many groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and California Democratic Party. In recent elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Jared Huffman.
Top issues: Affordable and accessible health care, internet access, technology education, net neutrality, environmental protections, natural disaster preparedness, energy, and transportation and public works.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Matsui’s priorities for CD-7 have included 19 bills to improve school cybersecurity, expand Medicare treatment access, and address internet transparency. All of these are currently in committee. She has sponsored legislation to support gender equity in education, reduce diesel emissions, and create more transparency in online algorithms.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Matsui currently sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee. She serves as the co-chair of seven caucuses, including Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Rare Disease, Congressional High-Tech, and House Task Force on Aging and Families. She is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Matsui has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when she was elected with over 75% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 36 points.
Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Matsui served as board chair for the KVIE public television station in Sacramento, as well as in leadership roles for the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Children’s Home, and the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra. Her political involvement began when she volunteered for former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, and served on his transition team before becoming a deputy assistant to the president. In this role, one of her responsibilities was supporting the administration’s outreach and engagement with Asian American communities.
Other background: Rep. Matsui is from California’s Central Valley. She is a longtime supporter of reproductive rights, net neutrality, and the arts.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Doris Matsui (D), David Mandel (D), and Tom Silva (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Matsui’s campaign has raised $610,000 as of January 2024, and is not funded by police organizations.
Opposing candidate: David Mandel
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mandel’s campaign has raised $28,000 as of January 2024, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Tom Silva
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Silva’s campaign has raised $4,000 as of January 2024, and is entirely self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento, Yolo, and Solano Counties.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 20% Latino, 21% Asian, and 13% Black.
Recent election results: CD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 37 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 28 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Re-elect Congressional Representative Doris Matsui to keep CD-7 on the right track for progress.
Rep. Doris Matsui’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of CD-7 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Rep. Matsui has the endorsement of many groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and California Democratic Party. In recent elections, she has also received the endorsement of many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Jared Huffman.
Top issues: Affordable and accessible health care, internet access, technology education, net neutrality, environmental protections, natural disaster preparedness, energy, and transportation and public works.
Priority bills: This year, Rep. Matsui’s priorities for CD-7 have included 19 bills to improve school cybersecurity, expand Medicare treatment access, and address internet transparency. All of these are currently in committee. She has sponsored legislation to support gender equity in education, reduce diesel emissions, and create more transparency in online algorithms.
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus?: No.
Committee leadership/membership: Rep. Matsui currently sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee. She serves as the co-chair of seven caucuses, including Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Rare Disease, Congressional High-Tech, and House Task Force on Aging and Families. She is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Rep. Matsui has served in this congressional seat since 2012, when she was elected with over 75% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 36 points.
Prior to her election to Congress, Rep. Matsui served as board chair for the KVIE public television station in Sacramento, as well as in leadership roles for the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Children’s Home, and the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra. Her political involvement began when she volunteered for former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, and served on his transition team before becoming a deputy assistant to the president. In this role, one of her responsibilities was supporting the administration’s outreach and engagement with Asian American communities.
Other background: Rep. Matsui is from California’s Central Valley. She is a longtime supporter of reproductive rights, net neutrality, and the arts.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Rep. Doris Matsui (D), David Mandel (D), and Tom Silva (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Rep. Matsui’s campaign has raised $610,000 as of January 2024, and is not funded by police organizations.
Opposing candidate: David Mandel
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mandel’s campaign has raised $28,000 as of January 2024, and is primarily self-funded.
Opposing candidate: Tom Silva
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Silva’s campaign has raised $4,000 as of January 2024, and is entirely self-funded.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 7th Congressional District includes parts of Sacramento, Yolo, and Solano Counties.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 20% Latino, 21% Asian, and 13% Black.
Recent election results: CD-7 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 37 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 28 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 52 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
State Assembly
Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below State Assembly races on your ballot.
State Assembly, 6th District
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
Courage California endorses Paula Villescaz and Evan Minton for State Assembly to keep AD-6 on the right track for progress.
Endorsements: Paula Villescaz has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Legislative Progressive Caucus, California Teachers Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and Courage California. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Assm. Alex Lee, Assm. Liz Ortega, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang.
Evan Minton has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including ACCE Action, California Democratic Renters Council, California Legislative Progressive Caucus, and Courage California. He has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Assm. Alex Lee, and Assm. Tina McKinnor.
Key initiatives: Villescaz is currently serving her second term as a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board of Directors. In this role, she has successfully supported initiatives to increase the number of school social workers and counselors, and passed a $750 million bond measure to provide increased funding for schools and district projects. She is an alumni of the district, and served two consecutive terms as board president.
Minton currently serves as senior California state policy manager at Voices for Progress, a policy advocacy non-profit with a focus on environmental protection, safeguarding democracy, and social justice. Prior to this role, Minton was the first transgender person to serve as a staffer in the State Assembly, and was commissioner of the Sacramento Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission, where he worked on a variety of progressive issues. In these roles, he has advocated for improved access to affordable housing, expanding the definition of “family member” to allow workers to take leave to provide familial care, simplifying student financial aid processes, and establishing the first child-access gun-prevention law in the state.
Governance and community leadership experience: Villescaz has served on the San Juan Unified School Board since 2016, and won re-election in 2020 with 18% of the vote.
In addition to this role, Villescaz is a public health official and served as an assistant secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she was responsible for creating efficiencies in public-health programs to limit disparities in service access for community members. She currently serves as associate director of Member Engagement for the County Welfare Directors Association, which allows her to support DEI initiatives and strategize membership growth. Villescaz has previously worked as a staff for several state assemblymembers. She is a longtime supporter of human and social services, and creating impactful programming for youth and families.
Minton has not run for public office before.
In addition to his policy work, Minton has deep involvement in community advocacy work and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, and as a Midtown Neighborhood Association Board Member. He has also held leadership roles with the Sacramento National Organization for Women, and the California Democratic Party’s LGBTQ Caucus. In addition to his advocacy for housing and economic equality, Minton has been a longtime advocate of equity in health care for transgender people. In 2016, Dignity Health abruptly canceled a gender-affirming procedure he had scheduled and directly cited his gender dysmorphia diagnosis as the reason for the cancellation. Minton sued the hospital system for denying care on the basis of his identity and violating his civil rights, and received a ruling in his favor from the California Court of Appeals. Dignity Health’s appeal to the California Supreme Court was denied, and the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court’s ruling to stand in favor of Minton. His pursuit of this case created an important legal precedent for other transgender individuals who may encounter discrimination during the course of their medical treatment.
Other background: Villescaz has lived in Arden-Arcade and Carmichael for over 20 years. She was raised by a single parent, is the first in her family to graduate from college, and survived cancer in young adulthood. She has seen firsthand how education and health-care systems can fail individuals and communities, and has pursued leadership roles in both of these areas to create broader and more equitable policies to benefit her local community.
Minton is from northern California and lives in Midtown. He is running to serve as the first openly transgender person to hold a seat in California’s state legislature.
The Race
Primary election: There are eight candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Paula Villescaz (D), Evan Minton (D), Sean Frame (D), and Maggy Krell (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Paula Villescaz’s campaign has raised $74,000 as of October 2023 and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Evan Minton’s campaign has raised $90,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Sean Frame
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Frame’s campaign has raised $115,000 as of October 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Maggy Krell
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Krell’s campaign has raised $181,000 as of October 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, and corporate PAC interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 6th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 20% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Republicans held this district until redistricting in 2020 allowed outgoing Assm. Kevin McCarty to win and flip it from red to blue.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 12% Asian, and 12% Black.
Recent election results: AD-6 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 39 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 30 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 the 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.
Endorsed By: Courage California
State Assembly, 10th District
Based on our analysis, the two candidates for this position have distinct visions for this Safe Democratic district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Assm. Stephanie Nguyen has the endorsement of some groups, including Equality California, National Women’s Political Caucus California, and California Asian Chamber of Commerce. She has also received the endorsement of some elected leaders, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Rep. Ami Bera, and Assm. Ash Kalra. However, she has received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Sacramento Police Officers Association, and Elk Grove Police Officers Association.
Vinaya Singh has not received the endorsement of any progressive groups. He is endorsed by Sacramento County GOP and California GOP.
Key initiatives: This year, Assm. Nguyen’s priorities for AD-10 have included 18 bills about crime and public safety, social equity services, health care, and housing. Of these, six have been successfully been chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and all others remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to expand training rotation options for resident doctors, amend the statewide alert system for a missing person under the age of 17, and redefine hate crimes as violent felonies. She scores a CS of 27 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a member of this year’s Hall of Shame for her dismal performance. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Nguyen has supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. This year, she failed to cast a vote on 30 of the bills evaluated for the scorecard, including legislation to increase charter school funding accountability, allow judges to recall sentences when there is a change in law after sentencing, and cap security deposits at no more than one month’s rent.
Singh has not held any community leadership positions before, but has focused his campaign on homelessness, limiting immigration, a law and order approach to public safety, improving public education, and college access.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Nguyen has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, she was appointed to fill a seat on the Elk Grove City Council in 2017. During the 2018 election cycle, she won her District 4 seat on the council with over 64% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Nguyen was a member of the Elk Grove City Council, where she served a term as vice mayor. She is a career non-profit and foundation executive, and has led Asian Resources, Inc. (ARI) for the last 15 years, which provides workforce training, ESL, computer literacy, and job placement services to members of the API community. Assm. Nguyen’s husband is a police officer, and she has received significant campaign support from the law enforcement community.
Singh has not run for public office before.
Singh is a computer engineer and has worked for the Indian Space Research Organization and NASA. He immigrated to the United States in 1999, earned a PhD in Management, and has worked in IT and governance research. His campaign slogan is Make California Great Again, and he has focused his political interest on government corruption and a hawkish approach to crime and inflation.
Other background: Assm. Nguyen has lived in Elk Grove for nearly 20 years. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees.
Singh is from India, and became a US citizen in 2016.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Stephanie Nguyen (D), and Vinaya Singh (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Nguyen’s campaign has raised $337,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, and corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Republican Vinaya Singh’s campaign has not filed any campaign finance receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 10th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 20% Latino, 27% Asian, and 16% Black.
Recent election results: AD-10 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 38 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 28 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.
Based on our analysis, the two candidates for this position have distinct visions for this Safe Democratic district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Assm. Stephanie Nguyen has the endorsement of some groups, including Equality California, National Women’s Political Caucus California, and California Asian Chamber of Commerce. She has also received the endorsement of some elected leaders, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Rep. Ami Bera, and Assm. Ash Kalra. However, she has received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including California Association of Highway Patrolmen, Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Sacramento Police Officers Association, and Elk Grove Police Officers Association.
Vinaya Singh has not received the endorsement of any progressive groups. He is endorsed by Sacramento County GOP and California GOP.
Key initiatives: This year, Assm. Nguyen’s priorities for AD-10 have included 18 bills about crime and public safety, social equity services, health care, and housing. Of these, six have been successfully been chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and all others remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to expand training rotation options for resident doctors, amend the statewide alert system for a missing person under the age of 17, and redefine hate crimes as violent felonies. She scores a CS of 27 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, and has been designated as a member of this year’s Hall of Shame for her dismal performance. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Nguyen has supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote. This year, she failed to cast a vote on 30 of the bills evaluated for the scorecard, including legislation to increase charter school funding accountability, allow judges to recall sentences when there is a change in law after sentencing, and cap security deposits at no more than one month’s rent.
Singh has not held any community leadership positions before, but has focused his campaign on homelessness, limiting immigration, a law and order approach to public safety, improving public education, and college access.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Nguyen has served in this assembly seat since 2022, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, she was appointed to fill a seat on the Elk Grove City Council in 2017. During the 2018 election cycle, she won her District 4 seat on the council with over 64% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Nguyen was a member of the Elk Grove City Council, where she served a term as vice mayor. She is a career non-profit and foundation executive, and has led Asian Resources, Inc. (ARI) for the last 15 years, which provides workforce training, ESL, computer literacy, and job placement services to members of the API community. Assm. Nguyen’s husband is a police officer, and she has received significant campaign support from the law enforcement community.
Singh has not run for public office before.
Singh is a computer engineer and has worked for the Indian Space Research Organization and NASA. He immigrated to the United States in 1999, earned a PhD in Management, and has worked in IT and governance research. His campaign slogan is Make California Great Again, and he has focused his political interest on government corruption and a hawkish approach to crime and inflation.
Other background: Assm. Nguyen has lived in Elk Grove for nearly 20 years. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees.
Singh is from India, and became a US citizen in 2016.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Stephanie Nguyen (D), and Vinaya Singh (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Nguyen’s campaign has raised $337,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, and corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Republican Vinaya Singh’s campaign has not filed any campaign finance receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 10th Assembly District includes parts of Sacramento County.
Voter registration: 51% Democrat, 19% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 20% Latino, 27% Asian, and 16% Black.
Recent election results: AD-10 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 38 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 28 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.
Sacramento County, District 4
Elect Braden Murphy for Supervisor to put Sacramento County on the right track for progress.
Braden Murphy’s policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Sacramento County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Murphy has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, California Democratic Renters Council, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, and ACCE Action. He has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Citrus Heights Councilwoman Porsche Middleton, and Folsom Cordova School Board Member Kara Lofthouse.
Electoral history: Murphy ran for the California State Board of Equalization District 1 seat in 2022. He came in third with 14% of the vote, and did not advance beyond the primary.
Top issues: Economic growth and job creation, homelessness and affordable housing, and infrastructure repairs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Murphy was born with cerebral palsy and has been an advocate for universal health care and universal early-childhood education. His platform focuses on providing a living wage to all residents of the county, and ensuring that the region has adequate and affordable housing options. He would also work to address mental health care supports, particularly in county jail facilities, and to ensure that municipal services are funded and managed. In previous campaigns, Murphy has spoken about how the failure to transition to universal health care and education policy models can limit the capacity of families and individuals with disabilities to transition to a middle-class lifestyle. He would bring this knowledge to his equity efforts as an elected official.
Other background: Murphy is from Folsom.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Braden Murphy and Folsom Mayor Rosario Rodriguez. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Braden Murphy’s campaign has raised $2,300 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Mayor Rosario Rodriguez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Rodriguez’s campaign has raised $16,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
County: Sacramento County is California’s eighth most populous county. District 4 includes Antelope, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Orangevale, Rancho Murieta, and Rio Linda.
Governance structure: Sacramento County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.5 million people and manages an estimated budget of $8.8 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Sacramento County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Elect Braden Murphy for Supervisor to put Sacramento County on the right track for progress.
Braden Murphy’s policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Sacramento County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Murphy has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, California Democratic Renters Council, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, and ACCE Action. He has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Citrus Heights Councilwoman Porsche Middleton, and Folsom Cordova School Board Member Kara Lofthouse.
Electoral history: Murphy ran for the California State Board of Equalization District 1 seat in 2022. He came in third with 14% of the vote, and did not advance beyond the primary.
Top issues: Economic growth and job creation, homelessness and affordable housing, and infrastructure repairs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Murphy was born with cerebral palsy and has been an advocate for universal health care and universal early-childhood education. His platform focuses on providing a living wage to all residents of the county, and ensuring that the region has adequate and affordable housing options. He would also work to address mental health care supports, particularly in county jail facilities, and to ensure that municipal services are funded and managed. In previous campaigns, Murphy has spoken about how the failure to transition to universal health care and education policy models can limit the capacity of families and individuals with disabilities to transition to a middle-class lifestyle. He would bring this knowledge to his equity efforts as an elected official.
Other background: Murphy is from Folsom.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Braden Murphy and Folsom Mayor Rosario Rodriguez. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Braden Murphy’s campaign has raised $2,300 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Mayor Rosario Rodriguez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Rodriguez’s campaign has raised $16,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
County: Sacramento County is California’s eighth most populous county. District 4 includes Antelope, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Orangevale, Rancho Murieta, and Rio Linda.
Governance structure: Sacramento County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.5 million people and manages an estimated budget of $8.8 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Sacramento County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Elect Braden Murphy for Supervisor to put Sacramento County on the right track for progress.
Braden Murphy’s policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive voice for the constituents of Sacramento County and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Murphy has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, California Democratic Renters Council, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, and ACCE Action. He has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Citrus Heights Councilwoman Porsche Middleton, and Folsom Cordova School Board Member Kara Lofthouse.
Electoral history: Murphy ran for the California State Board of Equalization District 1 seat in 2022. He came in third with 14% of the vote, and did not advance beyond the primary.
Top issues: Economic growth and job creation, homelessness and affordable housing, and infrastructure repairs.
Governance and community leadership experience: Murphy was born with cerebral palsy and has been an advocate for universal health care and universal early-childhood education. His platform focuses on providing a living wage to all residents of the county, and ensuring that the region has adequate and affordable housing options. He would also work to address mental health care supports, particularly in county jail facilities, and to ensure that municipal services are funded and managed. In previous campaigns, Murphy has spoken about how the failure to transition to universal health care and education policy models can limit the capacity of families and individuals with disabilities to transition to a middle-class lifestyle. He would bring this knowledge to his equity efforts as an elected official.
Other background: Murphy is from Folsom.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Braden Murphy and Folsom Mayor Rosario Rodriguez. A candidate can win this race outright in the primary if they receive more than 50% of the vote.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Braden Murphy’s campaign has raised $2,300 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Mayor Rosario Rodriguez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Mayor Rodriguez’s campaign has raised $16,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
County: Sacramento County is California’s eighth most populous county. District 4 includes Antelope, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Orangevale, Rancho Murieta, and Rio Linda.
Governance structure: Sacramento County’s Board of Supervisors oversees the needs of 1.5 million people and manages an estimated budget of $8.8 billion annually. According to the County Charter, Sacramento County is governed by the elected Board of Supervisors, and they receive support from the county executive, who acts as their agent.
The Position
Each of the 58 counties in California is governed by a five-person Board of Supervisors. A Board of Supervisors has legislative and executive power to manage county services and resources, including courts, jails, public health, and public lands. They also have quasi-judicial powers, which gives them the right to hold hearings, conduct investigations, and make decisions in a manner similar to judicial courts. Laws passed by Boards of Supervisors are generally called ordinances. Because counties include both incorporated cities, which are administered by their own city councils, and unincorporated areas, which are directly administered by the county, ordinances may or may not apply in different areas of the county. Supervisors are typically limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Statewide Ballot Measures
Proposition 1 will establish a $6.4 billion bond to fund an increase in the number of treatment beds and housing units the state provides to individuals struggling with mental health and addiction, and to direct counties to reallocate their Mental Health Services Act funding to address the local housing shortage.
In an effort to address an ongoing housing shortage and addiction crisis in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills—SB326 and AB531—to send a $6.4 billion bond measure to voters in March. This bond would be used to increase capacity in health care and housing across the state by adding 6,800 behavioral health treatment beds, building 4,300 housing units, and creating 26,000 outpatient treatment slots for Californians. Proposition 1 would also require each county to redirect 30% of its Mental Health Services Act funding to housing, including creating new real estate development, and the provision of rental subsidies. Mental Health Services Act funds are raised through a tax on millionaires in the state, and the reallocated portion is expected to total $1 billion annually across the state. Overall, Proposition 1 aims to reduce homelessness and tent encampments, and provide support to individuals who do not have the resources to address behavioral health challenges.
Top support for Proposition 1:
- The legislation that sent Proposition 1 to voters received overwhelming support from the state legislature. SB326 received a unanimous floor vote in the Senate, and earned 68 floor votes in the Assembly. AB531 received 35 floor votes in the Senate, and 66 floor votes in the Assembly.
- YES ON 1 has received over $10.7 million in donations, primarily through Yes on Prop 1—Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee. The committee has received donations from police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests, including from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund, AirBnB, Google, and PG&E.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has enthusiastically supported Proposition 1, arguing that the establishment of more treatment options and housing units has the potential to have a significant impact on marginalized populations within the state over time, and is a humane approach to this ongoing public health crisis.
Top opposition to Proposition 1:
- Groups like Disability Rights California and the League of Women Voters California are concerned that this policy could be interpreted to permit involuntary treatment of mental health and addiction patients in locked facilities. They argue that this aspect of the bill is regressive and is the result of hasty passage, a lack of meaningful legislative debate, and limited input from community groups. Republican activist Carl DeMaio, his conservative PAC Reform California, and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are also opposing Proposition 1.
- Some housing and homeless advocates have criticized Proposition 1’s narrow projected impact on a statewide homeless population that is estimated to include 180,000 people. With over half of the proposed new housing units earmarked for veterans, the number of homeless civilians who will benefit from this program is statistically insignificant.
- Proposition 1 has raised concerns among opponents—including several counties and county leaders—around its mandate that 30% of county Mental Health Services Act funding be allocated to address local housing shortages. Stripping funding out of this budget line to fund housing programs will disrupt existing and effective county mental health programs, many of which are tailored to serve marginalized local populations, including Indigenous communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color.
Proposition 1 will establish a $6.4 billion bond to fund an increase in the number of treatment beds and housing units the state provides to individuals struggling with mental health and addiction, and to direct counties to reallocate their Mental Health Services Act funding to address the local housing shortage.
In an effort to address an ongoing housing shortage and addiction crisis in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills—SB326 and AB531—to send a $6.4 billion bond measure to voters in March. This bond would be used to increase capacity in health care and housing across the state by adding 6,800 behavioral health treatment beds, building 4,300 housing units, and creating 26,000 outpatient treatment slots for Californians. Proposition 1 would also require each county to redirect 30% of its Mental Health Services Act funding to housing, including creating new real estate development, and the provision of rental subsidies. Mental Health Services Act funds are raised through a tax on millionaires in the state, and the reallocated portion is expected to total $1 billion annually across the state. Overall, Proposition 1 aims to reduce homelessness and tent encampments, and provide support to individuals who do not have the resources to address behavioral health challenges.
Top support for Proposition 1:
- The legislation that sent Proposition 1 to voters received overwhelming support from the state legislature. SB326 received a unanimous floor vote in the Senate, and earned 68 floor votes in the Assembly. AB531 received 35 floor votes in the Senate, and 66 floor votes in the Assembly.
- YES ON 1 has received over $10.7 million in donations, primarily through Yes on Prop 1—Governor Newsom’s Ballot Measure Committee. The committee has received donations from police, fossil fuel, real estate, and corporate PAC interests, including from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund, AirBnB, Google, and PG&E.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom has enthusiastically supported Proposition 1, arguing that the establishment of more treatment options and housing units has the potential to have a significant impact on marginalized populations within the state over time, and is a humane approach to this ongoing public health crisis.
Top opposition to Proposition 1:
- Groups like Disability Rights California and the League of Women Voters California are concerned that this policy could be interpreted to permit involuntary treatment of mental health and addiction patients in locked facilities. They argue that this aspect of the bill is regressive and is the result of hasty passage, a lack of meaningful legislative debate, and limited input from community groups. Republican activist Carl DeMaio, his conservative PAC Reform California, and the anti-tax Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are also opposing Proposition 1.
- Some housing and homeless advocates have criticized Proposition 1’s narrow projected impact on a statewide homeless population that is estimated to include 180,000 people. With over half of the proposed new housing units earmarked for veterans, the number of homeless civilians who will benefit from this program is statistically insignificant.
- Proposition 1 has raised concerns among opponents—including several counties and county leaders—around its mandate that 30% of county Mental Health Services Act funding be allocated to address local housing shortages. Stripping funding out of this budget line to fund housing programs will disrupt existing and effective county mental health programs, many of which are tailored to serve marginalized local populations, including Indigenous communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color.
City of Sacramento
Based on our analysis, two candidates for this position have distinct visions for the city. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Dr. Flo Cofer has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Sacramento City Teachers Association, Democratic Socialists of America, Black Women Organized for Political Action, and ACCE Action. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tempore Mai Vang.
Assm. Kevin McCarty has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte, SEIU-United Service Workers West, and Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council. He has also received the endorsement of some elected leaders, including Assm. Speaker Robert Rivas, Assm. Lori Wilson, and Assm. Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon.
Key initiatives: Dr. Cofer is an epidemiologist, and has spent her career working on public health and policy initiatives at California Department of Public Health, University of California San Francisco, and Public Health Advocates. She has sat on four local commissions in recent years, including serving four terms as the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee. Measure U was a half-cent temporary sales tax that went into place in 2012, and was increased to one cent in 2018. The advisory committee was formed to advise the City Council on how best to use the revenue funds to benefit local residents. Experience working with the city on initiatives like these, and her understanding of the implementation of public policy, are the foundation of a campaign focused on addressing socioeconomic inequality, homelessness and the affordable housing crisis, public safety, climate action, and government accountability.
Assm. McCarty’s priorities for AD-6 this session have included 32 bills about education, homelessness and housing, and gun safety. Of these, 11 have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. Assm. McCarty has authored and passed legislation designed to increase doctoral program offerings at California State University, create a pilot program for substance-use treatment for justice involved individuals, simplify the process of transferring from a community college to the University of California system, and provide academic and social support for immigrant and refugee students. He scores a Lifetime CS of 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. McCarty has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Governance and community leadership experience: Dr. Cofer has not run for public office before.
Dr. Cofer was inspired to pursue a career in public health after the untimely and preventable death of her father when she was a child. She earned her PhD at the University of Michigan, and has focused her advocacy on utilizing policy data to implement meaningful public systems change. Her campaign platform seeks to apply a research lens to the challenges most impacting city residents to allow for comprehensive solutions to issues that have gone unaddressed for years.
Assm. McCarty has served in this assembly seat since 2014, when he was elected with over 58.7% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Republican challenger by 32 points.
Prior to his election to the Assembly, Assm. McCarty was a Sacramento City Councilmember from 2004 to 2014. He was the policy director to California’s former Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante and a former Budget Committee consultant. Assm. McCarty has been a longtime supporter of safe housing and protection from gun violence.
Other background: Dr. Cofer is from Pittsburgh, PA, and has lived in California for 15 years. If elected, she would be the first Black woman to lead the city of Sacramento.
Assm. McCarty is from Sacramento.
The Race
Primary election: There are six candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Kevin McCarty, Dr. Flo Cofer, Jose Antonio Avina II, Julius Engel, Steve Hansen, and Richard Pan. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5, unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote and wins outright in the primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Kevin McCarty’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by corporate PAC, real estate, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Dr. Flo Cofer’s campaign has raised $173,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. Sacramento’s mayor and city council oversee the needs of 525,000 people and manage an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually.
District demographics: As of the 2020 Census, Sacramento had a demographic breakdown of 29% Latino, 20% Asian, and 13% Black.
Recent election results: Sacramento County, which includes Sacramento, voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 25 points and for Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 15 points.
The Position
Sacramento uses a Council-Manager government structure, which includes a mayor elected at large, an 8-member districted city council, and a City Manager who acts as the city’s chief executive officer. The mayor of Sacramento interprets policies, makes recommendations to the City Council, acts as a voting member of the City Council, and may appoint or remove members of boards, commissions, or advisory agencies as provided by the city’s Charter. In Sacramento, a mayor is elected to a 4-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
Based on our analysis, two candidates for this position have distinct visions for the city. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: Dr. Flo Cofer has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Sacramento City Teachers Association, Democratic Socialists of America, Black Women Organized for Political Action, and ACCE Action. She has also received the endorsement of some local leaders, including Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, and Sacramento Mayor Pro Tempore Mai Vang.
Assm. Kevin McCarty has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte, SEIU-United Service Workers West, and Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council. He has also received the endorsement of some elected leaders, including Assm. Speaker Robert Rivas, Assm. Lori Wilson, and Assm. Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon.
Key initiatives: Dr. Cofer is an epidemiologist, and has spent her career working on public health and policy initiatives at California Department of Public Health, University of California San Francisco, and Public Health Advocates. She has sat on four local commissions in recent years, including serving four terms as the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee. Measure U was a half-cent temporary sales tax that went into place in 2012, and was increased to one cent in 2018. The advisory committee was formed to advise the City Council on how best to use the revenue funds to benefit local residents. Experience working with the city on initiatives like these, and her understanding of the implementation of public policy, are the foundation of a campaign focused on addressing socioeconomic inequality, homelessness and the affordable housing crisis, public safety, climate action, and government accountability.
Assm. McCarty’s priorities for AD-6 this session have included 32 bills about education, homelessness and housing, and gun safety. Of these, 11 have been successfully chaptered into law, one has been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. Assm. McCarty has authored and passed legislation designed to increase doctoral program offerings at California State University, create a pilot program for substance-use treatment for justice involved individuals, simplify the process of transferring from a community college to the University of California system, and provide academic and social support for immigrant and refugee students. He scores a Lifetime CS of 97 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. McCarty has supported nearly all progressive bills that made it to a vote.
Governance and community leadership experience: Dr. Cofer has not run for public office before.
Dr. Cofer was inspired to pursue a career in public health after the untimely and preventable death of her father when she was a child. She earned her PhD at the University of Michigan, and has focused her advocacy on utilizing policy data to implement meaningful public systems change. Her campaign platform seeks to apply a research lens to the challenges most impacting city residents to allow for comprehensive solutions to issues that have gone unaddressed for years.
Assm. McCarty has served in this assembly seat since 2014, when he was elected with over 58.7% of the vote. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Republican challenger by 32 points.
Prior to his election to the Assembly, Assm. McCarty was a Sacramento City Councilmember from 2004 to 2014. He was the policy director to California’s former Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante and a former Budget Committee consultant. Assm. McCarty has been a longtime supporter of safe housing and protection from gun violence.
Other background: Dr. Cofer is from Pittsburgh, PA, and has lived in California for 15 years. If elected, she would be the first Black woman to lead the city of Sacramento.
Assm. McCarty is from Sacramento.
The Race
Primary election: There are six candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Kevin McCarty, Dr. Flo Cofer, Jose Antonio Avina II, Julius Engel, Steve Hansen, and Richard Pan. The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5, unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote and wins outright in the primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Kevin McCarty’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by corporate PAC, real estate, or fossil fuel interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Dr. Flo Cofer’s campaign has raised $173,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. Sacramento’s mayor and city council oversee the needs of 525,000 people and manage an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually.
District demographics: As of the 2020 Census, Sacramento had a demographic breakdown of 29% Latino, 20% Asian, and 13% Black.
Recent election results: Sacramento County, which includes Sacramento, voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 25 points and for Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 15 points.
The Position
Sacramento uses a Council-Manager government structure, which includes a mayor elected at large, an 8-member districted city council, and a City Manager who acts as the city’s chief executive officer. The mayor of Sacramento interprets policies, makes recommendations to the City Council, acts as a voting member of the City Council, and may appoint or remove members of boards, commissions, or advisory agencies as provided by the city’s Charter. In Sacramento, a mayor is elected to a 4-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
City District Races
Depending on where you live, you may have the below city district races on your ballot.
City of Sacramento, District 4
Re-elect Councilmember Katie Valenzuela to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 4 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Valenzuela has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Environmental Democrats of Sacramento County, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, and Director of the California School Board Association Jackie Wong.
Top issues: Improving housing affordability, mitigating the impacts of climate change, quality of life, public safety, and economic development.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Valenzuela has successfully collaborated with city officials and local organizations to establish use-of-force standards, build new affordable housing units, fund a Latino cultural arts center, provide $28 million in economic assistance funding to local businesses, divest from fossil fuels, and implement Sacramento’s climate action plan. She is a strong advocate of housing accessibility and public safety, and has worked to create outreach programs and resources for individuals who need services.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Valenzuela has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected over the incumbent with over 53% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the City Council, Valenzuela was an activist and advocate, which she does to identify the systemic barriers to health and prosperity that face her community, and to find solutions to those issues through the amplification of local voices. She most recently served as policy and political director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, and was instrumental in forming the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Coalition, which was used to advocate for policies around the growing and selling of food, and the Sacramento Community Land Trust. Councilmember Valenzuela has worked in a civil rights law firm, at the State Capitol for the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, and as a private consultant. Her efforts have consistently been focused on providing community groups with the resources to influence the policies that impact them.
Other background: Councilmember Valenzuela has lived in Sacramento for nearly 15 years. She credits her family’s dedication to bettering their community with inspiring her pursuit of public service.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Councilmember Katie Valenzuela and Phil Pluckebaum. 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 the primary outright.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Valenzuela’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Phil Pluckebaum
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Pluckbaum’s campaign has raised $71,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. When redistricting goes into effect fully in 2024, Sacramento’s City Council District 4 will include the communities of Downtown, Midtown, the W-X and Broadway corridor, and East Sacramento.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Re-elect Councilmember Katie Valenzuela to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 4 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Valenzuela has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Environmental Democrats of Sacramento County, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, and Director of the California School Board Association Jackie Wong.
Top issues: Improving housing affordability, mitigating the impacts of climate change, quality of life, public safety, and economic development.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Valenzuela has successfully collaborated with city officials and local organizations to establish use-of-force standards, build new affordable housing units, fund a Latino cultural arts center, provide $28 million in economic assistance funding to local businesses, divest from fossil fuels, and implement Sacramento’s climate action plan. She is a strong advocate of housing accessibility and public safety, and has worked to create outreach programs and resources for individuals who need services.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Valenzuela has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected over the incumbent with over 53% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the City Council, Valenzuela was an activist and advocate, which she does to identify the systemic barriers to health and prosperity that face her community, and to find solutions to those issues through the amplification of local voices. She most recently served as policy and political director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, and was instrumental in forming the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Coalition, which was used to advocate for policies around the growing and selling of food, and the Sacramento Community Land Trust. Councilmember Valenzuela has worked in a civil rights law firm, at the State Capitol for the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, and as a private consultant. Her efforts have consistently been focused on providing community groups with the resources to influence the policies that impact them.
Other background: Councilmember Valenzuela has lived in Sacramento for nearly 15 years. She credits her family’s dedication to bettering their community with inspiring her pursuit of public service.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Councilmember Katie Valenzuela and Phil Pluckebaum. 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 the primary outright.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Valenzuela’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Phil Pluckebaum
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Pluckbaum’s campaign has raised $71,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. When redistricting goes into effect fully in 2024, Sacramento’s City Council District 4 will include the communities of Downtown, Midtown, the W-X and Broadway corridor, and East Sacramento.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Re-elect Councilmember Katie Valenzuela to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 4 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Valenzuela has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Environmental Democrats of Sacramento County, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mar Monte. She has also received the endorsement of many local leaders, including Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, and Director of the California School Board Association Jackie Wong.
Top issues: Improving housing affordability, mitigating the impacts of climate change, quality of life, public safety, and economic development.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Valenzuela has successfully collaborated with city officials and local organizations to establish use-of-force standards, build new affordable housing units, fund a Latino cultural arts center, provide $28 million in economic assistance funding to local businesses, divest from fossil fuels, and implement Sacramento’s climate action plan. She is a strong advocate of housing accessibility and public safety, and has worked to create outreach programs and resources for individuals who need services.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Valenzuela has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected over the incumbent with over 53% of the vote.
Prior to her election to the City Council, Valenzuela was an activist and advocate, which she does to identify the systemic barriers to health and prosperity that face her community, and to find solutions to those issues through the amplification of local voices. She most recently served as policy and political director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, and was instrumental in forming the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Coalition, which was used to advocate for policies around the growing and selling of food, and the Sacramento Community Land Trust. Councilmember Valenzuela has worked in a civil rights law firm, at the State Capitol for the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, and as a private consultant. Her efforts have consistently been focused on providing community groups with the resources to influence the policies that impact them.
Other background: Councilmember Valenzuela has lived in Sacramento for nearly 15 years. She credits her family’s dedication to bettering their community with inspiring her pursuit of public service.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the nonpartisan March 5 primary: Councilmember Katie Valenzuela and Phil Pluckebaum. 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 the primary outright.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Valenzuela’s campaign has raised $97,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Phil Pluckebaum
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Pluckbaum’s campaign has raised $71,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by real estate interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. When redistricting goes into effect fully in 2024, Sacramento’s City Council District 4 will include the communities of Downtown, Midtown, the W-X and Broadway corridor, and East Sacramento.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
City of Sacramento, District 8
Re-elect Councilmember Mai Vang to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Mai Vang’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 8 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Vang has the endorsement of many groups, including California Working Families Party, National Women’s Political Caucus Sacramento, SEIU Local 1021, and Latino Economic Council of Sacramento. She has also received endorsements from some elected leaders, including Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and many members of local governing boards.
Top issues: Violence prevention, youth development, public parks and community space accessibility, homelessness and housing, small-business support and economic growth, improving water infrastructure, and food insecurity.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Vang has been an effective leader during her first term on the City Council, successfully investing resources in youth development, public lands, housing access, and the local business community. She has helped establish an $8 million children’s fund to support youth impacted by violence and poverty, secure funds for public library renovations, secure a $5 million investment in pandemic recovery for small businesses, repair and improve public water infrastructure, and address food insecurity in collaboration with local community gardens and farmers markets. She has been a strong advocate of improving housing insecurity and increasing the availability of affordable housing, and has secured $44 million to develop student affordable housing units, furthered the operations of a local women’s shelter, and expanded existing affordable housing units in Meadowview.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Vang has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. She currently serves as Sacramento’s mayor pro tem.
Prior to her election to City Council, Councilmember Vang was an advocate and organizational leader who served as executive director of Buck Scholars Association, a private foundation that provides educational scholarships to California youth. She has also served as the Area 5 representative on the Sacramento City Unified Board of Education, and was a co-founder of Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), an organization dedicated to mobilizing disenfranchised communities to participate in politics. Councilmember Vang has taught at CSU-Sacramento and UC-Davis, and built her local government knowledge while working as community affairs director for former District 8 Councilmember Carr.
Other background: Councilmember Vang is from Sacramento and lives in the Meadowview community. She is the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos, and is the oldest of 16 children.
The Race
Primary election: Councilmember Mai Vang is running unopposed in the March 5 primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Vang’s campaign has raised $92,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. Sacramento City Council’s District 8 includes the communities of Bless Child, Cabrillo Park, Deerfield, Mesa Grande, Detroit, Hampton Station, Meadowview, North Laguna Creek, and Villa Terrassa.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Re-elect Councilmember Mai Vang to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Mai Vang’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 8 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Vang has the endorsement of many groups, including California Working Families Party, National Women’s Political Caucus Sacramento, SEIU Local 1021, and Latino Economic Council of Sacramento. She has also received endorsements from some elected leaders, including Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and many members of local governing boards.
Top issues: Violence prevention, youth development, public parks and community space accessibility, homelessness and housing, small-business support and economic growth, improving water infrastructure, and food insecurity.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Vang has been an effective leader during her first term on the City Council, successfully investing resources in youth development, public lands, housing access, and the local business community. She has helped establish an $8 million children’s fund to support youth impacted by violence and poverty, secure funds for public library renovations, secure a $5 million investment in pandemic recovery for small businesses, repair and improve public water infrastructure, and address food insecurity in collaboration with local community gardens and farmers markets. She has been a strong advocate of improving housing insecurity and increasing the availability of affordable housing, and has secured $44 million to develop student affordable housing units, furthered the operations of a local women’s shelter, and expanded existing affordable housing units in Meadowview.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Vang has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. She currently serves as Sacramento’s mayor pro tem.
Prior to her election to City Council, Councilmember Vang was an advocate and organizational leader who served as executive director of Buck Scholars Association, a private foundation that provides educational scholarships to California youth. She has also served as the Area 5 representative on the Sacramento City Unified Board of Education, and was a co-founder of Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), an organization dedicated to mobilizing disenfranchised communities to participate in politics. Councilmember Vang has taught at CSU-Sacramento and UC-Davis, and built her local government knowledge while working as community affairs director for former District 8 Councilmember Carr.
Other background: Councilmember Vang is from Sacramento and lives in the Meadowview community. She is the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos, and is the oldest of 16 children.
The Race
Primary election: Councilmember Mai Vang is running unopposed in the March 5 primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Vang’s campaign has raised $92,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. Sacramento City Council’s District 8 includes the communities of Bless Child, Cabrillo Park, Deerfield, Mesa Grande, Detroit, Hampton Station, Meadowview, North Laguna Creek, and Villa Terrassa.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.
Re-elect Councilmember Mai Vang to keep Sacramento on the right track for progress.
Councilmember Mai Vang’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of City Council District 8 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Councilmember Vang has the endorsement of many groups, including California Working Families Party, National Women’s Political Caucus Sacramento, SEIU Local 1021, and Latino Economic Council of Sacramento. She has also received endorsements from some elected leaders, including Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and many members of local governing boards.
Top issues: Violence prevention, youth development, public parks and community space accessibility, homelessness and housing, small-business support and economic growth, improving water infrastructure, and food insecurity.
Key initiatives: Councilmember Vang has been an effective leader during her first term on the City Council, successfully investing resources in youth development, public lands, housing access, and the local business community. She has helped establish an $8 million children’s fund to support youth impacted by violence and poverty, secure funds for public library renovations, secure a $5 million investment in pandemic recovery for small businesses, repair and improve public water infrastructure, and address food insecurity in collaboration with local community gardens and farmers markets. She has been a strong advocate of improving housing insecurity and increasing the availability of affordable housing, and has secured $44 million to develop student affordable housing units, furthered the operations of a local women’s shelter, and expanded existing affordable housing units in Meadowview.
Governance and community leadership experience: Councilmember Vang has served in this seat since 2020, when she was elected with over 52% of the vote. She currently serves as Sacramento’s mayor pro tem.
Prior to her election to City Council, Councilmember Vang was an advocate and organizational leader who served as executive director of Buck Scholars Association, a private foundation that provides educational scholarships to California youth. She has also served as the Area 5 representative on the Sacramento City Unified Board of Education, and was a co-founder of Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), an organization dedicated to mobilizing disenfranchised communities to participate in politics. Councilmember Vang has taught at CSU-Sacramento and UC-Davis, and built her local government knowledge while working as community affairs director for former District 8 Councilmember Carr.
Other background: Councilmember Vang is from Sacramento and lives in the Meadowview community. She is the daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos, and is the oldest of 16 children.
The Race
Primary election: Councilmember Mai Vang is running unopposed in the March 5 primary.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Councilmember Vang’s campaign has raised $92,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel interests.
The District
City: Sacramento is Sacramento County’s most populous city. Sacramento City Council’s District 8 includes the communities of Bless Child, Cabrillo Park, Deerfield, Mesa Grande, Detroit, Hampton Station, Meadowview, North Laguna Creek, and Villa Terrassa.
Governance structure: Sacramento City Council oversees the needs of 505,000 people and manages an estimated operating budget of $1.5 billion annually. Sacramento is managed by mayor-council-structured government.
The Position
Incorporated cities in California are generally governed by a five-person city council, although Sacramento maintains a larger, eight-person city council. A city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local laws (called ordinances), voting on budget appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. City council members in Sacramento are limited to 3 terms, or 12 years in office total.