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California's 25th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 top-two primary)
- Primary date: March 3
- Primary type: Top-two
- Registration deadline(s): Feb. 18
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Early voting starts: Varies locally
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): March 3 (postmarked); March 6 (received)
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Christy Smith (D) and Mike Garcia (R) advanced from the March 3 top-two primary after third-place finisher Stephen Knight (R) conceded on March 8, 2020. Knight said he would support Garcia in the general election.[1] The only other candidate to receive more than 10% of the vote was Knight.[2]
On the same day as the regularly scheduled primary, there was also a special primary election. The special general election on May 12 determined who would serve the remainder of former incumbent Katie Hill's term. Hill resigned November 1, 2019, amid allegations that she had extramarital relationships with staffers.
Ten candidates ran in both elections, so it was possible for voters to select the same candidate twice on one ballot or choose two different candidates.
This page covers the regular election. For coverage of the special election on the same day, click here.
Media coverage and endorsements focused on four candidates: Mike Garcia (R), Stephen Knight (R), Christy Smith (D), and Cenk Uygur (D).[3][4]
On the Democratic side, Smith's endorsers included Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Kamala Harris, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the California Democratic Party. Smith said it was "clear that big money is corrupting our political system," but that she would “fight within the system as it is set up to make sure that we hold this seat.”[3] Smith said she would "work with both parties to make healthcare affordable, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and lower drug costs."[5] Uygur said his campaign was not accepting endorsements or corporate PAC donations, and he criticized Smith for accepting money from private industries.[6] Uygur also stated, "I’m the only candidate in this race who is in favor of Medicare for All."[7]
On the Republican side, Garcia received endorsements from the Los Angeles Republican Party and the Ventura County Republican Party. Knight received endorsements from U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Garcia campaigned on supporting the armed forces. He said he would "make it a priority to ensure our men and women in uniform have the funding and tools necessary to keep America safe."[8] Garcia also said he supported congressional term limits.[8] Knight highlighted his previous experience representing California's 25th District from 2015 to 2019. On his campaign website, Knight said he "quickly became known as a fierce advocate for fiscal responsibility, job creation and public safety in our nation’s Capitol."[9]
Otis Lee Cooper (I), Robert Cooper (D), Getro Elize (D), Kenneth Jenks (R), David Lozano (R), Daniel Mercuri (R), George Papadopoulos (R), David Rudnick (D), and Anibal Valdez-Ortega (D) also ran in the primary.
In the 2018 general election, Hill (D) defeated Knight (R) 54% to 46%. In 2016, Knight defeated Bryan Caforio (D) 53% to 47%. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was even, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were within 1 percentage point of the national average.[10] At the time of the primary, race raters gave Democrats an edge in the general election. Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Garcia |
 Jenks |
 Knight |
 Valdez-Ortega |
 Smith |
 Uygur |
Candidates and election results
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 25
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Christy Smith (D) | 31.7 | 49,679 |
| ✔ |  | Mike Garcia (R)  | 23.9 | 37,381 |
 | Stephen Knight (R) | 18.9 | 29,645 | |
 | Cenk Uygur (D) | 5.9 | 9,246 | |
 | Getro Elize (D) | 4.0 | 6,317 | |
 | David Lozano (R) | 4.0 | 6,272 | |
 | Anibal Valdez-Ortega (D) | 3.1 | 4,920 | |
 | Robert Cooper (D) | 2.9 | 4,474 | |
 | George Papadopoulos (R) | 1.8 | 2,749 | |
 | Otis Lee Cooper (Independent) | 1.4 | 2,183 | |
 | Christopher Smith (D) (Unofficially withdrew) | 1.3 | 2,089 | |
 | Daniel Mercuri (R) | 0.6 | 913 | |
 | Kenneth Jenks (R) | 0.4 | 682 | |
| Total votes: 156,550 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- David Rudnick (D)
- Charles Patron (R)
- Mark Cripe (R)
- Suzette Martinez Valladares (R)
- Angela Underwood Jacobs (R)
- Katie Hill (D)
| Candidates who ran in the special and regular primaries | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Regular | Special |
| Robert Cooper | ✔ | ✔ |
| Getro Elize | ✔ | ✔ |
| David Rudnick | ✔ | |
| Christopher Smith | ✔ | |
| Christy Smith | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cenk Uygur | ✔ | ✔ |
| Anibal Valdez-Ortega | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mike Garcia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Kenneth Jenks | ✔ | ✔ |
| Stephen Knight | ✔ | ✔ |
| Courtney Lackey | ✔ | |
| David Lozano | ✔ | ✔ |
| Daniel Mercuri | ✔ | ✔ |
| George Papadopoulos | ✔ | |
| Otis Lee Cooper | ✔ | |
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[11] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Robert Cooper
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I seek to restore public trust in American Democracy. I will be a representative in Washington who will fight for the working and middle classes by building an economy that is diverse and offers high-wage jobs.Having lived in the Santa Clarita Valley since 2001 with my wife of 29 years and two children, my priorities are maintaining safe, healthy communities with the necessary infrastructure to support our families and protect our environment. We must invest more funds in our public schools, make high quality healthcare more accessible; build housing that a working family can afford, protect our environment, fight climate change, and enhance emergency response readiness. With a bachelor's degree in Government from Pomona College, a Master's degree in Management of Human Services from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from UCLA, I am well positioned to reach across the political aisle to build the bridges necessary to develop and pass meaningful legislation that will improve the lives of working families. Having served as an intern for both state and local government, as well as serving as a university professor who has taught / researched politics and leadership for the past 20 years at UCLA, I have the understanding, vision, and problem-solving skills to provide the strong leadership in congress that is required to produce results. Won't you join me in this grassroots campaign?"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Mike Garcia
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "First-generation American citizen, Mike Garcia is a highly decorated United States Naval Officer whose record-setting flying performance earned him the honor of becoming one of the first Super Hornet strike fighter pilots in the Navy. He flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi freedom. Accruing over 1400 hours of operational flight time during his nearly 20 years of military service to our country, Garcia decided to separate from the US Navy with an Honorable Discharge to focus on his family. Garcia moved back to the 25th District in 2009 and began to work for the Raytheon Company. During his now 10 years as an executive at Raytheon, Garcia has been responsible for the generation of billions of dollars of revenue and the creation of hundreds of jobs for his company and our district. Garcia is the husband to Rebecca Garcia, the owner of the Rebecca Rollins Interiors in Santa Clarita, and the father of Preston (age 13) and Jett (age 3). "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Kenneth Jenks
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "A 30 year resident of Valencia, Kenneth is a United States Marine Corps Veteran and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. Kenneth is the descendant of the Founders of America, American Revolutionary War Soldiers, Union Soldiers of the Civil War and renowned abolitionists, WWII, and the Korean War. He is a second generation Marine Corps Veteran. Kenneth's earned a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering, MS in Engineering Management, and Top 10 Executive MBA from Southern Methodist Cox School of Business with specialized leadership training at the SMU Edwin L. Cox Business Leadership Center. Kenneth's immediate family is ethnically diverse with English, Korean, and Spanish spoken fluently by immediate family members. His children were raised in Santa Clarita and both are now successful adults. Kenneth's son earned an MA Theology and MBA Finance. His daughter received an MA in Teaching from USC. Kenneth's son-in-law is a first generation Hispanic and holds a BBA and MBA. He has three beautiful grandchildren. Kenneth continues a successful 30 year career as a leader in Telecommunications, with progress roles engineer through VP, building carrier and enterprise wireless, wireline, data, voice, and internet backbone network. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Stephen Knight
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: U.S House of Representatives (2015-2019), California State Senate (2012-2014), California State Assembly (2008-2012), Palmdale City Council (2005-2008)
Biography: Knight began his career in the U.S. Army and joined the Los Angeles police department after his service. He received an associate's degree from Antelope Valley College in 2006.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Daniel Mercuri
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Daniel Mercuri, Congressional Candidate for the 25th District, California"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Christy Smith
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
California State Assembly (Assumed office: 2018), Newhall School Board (2010-2018)
Biography: Before her election to the California State Assembly in 2018, Smith founded the Valencia Valley Technological Education Foundation, worked as a legislative vice president of the Santa Clarita Valley Trustees Association, and served as a delegate to the California School Board Association.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Cenk Uygur
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Uygur received a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Columbia Law School. He founded or co-founded several political organizations, including The Young Turks, Wolf Pac, and Justice Democrats. Before joining the political scene, Uygur worked as a lawyer, a TV producer, and a talk radio host.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Anibal Valdez-Ortega
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am an attorney and community organizer. I want to bring our children free college tuition, universal healthcare, immigration reform and substantial changes to turn back the affects of climate change."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 25 in 2020.
Endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
| Top-two primary endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement |  Garcia
|
Knight
|
 Smith
|
Uygur
| ||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| The Los Angeles Times[12] | ✔ | |||||
| The Signal[13] | ✔ | |||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy[3] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. House Minority Leader Tom McClintock[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Adam Schiff (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Jimmy Gomez (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congresswoman Karen Bass (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Brad Sherman (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Ted Lieu (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Mike Levin (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congresswoman Judy Chu (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Harley Rouda (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Ami Bera (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Jim Costa (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Scott Peters (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Mark Takano (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Salud Carbajal (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Josh Harder (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California Governor Gavin Newsom (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California State Controller Betty Yee (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California State Treasurer Fiona Ma (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assembly Speaker Emeritus John Pérez (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Connie M. Leyva (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Holly Mitchell (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Lena Gonzalez (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Henry Stern (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Senator Steven Bradford (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Eloise Gómez Reyes (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman S. Monique Limon (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Chris Holden (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Patrick O'Donnell (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Tim Grayson (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| State Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R)[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D)[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley Mayor Keith Mashburn[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer[17] | ||||||
| Lancaster Vice Mayor Marvin Crist[14] | ||||||
| Agua Dulce Town Council President Don Henry[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Councilman Bill Miranda[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Councilwoman Marsha McLean[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley Councilwoman Dee Dee Cavanaugh[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley Councilwoman Elaine Litster[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley Councilman Mike Judge[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Los Angeles County Justice Deputy Stephanie English[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Valley Water Board President Bill Cooper[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Valley Water Board Vice President Gary Martin[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Valley Water Board Director R.J. Kelly[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Valley Water Board Director B.J. Atkins[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Santa Clarita Valley Water District Board Director Lynne Plambeck[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Williams S. Hart School Board Trustee Joe Messina[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Palmdale School District Trustee Nancy Smith[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Williams S. Hart School Board Trustee Linda Storli[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Williams S. Hart School Board President Steve Sturgeon[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley School Board Trustee Kareem Jubran[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley School Board Trustee Bob LaBelle[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley School Board Trustee Dawn Smollen[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Saugus Union School District Governing Board President Julie Olsen[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Saugus Union School District Board Member Christopher Trunkey[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Saugus Union School District Board Member Laura Arrowsmith[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Saugus Union School District Board Member David Barlavi[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Ventura County Community College District Trustee Bernardo Perez[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Ventura County Board of Education Trustee Rob Collins[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former U.S. Senator and California Governor Pete Wilson[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Congressman Elton Gallegly[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Congressman Howard McKeon[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former state Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Former state Senator Fran Pavley[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Former state Senator Tony Strickland[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Filipino American Republicans Founder and National Chairman Mel Alfarer[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, Roy Burns[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Republican nominee for attorney general Steve Cooley[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Santa Clarita Councilman Dennis Koontz[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Simi Valley Councilman Glen Becerra[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Simi Valley Councilwoman Barbra Williamson[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Ventura County District Attorney Michael Bradbury[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Ventura County Board of Education President Yvonne Farris[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Ventura County Board of Education member Dean Kunicki[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Mark Gonzalez[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Ventura County Democratic Party Chair Ryan Valencia[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Radio and television talk show host Larry Elder[16] | ✔ | |||||
| West Ranch High School retired founding principal Bob Vincent[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Superintendent Newhall School District Marc Winger[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| DCCC Red to Blue program[18] | ✔ | |||||
| Los Angeles Republican Party[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Ventura County Republican Party[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Republican National Hispanic Assembly of California[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Combat Veterans for Congress[16] | ✔ | |||||
| War Veterans Fund[16] | ✔ | |||||
| SEAL PAC[16] | ✔ | |||||
| California Democratic Party[12] | ✔ | |||||
| International Association of Fire Fighters[12] | ✔ | |||||
| EMILY's List[12] | ✔ | |||||
| End Citizens United[12] | ✔ | |||||
| NARAL Pro-Choice America[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Giffords PAC[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Planned Parenthood Action Fund[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Sierra Club[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence[12] | ✔ | |||||
| League of Conservation Voters[12] | ✔ | |||||
| National Education Association/California Teachers Association[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California School Employees Association[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California League of Conservation Voters[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California Federation of Teachers[12] | ✔ | |||||
| National Women’s Political Caucus[12] | ✔ | |||||
| HER Time PAC[12] | ✔ | |||||
| American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees AFL-CIO[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Service Employees International Union State Council of California[12] | ✔ | |||||
| International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36[12] | ✔ | |||||
| LA/OC Building and Construction Trades Council[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Council[12] | ✔ | |||||
| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40[12] | ✔ | |||||
| United Steelworkers Local 675[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Teamsters Local 399[12] | ✔ | |||||
| International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Laborers Local 300[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Plumbers & Fitters United Association Local 761[12] | ✔ | |||||
| California Young Democrats[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Indivisible Conejo[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Indivisible CA-25 Simi Valley/Porter Ranch[12] | ✔ | |||||
| North Valley Democratic Club[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Democratic Alliance for Action[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Simi Valley Democratic Club[12] | ✔ | |||||
| San Fernando Valley Young Democrats[12] | ✔ | |||||
| National Union of Healthcare Workers[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Communications Workers of America[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Central Coast Labor Council[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Amalgmated Transit Union Local 1277[12] | ✔ | |||||
| American Federation of Music Local 47[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Teamsters Joint Council 42[12] | ✔ | |||||
| International Longshore and Warehouse Union Southern California District Council[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Stonewall Democratic Club[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Equality California[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Southern California Armenian Democrats[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Democratic Alliance for Action of Santa Clarita[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles[12] | ✔ | |||||
| Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region[12] | ✔ | |||||
Timeline
- February 24, 2020: Smith released a campaign ad reminding viewers to vote in the special election and the regular election on Mar. 3.
- February 21, 2020:
- Ten candidates, including Garcia, Smith, and Uyger, attended a debate at California State University, Northridge.[19]
- Smith released a campaign ad titled "Powered" as part of a six-figure coordinated buy with the DCCC.[20]
- February 20, 2020: Uygur released campaign ads titled "Housing" and "Antelope Valley."
- February 19, 2020: Garcia released a campaign ad titled "Sights."
- February 12, 2020: Uygur released a campaign ad titled "On a Rescue Mission."
- February 6, 2020: The FEC's website showed the following candidates leading in Q4 (Oct. 1 through Dec. 31) fundraising totals:[21]
- Smith raised $845,245
- Uygur raised $796,412
- Garcia raised $406,000
- Knight raised $122,165
- January 27, 2020: The DCCC added Smith to its Red to Blue program.[18]
- January 23, 2020:
- David Maron of the League of Women Voters of Ventura County moderated a forum for 25th District candidates on January 23. Smith and Uygur were among the candidates present.[15]
- Smith released her first campaign ad, titled "Access."
- The Ventura County Republican Party endorsed Garcia.[15]
- Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R) endorsed Knight.[15]
Campaign themes
- See also: Campaign themes
The following campaign themes and policy positions were listed on the candidates' campaign websites in January 2020, if available.
Getro Elize
| “ |
The Getro Elize for Congress campaign was formed to address the needs of the residents of the 25th district. We can build a better tomorrow for the people by pursuing an aggressive economic jobs growth program while providing quality and dignified employment. We need to address the homeless epidemic that is plaguing our communities. In order for the residents of the 25th district to really make a change we must unite behind a single message because this isn’t just my campaign, this is your campaign. We are going to run a campaign that is free of corrupt corporations, PACs, and crooked lobbyists. We put all our faith and effort into everyday people, families, and communities to make the right decision and not allow any political party to decide who they want in office before any vote has been cast. The 25th District needs a leader who is willing to make the tough choices. We need a leader who will galvanize the residents to make the changes that are desperately needed. Getro Elize will champion the needs of working families and put the residents of the district first. He will push for job creation, repair and expansion of our infrastructure, access to higher education, cancellation of student loan debt, healthcare for all, and to put an end to the homeless epidemic. He will support smart policy and what is politically possible and not what is politically expedient. Homelessness The homeless population has reached levels that we have not seen in decades. On any given night there are about 50,000 to 60,000 homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles County. For too long, we have had politicians sit idly by while our communities crumble under their watch. As we speak, we have politicians who either face re-election or who are running for an open seat. If you think that they have changed their stance because of this situation, you are wrong. In fact, this has emboldened them to ask for your vote so that they can have another term to do nothing. The personnel are there, the resources are there, what they lack is the conviction to implement tangible solutions to address homelessness. When you think of the homeless, I ask that you think of them as your family, your friends, your neighbor, your co-worker, or even you. From this vantage point, the need to act becomes even more dire. This election is about finally holding politicians accountable for what they could have done and have chosen not too. This campaign is about tackling issues that have plagued our community for far too long, and homelessness is one of them. The effects of homelessness can be felt from all aspects of life. From my personal experience working in the emergency room at Olive View Medical Center, I have witnessed many homeless individuals check into the ER as a means of shelter. Though they may find refuge for the night, it does not address the underlying need for shelter. Our elected officials have a responsibility to respond to the needs of our community. Getro Elize is committed to making our homeless population in the 25th District a priority. He has a solution for this problem. He will mobilize a task force and ally with Los Angeles County Departments, Non-Profit Organizations and volunteers. Then he will request emergency funds from county and state officials for emergency shelters and expand rapid rehousing efforts. He will then identify the root causes of homelessness, and tailor housing needs to each individual or family. Economic Growth Our campaign will take an aggressive economic approach to the people of the 25th District. We will do this by building a full-service County Hospital in the Northern Antelope Valley area. By doing this, we will create four thousand jobs from construction workers, to nurses, medical assistants, doctors, technicians, maintenance personnel, social workers, pharmacists and many more. These are sustainable jobs. The positive outcome will be that this will alleviate traffic on the 14 freeway since new jobs will be available closer to where people live. Infrastructure Expansion There are currently parts of the Northern Antelope Valley that have been neglected by our politicians. Many of our residents live in rural areas where there are no roads or unfinished roads. This has created a challenge for our emergency services workers to respond to our residents during an emergency. In the area, our roads have been crumbling beneath us. My solution is simple, we will repair our current roads so that it will be up to standard and also expand our infrastructure to other rural areas so that they may take advantage of fully functioning roads. We will also expand the electrical grid to the rural areas like Acton, Littlerock, Lake Los Angeles and Agua Dulce, so that no one will have to go without power at any given time. This will create another two thousand sustainable jobs for the Antelope Valley area. Student Loans Debt Cancellation Politicians have failed to act on the student loan crisis. For them, it is not politically expedient. They didn’t seem to cry foul when Wall Street played fast and loose with the economy bringing it to the brink of collapse and plunging us into a global recession. In the end, the taxpayer bailed out Wall Street by writing a check for 700 billion of your taxpayer dollars. That is enough to send every American to college and future generations. The student loan debt crisis is not only taking a toll on the economy, it has become a deterrent for individuals with prospects of lifting themselves out of poverty. Even now, many students fear that they are going to be saddled with the burden of student loan debt. Often, graduates leave higher education with a degree, but are unable to find a job in their field of study. Graduates need job placement programs that will allow them to work in their field of study, while giving back to their community. Getro Elize is proposing the elimination of income driven repayment plans regardless of income, and the implementation of community service as repayment for student loans. It is time to bail ourselves out and cancel student loan debt. If we fully examine the problem, we are already paying student loans by the taxes that we currently pay. We need to repatriate offshore funds, close tax loopholes, and make big business pay the taxes that they owe. By cancelling student loans, it will inject billions into the economy immediately. It will give people more purchasing power. They can use these funds to save for a home, a trip, pay for the rising cost of food and utilities, and other necessities. Increase to Public Teachers’ Pay Teachers work tirelessly to educate our children and play an essential role in the outcomes of future generations. Teachers are charged with educating the minds of our children to think critically. With the rising cost of living, a teacher should never have to take a second job to make ends meet. Our teachers are overworked and underpaid. According to the PEW Research Center, “About one-in-six teachers work second jobs” (Schaeffer, 2019). We would prefer that teachers be able to use to this time to tutor struggling students with classwork and effectively engage our children in dialogue on how to work efficiently. For every fire fighter, police officer, nurse, doctor, engineer, scientist, scholar, artist and musician – thank a teacher. That is why our campaign will work to increase teacher salaries in the 25th District. Increasing teacher salaries will make teaching a more attractive field. We want the next generation to view teaching as a viable career option. Teachers are a necessity and their value should be reflected in their pay. Long Term Support and Services Millions of Americans, including children, adults, and seniors, need long-term care services because of disabling conditions and chronic illnesses. Currently, Medicaid and Medi-care addresses only part of this issue. But the work of ensuring that adults, children and seniors with LTSS needs in our communities have come up short in the current system. With the rising cost of living and steep cuts to regional centers services, few individuals can afford to pay out-of-pocket for needed long-term services and supports. Especially those living on fixed incomes with limited personal savings and assets. Our campaign will work to ensure that the children, adults and seniors are in safe hands, and that no one will be left to fend for themselves in these uncertain times. This vulnerable population will receive care that is person-centered, consistent with their own wishes, and responsive to the reality of limited resources. We will address Institutional Care vs Home Care Based Service and find a solution that is cost effective and will be tailored to needs of the individual. Our campaign will focus on helping institutions with workforce development and increase the availability of caregiver supports and training. But in order to do this, it will require leadership, good partnerships, beneficiary engagement, administrative skill and persistence—extending beyond any administration or policy to address the needs of a growing LTSS population.[22] |
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| —Getro Elize's 2020 campaign website[23] | ||
David Rudnick
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I am going to do my best to convey exactly where I stand on all of the issues so, that you as voters can make the best decision. Listed below are some issues that will be my main legislative agenda: Environment. As a man of deep religious convictions as a Messianic Jew I am bound to obey not one but two sets of laws. When I see natural beauty destroyed idiotically here in God's Country of California I always think of this verse in which, the Lord says, "I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable." Jeremiah 2:7 I am a proud lifelong environmentalist and former Greenpeace volunteer as well as a strategist for Label GMO's. Climate change is real. We are rapidly destroying every facet of our environment. The Lord calls upon us to be good stewards of His Creation and to maintain it for future generations. All across America pollution and various toxins are threatening our very lives and everyday standard of living. The nuclear age also left behind thousands of radiated sites all across America and even here at home in our district. Something has to be done and these problems will not go away. Certain environmental issues are not conjecture or opinion either. GMO's are destroying the soil on a permanent basis. The very soil that we rely on to grow crops. Monsanto has cleverly designed synthetic seeds that require our farmers to use them again and again destroying their independence. We use to be the nation that fed the world after The First World War and The Second World War. Now we can barely feed ourselves. We also need to come together to pass legislation that cleans up our community's drinking water especially, in Simi Valley. In areas where the water table is permanently destroyed Federally mandated laws should be in place requiring water purifiers for any new property developments and for all rental properties. The chronic diseases, health problems and childhood cancers from my potential constituents in Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley area is intolerable. Cleaning Simi's water and other communities effected by nuclear pollution may not be possible but, at least we can put laws in place that will protect the health of our children. Certain areas may have to be reclassified as Nuclear Exclusion Zones. For almost half a century now, our neighbors in the Valley have suffered tremendously from a nuclear meltdown at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. It is time that we solve this problem. The generation that caused the problem did not truly understand it. Their children did not want to address it and now it is up to us to protect our children and grandchildren. Impeachment. I support Impeachment articles against President Donald J. Trump and believe that it might now very well be a national security issue. I admit, I was one of those who was willing to give the President a chance at first for the sake of unity. However, things have become apparent now as well as President Trump's mismanagement of our foreign policy. Its cringe worthy how cozy Trump is with Vladimir Putin. He does not even try to hide it. Now that Trump wants to admit this Tsarist anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic regime back into the G20 its apparent what his game is. We have had previous administrations both Democratic and Republican destroy entire facets of our economy offshoring to China. Now in our generation, we have another administration that has done all it can to destroy and undermine all of the historic alliances that the Greatest Generation built after the Second World War. Trump has alienated the Turks our longtime NATO ally and check against Russia in the Dardanelles. Trump has rolled back our commitments in Eastern Europe jeopardizing liberty for the Baltic peoples, he's in talks with the Taliban of all damn people and on top of it all he is further trying to appease a permanently angry Iran who now has nuclear capabilities. I don't care what anyone says about Mike Pence at least he'd be for our own people- not Russia. After Rep. Katie Hill sided with conservatives and Republicans to vote against impeachment articles against President Donald J. Trump multiple times I decided that our community deserved a true voice that represents all people. I am a former supporter of Rep. Hill and I am deeply disappointed on this issue as well as many others. I believe that Donald Trump is destroying this nation. The President and his supporters now speak of the possibility of another Civil War but, one which is of their doing since his divisive rhetoric has alienated our local immigrant community for the next two generations. His language and actions in recent years has even eroded his own voter base within the Evangelical and Catholic communities as well as with many gun owners. Furthermore, he ran for office as a businessman and so-called fiscal conservative yet his debt spending is on par with any liberal President but, with nothing to show for it. The budget deficit has never increased so drastically before in our modern era which, will surely lead to another crash as well as eroding our seniors' hard- earned savings. It is time that he goes. Trump either has no basic understanding of economics or he simply does not care about future generations. The President is essentially trashing our currency. I am running to make your voice heard and also, your anger felt. Voting for David Rudnick is a vote to make Mike Pence the new President of the United States and as soon as possible. At least Mike Pence will be beholden to Evangelicals and the Mother Church and not Mother Russia.
America's national debt will soon become an economic and national emergency with the potential for Weimar-like runaway inflation. There is 100% potential that the dollar can be worth absolutely nothing and your savings as well as hard work will also all be for nothing. My educational background and experience as a business developer are both perfectly suited to deal with the national debt. The House of Representatives is notorious for frivolous spending and laughable programs that cost millions of dollars. More importantly, there are still pork barrel military programs on the budget today that even Sen. John McCain railed against decades ago in the 90's. These expensive and outdated defense programs not only waste every good taxpayer's hard earned cent but, also reduces our military's combat capabilities endangering our young men and women in uniform worldwide. I refuse to take any kind of corporate PAC money or donations from special interest groups so, I owe nothing to no one. I am a common sense businessman and as an avid reader I will diligently look through every bill and piece of legislation before signing anything. "I will not co-sign my name to anything that is corrupt or will add further needless burdens to America's national debt. This insanity must stop. Look at what we have now. And what will our children inherit in the future?" War and Peace. The United States needs a new approach to our foreign policy, international commitments and also the way we wage war. America is a privileged and blessed nation but, with great power also comes great responsibilities. Around the world we see democracy and liberty under attack yet, we really do not do anything about it and often times now make matters worse. Post-WW2, time and time again we have compromised our morals for the convenient route out or keeping costs down. We fight wars to a stalemate only to leave our enemies to fight another day. All around the world we see from Hong Kong and Iraq to Israel and Egypt democracies are under attack and faltering. Unfortunately, the United States is a debtor nation and we must pick and choose our conflicts wisely or risk another 2008 financial crisis. We must not shy away from our responsibilities but we cannot police the entire world. We need a strategic reassessment of our priorities as well as those of the US Navy and Air Force. Listed below are a few priority issues that I would pursue in the US Congress: Iran Before I was discharged from the military I took a particular interest with policy issues dealing with Iran which, I basically stumbled upon. On a number of occasions I heard various rumors swirling around many circles debating Iranian appeasement in 2005 to 2006. Many excuses and historical reasons were given as to why Iran deserved nuclear capabilities but, none were rooted in the simple fact that Persia was currently run by madmen. We must do all we can to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide but more importantly to keep them out of the hands of known terrorist regimes and anti-Semites like Iran. The United States must not shy from her responsibilities worldwide. Regardless, of who caused the problem it is up to us now to solve it. I admit that I became a "peacenik" after my initial discharge truly believing that there was a time and place where drastic disengagements from the international scene would have worked but that time has forever gone. The nation faces new problems and needs strong leadership with true vision. Unfortunately, this is not 2008 and we now have an overly aggressive Russian nation led by an anti-Semitic KGB stooge, the Chinese openly sabotaging our economy and an Iran with nuclear capabilities threatening the Jewish people. The tiny nation of Israel is facing imminent destruction without immediate American intervention. Iran has a long history of supporting terrorism including, bombing our bases in Beirut in 1983 that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of our brave Marines, sailors and soldiers. In addition, a majority of the bombs that killed our servicemen and women during the Iraq War were all mostly traced to Iran resulting in thousands of more needless casualties. Nonetheless, President Obama decided to appease this terrorist regime and now President Trump refuses to do anything realistic to ensure that this psychotic regime does not acquire viable nuclear weapons. The clock is literally ticking. When elected, I will see to it that our Navy gets the funding it needs to strengthen its capabilities for a future JFK-style naval blockade against Iran. I have tried in vain over the years to get President Trump to enact such measures but I believe its not too late. Are we, as Americans, going to stand idly by once again ensuring the destruction of the Jewish people? Its known among many historians that we enabled Hitler before the Second World War by letting Henry Ford and GM arm the Third Reich to the teeth. Now we have armed the Iranians as well as given them pallets of cash to ensure their nuclear program's development. I do not want war. I am against needless wars and I am proud to be the only Federal candidate in the United States of America calling for an outright quarantine and naval blockade against Iran in order to stop a nuclear holocaust. It worked for President Kennedy to disarm Cuba and the Soviets... and it will work for our generation to ensure the peace as well as the survival of the Jewish people. Hong Kong & China If the communist Chinese choose to send in troops into Hong Kong that should be a clear red line to end Permanent Normal Trade Relations with this tyrant nation. If it were up to me I would park two carrier fleets off the coast of Hong Kong Island and tell the communists that any previous agreement with the UK or the UN is now null and void due, to their extradition bill. However, I am only running for US Congress for now. It is my firm belief that if we let Hong Kong fall, the world's freest economy, the rest of the Asian economic Tigers will go down with Hong Kong. Anyone who doubts the seriousness of Chinese aggression should research the islands that they literally built in the South China Sea. In a desperate bid to claim resources from The Philippines the Chinese are building a great wall of artificial islands across the boundaries of The Philippines our historic ally. Without American assistance, the tiny island nation of The Philippines is doomed to at the minimum become a vassal state of Red China. Are we to abandon the good people of The Philippines again the same way we did during the Second World War? Disengagement would be disastrous for the entire Pacific community including Australia and New Zealand. Israel The Progressive wing of the Democratic Party has lost sight of their true friends in the Middle East. People forget all too quickly that Israel is the only nation in the Middle East where anyone within the LGBTQ can live freely with Israel being a safe harbor to many Muslim refugees who are gay, lesbian or trans. They forget that its the only country in the region where women enjoy equal rights carrying on a proud legacy that goes back to Prime Minister Golda Meir. They also forget the history of the Jewish people and Iran's nuclear threats to utterly destroy them even if it means the destruction of Iran itself- a policy of suicide. Its unbelievable to think that the Party of Harry Truman might very well go down the road of betrayal. I, for one, am not going to tolerate this. The United States of America and Israel have an unshakable bond that goes far beyond economic or cultural ties but, we are bound by a spiritual kinship. Our great ally Israel is facing one of her most perilous times. Her technological advantages are quickly disappearing and with an Arab NATO on the horizon (which was Trump's great idea) coupled, with a nuclear Iran the situation militarily seems bleak. In reality, the US and particularly the Bush family have armed the Gulf Arabs to the teeth. In the future, Israel will not face inferior Warsaw Pact weaponry as before but, new American-made cutting edge equipment. I applaud Rep. Katie Hill for blocking further arms sales to the Arab Gulf nations but, further steps must be taken. The United States has a bad habit of derailing Israeli security. We need to work together with the Israelis as well as all of our Western allies to try to find a permanent path towards a de-nuclearized Iran as well as to welcome Iran and its people back into the international community.
Not One More Child, Not One More Soul Today, in America we live in a throw-away society based on greed, materialism and consumerism. If something is not convenient, we simply discard it or move on to something better. Unfortunately, this mindset has been ingrained in our nation's parents, justice system and hospital system. As a man of principle, I am running as a proud whole life candidate. I believe that the state has no business in guaranteeing the destruction of life whether those avenues be abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia or assisted suicide. In fact, the US government is required to ensure life, liberty and justice for all. We, as Americans, have lost sight of what truly use to motivate us as a great people and that is our families. How can we ever expect peace in this world or a better tomorrow when half of all young mothers destroy their own legacy through abortion? How can we expect to love our neighbors and sow seeds of forgiveness when the death penalty is the exact opposite of our traditional morals? And what sort of compassion can we expect from our doctors and nurses with assisted suicide and euthanasia within the very near future of being universally accepted?[22] |
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| —David Rudnick's 2020 campaign website[24] | ||
Christopher Smith
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ECONOMIC EQUALITY Growing income inequality might be the single biggest challenge facing our country. The promise of the American Dream is growing increasingly out of reach for the majority of Americans. Wages for the middle class have stagnated or gone down. Hard working families are falling behind and are often falling into poverty. Meanwhile, the top 1% of earners are now wealthier than at any point in history. Around the country, its increasingly harder to ignore the difference between the ‘haves' and the 'have nots,’ and it's my belief that it’s a major contributing factor to many of our country’s toughest problems. I believe that being a citizen of the wealthiest, most innovative, and most productive country in the history of the world should guarantee everyone a life free from poverty. No one in our country should go hungry. No one should have to live in their car, on the street, or on the edge. We deserve an economy that works for us all. All Americans deserve to flourish, regardless of the circumstances of their lives. I will work with any member of Congress that’s willing to help grow the economy and increase equal prosperity for hard working Americans that have been left behind in this new Gilded Age. Economic inequality is a result of the intersection of many public issues. The number one cause of bankruptcy is due to healthcare emergencies and new technological advances are automating away millions of jobs. If we truly want to solve income inequality, then our solutions must incorporate bold ideas that touch on every aspect of our lives and economy. We must support workers rights and strength our labor unions. Central to this plan is the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal will create upwards of 20 million jobs working with technologies of the future. It will generate economic growth while transitioning away from non-sustainable technologies. Policies I will fight for include:
IMMIGRATION REFORM I believe in an immigration system that keeps compassion for the human at it its center. This belief comes from a personal place. Very recently, in the fall of 2019, my stepmother was sworn in as a US citizen. She, like most immigrants, is a wonderful person that works hard and contributes a great deal to her community and our country. About 10 years ago I spent two weeks in El Paso and Juarez learning about the complex issue of immigration. Through my discussions with Border Patrol agents, local politicians, immigration attorneys, and nonprofit services I learned first hand that the people coming to this country are just like me and you. Migrants don’t choose to leave their homes and communities for no reason. They leave their lives behind because they are looking to provide a better life for their families or escape violence in the countries from which they come. They still believe that America is the place where one can come to have an opportunity, to stand on their feet, and to have the protection of functioning governmental institutions. Let there be no doubt that immigrants are rightful keepers of the American Dream. For too long now our President, and other people in leadership roles in our country, have vilified good people and implemented cruel policies to keep them away. To create a compassionate immigration system I would pursue legislation to:
PROTECTING OUR WATER SUPPLY As a result of the changing climate, droughts are now a constant presence in the American West. The depletion of our freshwater resources has severely impacted our farmers and agricultural sector. Many of our cities fight over the scarce water that remains available for use, and their residents are far ed with skyrocketing water bills. While addressing climate change is a fundamental part of solving this problem, there are ways to help ease the burden on our farmers and cities. In Congress I would propose:
RESTORING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ABROAD Under this current administration, our foreign policy and leadership is in shambles, and people around the world have stopped looking to the US for leadership on the challenges facing the international community. America is ceding this leadership role to our adversaries in China and Russia. Developing nations are increasingly looking to them for investment, aid, and protection. We are abdicating our leadership role and ceding it to authoritarian regimes around the world. As a member of Congress I would advocate for increasing our role in the world. I would pursue policies of engagement rather than avoidance. International affairs policies I would support include:
ANIMAL WELFARE Animal welfare is not often discussed in our political discourse, but it’s an issue I care deeply about. As a (non-annoying) vegan and dog dad, I believe we should extend compassion to all living beings, not just our fellow human beings. As a member of Congress, I would champion the welfare of animals. I would sponsor legislation that:
FAIR ELECTIONS As our partisan politics have become increasingly more divisive, we have seen the GOP co-opt our elections as a way to tilt the playing field to their advantage. We have seen a dramatic increase in voter suppression laws and tactics. We have seen state legislatures extensively gerrymander districts to favor one party over the other. This needs to change. In order to fix many of these issues we need to first fix our elections first. We need to limit corporate money in elections and pursue an amendment to effectively stop Citizens United. We also need to increase voter turnout, not try to make it harder for people to vote. While serving in Congress I would tirelessly pursue all of these policies and be a champion for more democratic elections. Specifically I would:
MEDICARE FOR ALL Everyone in our country deserves access to quality healthcare and preventative care. Millions of Americans are struggling to pay their rising insurance premiums, many others will slip into poverty because of an unplanned health emergency. While the quality of our healthcare remains high, access to that care is out of reach for many of our fellow Americans. In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we can do better, we must do better. Providing comprehensive coverage at low or no cost is a moral imperative for an advanced society. A few years ago, when I didn’t have health insurance, I started to have scary symptoms that could indicate a serious health condition. After many difficult years, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act and I was finally able to afford the care I needed. The illness turned out to be minor, but during that period I understood how vulnerable America’s millions of uninsured people are. I never want anyone to have to go through what I went through. And the most frustrating thing is that no one needs to. While growing up as the son of an Army officer, my family had access to excellent healthcare at no cost. The military has been providing our men and women in uniform universal healthcare coverage for decades. If we can find away to provide care for our service members, then we can find a way to provide it for our citizens. More specifically, I believe that the best way to fix our healthcare crisis is to gradually implement Medicare For All. Under a Medicare For All system, our net out-of-pocket expenses would go down and no one would have to go without quality healthcare again. As part of a comprehensive healthcare plan, we will need to implement prescription drug reform, address medical malpractice lawsuit abuse, and the unjustifiable profit margins of some medical device manufacturers and medical service providers. PROTECTING OUR PLANET & THE GREEN NEW DEAL Climate change is the looming crisis that haunts the future of our children but affects every person in the United States today. In Southern California we’re already feeling the devastating impact of our inaction on climate change. We have decades long droughts that harm our farmers and increase our water costs. Our fire season gets increasingly longer while the fires become more frequent and more severe. District 25 has seen several fires this year. Sea level rise has already begun to erode the beautiful California coastline, affecting personal property and our beaches. It’s no longer possible to kick the can down the road. Instead, it’s imperative to face climate change head-on, as soon as possible, with every resource at our disposal. Solutions will include reimagining our energy infrastructure and developing renewable technologies of tomorrow. But that won’t be enough. We will only have a true sustaining environment once we confront our society’s troubled relationship with the natural world. To this end I will support and pursue the following policies through legislation:
EQUALITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL
Everyone citizen enjoys the undeniable right to pursue a meaningful life - one free of judgement, obstacles, or lack of opportunity based solely on one's race, sex, gender, sexual identity, or ability status. After the optimism of electing our first black president, we seem to have slid backwards about 50 years. Racism, sexism, and all the other isms seem to have found safe harbor in our country again. We must all stand up and say “Enough!” As a member of Congress, I would be a tireless champion for the underrepresented, underprivileged, and those who are most vulnerable in our society. I support the Equal Rights Amendment and would back any legislation that furthers the cause of equality and justice. Specifically I would like to support or sponsor legislation that:
TECHNOLOGY AND SECURE ELECTIONS Our world is going through a period of rapid technological advancement the likes of which we have never seen before. This presents many complex challenges that take a great deal of technical knowledge in order to craft effective policies. With SOPA and PIPA, we have seen misguided attempts to change copyright laws in a way that would cripple the internet, and industries of the future. With the Trump Administration and the appointment of Ajit Pai, we have scene the giant telecoms weaken net neutrality laws and protections for the consumer. Our elections are currently being attacked from state and non state actors from around the world and the GOP in Congress have show no appetite to try to address this pressing issue that cuts to the heart of our democratic process. Compounding this problem further is that most members of congress are technologically illiterate. As a former software developer I am passionate about issues of technology, privacy, and network security. I would champion the following policies:
STRENGTHENING OUR INSTITUTIONS Under the Trump Administration, we have seen a deliberate and coordinated effort to undermine, dismantle, and tarnish the reputation our longstanding federal institutions. We have seen unqualified people appointed to head agencies that have been diametrically opposed to their mission for their entire career. We have seen the Justice Department be co-opted and used as a political shield and weapon against the Administration's perceived enemies. The State Department has been used as a tool to further the political interests of the President, and career public servants have been attacked, dismissed, and sidelined. As a member of Congress I will fight every day to restore these institutions and remind our fellow Americans of the great services they provide to us and our country. When an option, I would exert oversight on the executive branch and hold political appointees accountable for their actions. I would also seek legislation requiring one full year of civics education for students in public high schools. COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS My father grew up working on ranches out west and served for 20 year sin the US Army. He loves guns. He taught me how to shoot at a young age and he now keeps a blog about gun rights. My experience being raised by him has shown me that guns can be owned and operated responsibly and that in many cases they can be used as a legitimate tool. However, if common sense gun laws can save even a small percentage of lives, then we must implement them. I support:
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| —Christopher Smith's 2020 campaign website[25] | ||
Christy Smith
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Ending Corruption in Washington It's clear that big money is corrupting our political system. The voices of everyday Americans continue to be crowded out by special interests and corporate Super PACs, resulting in record low levels of trust in our government. The only way to fix it is to get dark, unaccountable money out of politics. Now more than ever, it’s critical that we hold Washington accountable and defend our democracy by fighting against the special interest money flooding into our nation’s capital. If we want a government that represents the will of the people and not special interests, we have to change the way we finance our campaigns. That’s why Christy supports ending the disastrous Citizens United decision, and refuses to accept a dime from Big Pharma, Big Oil, the Gun Lobby, Big Tobacco, any other federal corporate PAC money, or contributions from any federal lobbyist. She’s only going to be accountable to the thousands of people across the 25th District, not corporate special interests that have corrupted our politics and hurt our communities. Keeping Our Families and Communities Safe Our firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, as well as other emergency responders are heroes who not only work to keep us safe, but are also on the front lines of addressing America’s mental health crisis. As Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, and the mother of two daughters, Christy has risen above party politics to deliver for California's first responders. In Congress, she will work to invest more in public safety so we can continue to reduce emergency response times and improve neighborhood security. As the climate crisis worsens, our fire danger is greater than ever and we need to equip our professionals with the tools and resources needed to respond. Making Health Care More Affordable and Available Health care is a human right and while the Affordable Care Act was a tremendous step in that direction, Christy believes we need to do more to reduce costs, ensure that every American has access to affordable healthcare, and protect those with pre-existing conditions. That’s why she supports a public health insurance option for anyone who wants it. Additionally, Christy believes we need to have the same consumer protections in the healthcare system as we do in any consumer market, which includes transparency when it comes to the real cost of healthcare treatments. She will work to shed light on pricing that for too long has been negotiated in the dark. Christy also believes that Congress needs to do the work of controlling the skyrocketing cost of health care, including the rising costs of prescription drugs. It’s unacceptable that US taxpayers subsidize the research and development of lifesaving drugs, only to pay more for them than people who live in Europe, Japan, and Canada. She'll also fight to protect Medicaid and Medicare, women's reproductive health care rights, and funding for Planned Parenthood. Advocating for Women and Families When women thrive, our families thrive. That's why Christy has always been a tireless fighter for women and families – from our schools to our state capitol and, now, to Washington. Christy is ready to stand up for equal pay for equal work and for affordable childcare, so families have a fair shot at success. She will ensure that women receive the same access to affordable health care as men. And Christy will always fight to protect a woman's right to choose and funding for Planned Parenthood and other providers who ensure that women have affordable options for a full range of reproductive health care. Growing the Middle Class and Small Businesses We need to get serious about creating better-paying jobs right here in our community so more middle-class families can prosper and don’t need to spend hours away from their families to commute to downtown Los Angeles. Christy Smith has a plan to do it. She believes we must make smart investments in transportation infrastructure, education, scientific research, and renewable and clean energy industries to create sustainable jobs in our community that will also pay the mortgage. She also believes we should do more to help people start and grow small businesses right here at home and give people the career skills they need by making colleges and trade schools more affordable and accessible, all the while ensuring that workers have the right to organize and have a voice in the workplace through unions. Taking on Corporate Polluters and the Climate Crisis Here in the 25th District, we are all too familiar with the emerging threat of the climate crisis -- experiencing wildfires in nearly every part of the district, air and water pollution, drought, and more. For too long, federal agencies have fallen short in their stewardship, so we must fight to ensure accountability and reform. We have a lot of work to do to protect the air our children breathe and water they drink here at home, including shutting down the Aliso Canyon gas facility and ensuring aggressive oversight of our district’s two toxic waste clean-up sites, Santa Susana Field Laboratory and Whittaker Bermite, and three landfills, Sunshine Canyon, Chiquita Canyon, and Simi Valley. We must also invest in building a fully renewable and clean energy infrastructure using wind and solar to create good mortgage-paying jobs and combat the climate crisis so we can ensure our community is a place where families can live and thrive for generations to come, before it’s too late. Enacting Gun Safety Measures As a mother, Christy believes that every one of us has the right to live without the fear of gun violence and protect our families. That’s why she will work to promote public safety in neighborhoods across the 25th District and America by stemming the tide of gun violence and fighting for comprehensive and mandatory universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, “red flag” laws that allow families to ask courts to take guns away from domestic abusers and others who are a danger to themselves and others. Protecting Our Veterans and Seniors Christy will fight tirelessly to protect America’s veterans and seniors from exploitation and abuse in Washington. As Congresswoman, Christy will ensure that her office is assisting veterans and seniors with federal agencies through competent constituent services and outreach. She will defend Social Security and Medicare from extremist attacks and work to fix the VA to ensure that our veterans get the benefits and care that they earned. Building Housing that's Affordable for Families All across the country, but particularly in California, the cost of living is skyrocketing, pushing working class families out of their homes and communities and displacing small businesses. We need to tackle this crisis head-on by investing in more affordable housing and developing a comprehensive national strategy to combat homelessness, including increased funding for shelters, health care and mental health services. Ensuring Human Rights for All In Congress, Christy will fight for equality in every aspect of our society, including equal pay for equal work, protections for women in the workplace and against domestic violence, civil rights protections for LGBTQ people, as well as ensuring non-discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation. Common Sense Immigration Reform Our immigration system is dangerously broken and desperately needs reforms that work for all of us. We need to take steps to increase border security to protect against criminal activity and also create a path to citizenship for law-abiding residents who live here and contribute here. America’s strength is our diversity. In Congress, Christy will be dedicated to defending immigrant communities, including DREAMers and refugees from abuse and protect their basic human rights. Separating children from their families and putting them in cages is outrageous and un-American. Christy believes that immigration is fundamentally a humanitarian issue and should be handled with compassion delivered through a much more robust system. We need more judges on the border to process cases in a more fair and rapid manner.[22] |
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| —Christy Smith's 2020 campaign website[26] | ||
Cenk Uygur
| “ |
Corruption in Politics Corruption in politics is the root of all of our issues; it’s why we don’t have universal healthcare, affordable housing, or living wages. Ending corruption in politics is my top priority. In order to end it, we must keep pointing out that privately financed elections lead to politicians working for private interests. That applies to the entire Republican Party, but also, unfortunately, a huge chunk of the Democratic Party. The entire country knows about the corruption in both parties and it is the leading reason why most Americans can’t stand politicians. I’m going to be one of the first representatives to actually represent you and show you how we can end the corruption together! It’s the corruption in politics that has led to lower wages for everyone in the country and CA-25. Over the last 40 years American productivity has been sky high but wages have flatlined. The wealthy redistributed $12 TRILLION to themselves that was made from the hard work of the average American worker. It’s the Great American Robbery. And it was the corrupt politicians who helped the wealthy donor class rob you. I’m not going to cater to corporate power; I’m going to fight it on your behalf. When we take on corruption in politics, we can finally increase wages, guarantee healthcare for our families, address homelessness, and put out the fire of climate change. Big companies have plenty of people to represent them, people in government are supposed to represent you. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do - fight for and represent you! Higher Wages The one thing that everyone can agree on, regardless of political party, is that wages are too low. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, is blocking a bill that would increase the minimum wage - and corporate Democrats are letting him get away with it. There should be a press conference every day about how McConnell is taking money out of your pocket and giving it to his wealthy corporate donors. If corporate Democrats don’t want to fight for you, then they should step out of the way and let us do it. In CA-25, if we push for solar and wind energy jobs we can not only create higher paying jobs but we can also begin to alleviate the enormous traffic on Route 14. We also need a four-year college and VA Hospital in the Antelope Valley. Lobbyists fight to keep your wages low so that the corporations they represent make bigger profits. I will fight for higher wages for you! Healthcare I’m the only major candidate in this race who is in favor of Medicare for All. Every single person is covered under Medicare for All - it is the only way to guarantee universal healthcare! When career politicians say they support a public option, that means they want to maintain our current system of co-pays, deductibles, and premiums. Under a public option, costs of healthcare will still rise and families who can’t afford insurance will still be bankrupted. Imagine a country where no one dies because they don’t have insurance or goes bankrupt when they run into a serious medical problem. That’s what every developed country in the world has - except us. And on average they pay half of what we do! The question isn’t how we’re going to pay for Medicare for All. The question is how can we afford to keep paying for our current, broken system! Don’t let anyone - Republican or Democrat - deceive you about Medicare for All. You wouldn’t need private insurance anymore because you would have better insurance! Even it’s critics agree Medicare for All is “the Cadillac plan” and has “awesome” coverage. It expands the coverage you have now and gives you the choice to go to any doctor, hospital, or provider! The only reason other politicians oppose it is because they get campaign contributions from private insurance companies to keep the old, expensive, ineffective system we have now. Simply put, Medicare for All will save lives, and while others are taking orders from their donors, I will always fight for you. Housing You know how you address homelessness? You build homes. We know this works because Utah actually tried it and decreased homelessness by 91%! They built government-subsidized housing so that everyone could have safety and shelter - and it worked. We can do the same, but we must make sure your money doesn’t get diverted to real estate interest who donated to local politicians. There is a common misconception that those experiencing homelessness don't want shelter. That is not remotely true, especially in LA. In LA county, 42% of the homeless have mental health or addiction issues (and the great majority of them also want shelter). But a whopping 58% just can't afford housing. We're all getting priced out of housing in LA. Over the last twenty years, rent has gone up by 32% in Los Angeles but wages have gone down by 3%! Yet my Democratic opponent voted against rent caps and other affordable housing measures. Additionally, the Republican Mayor of Lancaster has been vicious to the homeless. He supports legislation that makes it illegal to give food to the homeless. He would have arrested Jesus if he lived in Lancaster. He also told Lancaster residents to carry firearms to potentially use against the homeless. I’m pretty sure Jesus said to help those in need, not to shoot them. The good news is that we have passed several ballot measures in Los Angeles to help the homeless and to build more homes. The problem is that almost all of our politicians take money from real estate and construction interests and so our hard earned money - which is supposed to help the needy - gets diverted into projects that enrich political donors. We must fight for and demand affordable housing in LA. We can achieve this if we have accountability in our government. Immigration Dreamers are kids who came to America when they were young, graduated high school or signed up for our Armed Forces, started families here and had fulfilling careers. They are the best of us, not the worst of us. I’m disgusted by how Republicans demagogue against them. I will do everything in my power to make sure that those in office who support Donald Trump calling Latino immigrants “criminals and rapists” are never elected again. It’s time to get up and fight back. Republicans are literally coming after our families, separating children from their parents, and caging human beings at the border. It’s not going to happen – not on my watch. Immigrants built this country - if you attack them, you attack all of us. I’m an immigrant. You know why we came to this country? Because we love it! For us, citizenship is not an accident of birth, it is a choice. We chose to believe in the American Dream and American ideals. While this country has obviously not always been perfect, it has delivered on that promise for my family. And I want to make sure others have the same opportunity that I did. Unfortunately, Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and some parts of the media spread hateful lies about immigrants. Immigrants actually commit crime at half the rate of natural born citizens, so areas with more immigrants are safer! That’s a fact. Undocumented immigrants also pay more in taxes than they take out in services. They are a net positive for the economy and the government budget! We must provide a pathway to citizenship for those that are laboring in jobs that are hard to fill and for those that live in fear of family separation and deportation. We must get on a path to rational immigration reform that protects American workers, undocumented immigrants, our economy, and our ideals! Environmental Justice and Climate Change The planet and our district are on fire.. Meanwhile, politicians twiddle their thumbs while we burn, calling for more panels to discuss climate change and for more think tanks to propose solutions. We already know how dangerous climate change is and we know what the solutions are; we must take action right now. Oil companies make profits by extracting natural resources, but we are expected to pay the costs of their reckless actions. A primary cause of climate change is the continued production of oil and gas, but when Simi Valley is on fire we have to pay for it! That’s outrageous. Do you get any part of ExxonMobil’s profits? No, neither did I. But when your house burns down, they are nowhere to be found. They privatize the gains and socialize the losses. 16 out of the last 17 years have been the hottest on record and if we don’t act soon, we can’t reverse it. I’m not going to let our district burn so corporations can profit. A Green New Deal will create millions of new high-paying jobs! It will rebuild the energy infrastructure of this country in the same way that Dwight Eisenhower built highways and bridges across the country. Likewise, this will greatly stimulate the economy and begin to save the planet in the process. We must also address other massive environmental issues in the district. Boeing must clean up the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, which it has promised to do for over a dozen years and has never done because our politicians don’t hold them accountable Steve Knight took $20,000 from Boeing when he represented the district - and did nothing to help. The disaster at Aliso Canyon was the biggest gas leak in American history. Again, Steve Knight stood up for his donors - the parent company, Sempra, has given him $16,000 - rather than fight for his voters. It’s our job to represent our voters, not the lobbyists! Criminal Justice Reform Millions of our fellow Americans have been wrongly imprisoned by an unjust criminal justice system. The War on Drugs has been a disaster that has systematically targeted people of color. Marijuana must be legalized across the country immediately. We must stop putting people in prison for having the equivalent of a beer. So many of our fellow Americans have had to suffer this arbitrary injustice. People of color are even more likely to be punished for marijuana use, adding another layer of injustice to this nightmare. We must decriminalize drug possession and use our resources to provide free substance use treatment and mental healthcare, rather than locking people away for years in prison. We must also end cash bail because it criminalizes poverty. It is unconscionable that some people spend months or years stuck in jail--not because they pose a threat to the public, but because they cannot pay to get out. We must also end all private prisons. If you give someone a profit motive to imprison our fellow Americans, they will imprison as many of us as possible. The death penalty is unacceptable. We have now freed dozens of people who were wrongly placed on death row and were later exonerated. We were going to kill all of those innocent people. How can anyone still think that’s a good idea? We must also end solitary confinement, improve prison conditions, and provide meaningful opportunities for release.Treating prisoners with cruelty has no point other than to inflict suffering. How we treat prisoners doesn’t just say something about them, it also says something about us. Policing Policy Police shootings must be investigated by federal prosecutors, not local prosecutors who have to work with the same police departments everyday and might be affected by their previous relationships with them. The job of law enforcement is to serve and protect everyone in the community, not just the powerful. We also have to improve police training so that they use lethal force only as an option of last resort, not if they feel any sense of personal danger. We give police guns and badges - and that comes with a heavy responsibility. It's a risky and deeply courageous job if you do it right. If you shoot at the slightest threat, then it is not at all risky and winds up killing far too many civilians, especially people of color. In a lot of cases, we should shift first responder responsibilities from law enforcement to health care professionals and social workers. When someone is having a mental health crisis or needs help, we should be able to call those who are best-equipped to handle this situation in a professional and humane way. Gun Control 97% of Americans want federal background checks. Yet we don't have them! Why? If we had a functioning democracy, this would pass immediately. The NRA has bought off Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Steve Knight and the entirety of the Republican Party. Our kids get shot because of these corrupt politicians! We need to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and close the gun show loophole. We must also fund research on gun violence prevention-- something that Trump and Republicans refuse to do! The only people who are against research and facts are people who are afraid of what we will find out. We must also end the NRA's insane insistence on selling cop-killer bullets. Armor piercing bullets have only one function - to murder police officers. As long as the NRA continues its position of protecting the profits of gun manufacturers instead of protecting our officers, anyone who takes political contributions from them is taking blood money. End the corruption and you'll end the shootings. Women's Rights 70% of the country is pro-choice but not enough people vote based on this issue. That's wrong. Vote like your bodies, freedom and lives depend on it - because they do! Republican legislators want to take a woman’s right to choose away. They want to have big government bureaucrats tell women what to do with their bodies and control their most personal, private decisions. Not on our watch! We must pass Medicare for All, which expands abortion access to all women and allows women to make choices based on what they want, not what they can afford. We're going to fight Republicans, defeat them, and protect women's freedoms! Women being paid less than men for the same job is completely unacceptable. A legacy of discrimination still haunts us and continues to target women to this day, especially women of color. We must affirmatively fight to make sure that all women have pay parity. Universal healthcare is a women's issue. Not only should we make sure that every person in America has healthcare but we should also acknowledge that women have historically suffered more discrimination in this current system. Private insurance has even charged more to women because of childbirth. That's outrageous. We cannot leave women to the mercy of private insurance companies trying to maximize profit at their expense. Supporting Small Businesses I started a media company from my living room. We started with absolutely nothing and built ourselves up from the ground. Now, it is the largest online news network in the country. I know how to run a real business and I’ve hired hundreds of people. My proudest moments are when I can give my employees a raise. A real business is supposed to provide value for the community and take care of its employees. Big business interests will say I oppose the business community but in reality I oppose corporations buying politicians. If you’re a small business owner, I’m not going to let big business run you over anymore. When Walmart opened up a mega store in Lancaster, they drove all of the nearby local shops out of business. Their workers often have to get government subsidies because of how low their wages are. That’s unfair competition. If we fight crony capitalism, we can empower our local business leaders to create more jobs here and grow our economy. Trump Trump is a policy issue. The policy is democracy, and he doesn't believe in it. He has said many times that he would like to lock up his political opponents. He has said that perhaps working with law enforcement should be made illegal (every mobster in the country agrees). He has even said we don't need judges. He has often complimented brutal dictators and commented that he admires how they can get their people to obey unquestioningly. If you believe in and cherish our form of government, then we must defeat Donald Trump. We cannot pass any of these other laws if we don't have a functioning government anymore. No one will fight Trump harder than me. Not only do I talk about what a monster he is but I also point out how ineffective, incompetent, and buffoonish he is. If people understand that he has had six bankruptcies and hides his college grades, that will undermine his one perceived strength - that he is a smart, competent businessman that knows how to get things done. The reality is the opposite. He is the least intelligent, least competent person we have ever had in office. Fighting for Change How is this a policy? It isn't but it affects our ability to pass the legislation that people need. The point of being aggressive in politics is not to vent and feel good, it is to be more pragmatic about how you get change. If entrenched political interests do not want to pass these laws - and they clearly don't, since none of these laws have passed - then you must move them politically. Asking nicely has not worked and is not a practical theory of change. The correct method is to create public pressure. Lyndon Johnson would have never passed The Civil Rights Act or The Voting Rights Act if it wasn't for the enormous public pressure created by Martin Luther King and the entire civil rights movement. If MLK had asked politely, we would have never gotten change. Instead he called for civil disobedience! The suffragette movement would have never gotten women the right to vote if they had asked politely. They were much smarter than that; they created unstoppable momentum through public pressure. This is our government - we must act like it! Politicians don't own this government, nor do the donors. It is ours. We are perfectly within our rights to demand change, to demand laws that benefit us and not the powerful. This is what democracy looks like![22] |
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| —Cenk Uygur's 2020 campaign website[7] | ||
Anibal Valdez-Ortega
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Health Care Reform Medical care is a human right. Families should not fear going into bankruptcy to cover medical costs for their children. Universal health care will ensure that people receive treatment crucial to identifying preventable illnesses, and will deliver the fundamental care that people need. Climate Reform Global warming is an existential threat that requires a focused, multi-prong approach. The Paris Accord must be extended despite the current administrations’s climate-change denials. As part of that approach, the government must turns its attention toward raising emissions standards for gas-powered vehicles and provide higher tax credits for electric-car manufacturers to increase production domestically. Education Education is essential to our children beginning their adult life. As young adults they will be able to seek their educational goals without fear of going into a six-figure debt that would prevent them from one day owning a home. The implementation of a minimum corporate tax will fund higher education for those who want to learn a trade or earn a four-year degree. Access to higher education will also create a stronger job pool, giving employers better-educated and more advanced employees. 14-Freeway Overhaul Many of the residents of California’s 25th District commute to work and spend hours on the 14-Freeway. The traffic and congestion contributes to wasted hours that could be used more productively. I propose working with both state and federal appropriations committees to fund a widening of the 14-Freeway, decreasing traffic time and increasing accessibility for the 25th District community to the rest of Los Angeles County. Corporate Taxation Corporations reap unfair amounts of profit every year due to tax loopholes that average Americans do not qualify for. They should pay their fair share of taxes. I will work to ensure that a 10% minimum tax is imposed on a corporation’s income to hold them accountable and minimize any purported impact on job creation. Immigration Reform Our Congress requires experienced community organizers and attorneys to fix the broken immigration system in our country. Extending DACA and providing a pathway to citizenship for families and children is the biggest first step necessary to allow members of our society to contribute not only to their own success, but to the success of this country.[22] |
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| —Anibal Valdez-Ortega's 2020 campaign website[27] | ||
Mike Garcia
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National Security Garcia knows firsthand the important role that the United States plays around the world as a force for good, but that the first priority must always be national security and protecting the homeland, to include securing and better surveillance of our borders. Mike Garcia will make it a priority to ensure our men and women in uniform have the funding and tools necessary to keep America safe, and only send them into battle when it is absolutely necessary Term Limits Garcia supports term limits because it’s time to get rid of the career politicians in both parties. Washington, DC truly is a swamp, filled with career politicians who are more concerned with their next election than making tough decisions. The Founding Fathers wanted citizens to step up and serve their community in office for a brief period and then make way for new representation before they lost touch with their constituency. National Debt The $22 trillion in debt is unsustainable and will be back breaking in the long run. Unless we do something about it, the interest payments on our debt will soon exceed the military budget and Medicaid. That poses problems for readiness and national security. Navy Admiral and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen has said that “the single, biggest threat to our national security is debt.” Socialism Mike Garcia is a first-generation American citizen whose family came to the United States legally for more opportunity and for a shot at the American Dream. Garcia knows what’s at stake, and he’ll fight against Democrats’ dangerous socialist agenda and restore our country’s guiding principles, most importantly freedom, that he helped protect in his 20 years as a Naval Officer. Economy and Jobs With a proven track record as a leader of job creation and winning new business, while also advocating for and promoting minorities and women, Mike Garcia knows what it takes to be successful and contribute to the economy. Garcia knows that our economy is strong in spite of government, not because of it. Mike Garcia will go to Congress and go to bat for our community to create a climate that brings good paying jobs and economic activity. Taxes Tax and spend, big government, and bloated bureaucracy – that’s the big three in Washington and Sacramento. Tax cuts are working for the country, but California taxpayers are being unfairly punished for their zip code. Californians are getting squeezed by higher property and gas taxes. California and the federal government have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Smaller government and lower taxes are the keys to strong economic growth.[22] |
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| —Mike Garcia's 2020 campaign website[8] | ||
Kenneth Jenks
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California Corporate and Small Business Challanges Drawing from 35 years experience and extensive post graduate studies in finance and economics (MS MBA), Mr. Jenks will straight talk why California's liberal policies and socialist democratic government overreach are unfriendly to business. Calfifornia Taxation by Liberal Policy California's taxation without representation. Taxation disguised as legislation. Conservatism gets buried by liberal socialist political agenda's in CA. California is not a sanctuary for legal, law abiding, tax paying residents! SB-104 a Sanctuary Healthcare Magnet June 10, 2019 Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed SB-104, which extends health care benefits to individuals 19 to 25 years of age, regardless of their immigration status. Education Energy Homeland Security Immigration Santa Clarita Water SCV Water’s November 2019 quarterly well sampling of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) found one well in excess of the state’s nonregulatory notification levels for PFAS chemicals, the agency reported Wednesday. This well is in addition to 28 wells identified during the previous rounds of sampling in May and August 2019. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade chemicals that are prevalent in the environment and were commonly used in industrial and consumer products to repel grease, moisture, oil, water and stains. These chemicals enter the environment through treated wastewater discharge, landfills and areas where the substances were used outdoors. Exposure to these chemicals may cause adverse health effects. “Like many communities across the nation, small amounts of PFAS have shown up in some of our water supply. We have a treatment facility that will be online by summer, and we will continue to seek the best strategies to attack this issue,” said SCV Water General Manager Matt Stone. “Our customers are our top priority, and we are committed to rigorously testing our water thousands of times per year to ensure it meets or surpasses all water-quality standards and is safe to drink for our customers,” Stone said. In August 2019, the State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water (DDW) updated state guidelines and lowered the notification levels by more than half, to 6.5 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOS and 5.1 ppt for PFOA, making them some of the most stringent guidelines in the nation. Economy[22] |
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| —Kenneth Jenks' 2020 campaign website[28] | ||
Stephen Knight
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CONSTITUENT SERVICES
ADVOCACY FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES
Note: Signed into Law!
Note: Passed the House Unanimoulsy
Note - Passed the House
ADVOCACY FOR OUR VETERANS
Signed Into Law by President Trump!
ADVOCACY FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY
ADVOCACY FOR MILITARY READINESS/NATIONAL SECURITY
Signed Into Law by President Trump!
ADVOCACY FOR OUR DISTRICT’S PRIORITIES
Note: Signed into Law!
Signed Into Law by President Trump! ADVOCACY FOR SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
Signed Into Law by President Trump!
Signed Into Law by President Trump!
Signed Into Law by President Trump!
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| —Stephen Knight's 2020 campaign website[9] | ||
Courtney Lackey
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| —Courtney Lackey's 2020 campaign website[29] | ||
David Lozano
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By voting for David Lozano as your next Congressman, he will take action to see that the following matters will be brought immediately to Washington. He will aggressively and tirelessly fight for all of the following issues, and as a result, the 25th Congressional District will become not only one of the most leading districts to do business and be employed in but one of the country’s most secure, safest and proudest districts to reside and raise a family in. As Congressman, David Lozano will . . . Fight to ensure that your home, neighborhood, schools and community will always remain safe and secure by acquiring the Federal funds necessary to strengthen our law enforcement personnel by providing them with the top and most current equipment and education necessary to combat crime, and to instruct them on the most current psychological ways to approach and subdue suspects without harming them while building trust and support in the community. Provide real solutions to eliminate homelessness of those that currently reside in our surrounding communities, in our State, and in our Country by gently and compassionately providing them a home, food, clothing, and job – so they can once again go back and re-enter society with honor and dignity. Along with that, by also providing for the mentally ill and those that are drug dependant on the medical and psychological care they so desperately need. To enhance, promote, protect and expand Palmdale’s Aerospace Engineering Industry, Edwards Airforce Base and Plant 42 programs which continue to be a huge, integral part of the local economy by bringing over 400 new and future “technological” aerospace projects to the area. Lozano will fight to acquire the funds and the contracts necessary to bring to the Antelope Valley. By introducing an entirely new and innovative Federal Program to not only aid and assist the mentally ill in our surrounding neighborhoods, but to provide them the appropriate care and treatment necessary to address, manage, self-manage and re-acclimate these individuals so they can return to their families, become and remain employed and contribute back to their communities. Along with this, to build the appropriate medical facilities that can provide not only both long term care and out-patient treatment but to build facilities specifically designed to treat that particular mental illness. To fight to ensure that no one in the 25th Congressional District is without a job! No unemployment! Lozano is not going to rest until everyone in the District has a full-time, full paying job with benefits that are paid out at the hourly rate fitted to that individual’s skill level, education level and years of experience level that that person is deserving of. The addressing, resolution and permanent elimination of illegal immigration. Lozano is in full support of legal immigration – and Lozano will bring solutions to address this issue. But at the heart of this matter is that we as Americans must always maintain an impenetrable and unyielding border to protect our country and all our citizens from the possibility of intruders, terrorists and those that would bring harm and disruption to our society. The full and complete backing of all our military branches and the continuous support of maintaining their complete military strength.[22] |
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| —David Lozano's 2020 campaign website[30] | ||
Daniel Mercuri
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TAXES / NATIONAL DEBT Taxes and the national debt are synonymous. Our national debt stands at a disastrous 23 trillion dollar crisis. It would take close to $70,000 per every man, woman, and child in the United States which is roughly 330 to 375 million Americans to payout and zero our ridiculous and unsustainable debt. So lets be honest, this monstrosity is looming over every American who is overworked, underpaid, and a slave to the all mighty Income Tax Act, Federal Reserve Act of 1913, and the controversial 16th Amendment. When we talk about ‘INCOME INEQUALITY,’ and argue about the 10% richest families retaining over 70% of our countries wealth, we act as though this is a separate issue. It’s not! The rich already pay 50% of their earnings, which is way more than the average and low income earners at 13%. So robbing Peter to pay Paul is not how to rebuild the middle class and incentivize communities to get ahead if they know they too will have half their earnings stolen as their income increases. This is an extreme tyrannical approach to solving this problem. Our income inequality is also at the mercy and manipulative hands of the Federal Reserve, private bankers, where there is no oversight and who are at the helm of our national debt. Sadly, we have a Congress that lacks the spine to take on these private bankers and eliminate their control over our people. The American people paid off their national debt, at one time in 1834, and taxes only revolved around tariffs and excise tax apportioned to the states population. When the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 came into play, it infringed on our sovereignty and our freedoms ultimately leading us into our national debt. On another front, the argument regarding which U.S. President increased the national debt after their term of office, is something we all fail to realize isn’t where the fault rests, but upon the 116th Congress which is the oldest in history. Many representatives have been sitting in office for over 30 to 40 years. These current elected officials have served through 3 to 5 Presidents. So now ask yourself, who really are the culprits behind the screw up of our economy? The Legislative branch is the strongest branch holding the most power among the three branches of government. You may still argue that the fault rests upon the President, so let’s look at some of our past U.S. Presidents and the debt they left in their wake. Franklin D. Roosevelt: He increased the national debt by 236 billion dollars. This was an increase of over 1000% from the previous President, President Hoover. Woodrow Wilson: He increased the national debt by 21 billion dollars, increasing it by over 700% from the previous President, President Taft. Ronald Reagan: He increased the national debt by 1.86 trillion dollars. This was an increase of over 150% from the previous President, President Carter. George W. Bush: He increased the national debt by 5.7 trillion dollars. This was an increase of over 100% from the previous President, President Clinton. Barrak Obama: He increased the national debt by 9 trillion dollars. This was an increase of over 74% from the previous President, President Bush. Yet behind all of these Presidents, the Congress we have today are the real reasons why we have an unbalanced budget that the next 5 generations have to somehow pay off, default on the debt, go into hyper- inflation, or be slaves to. This has gotten out of hand. While our current officials point the finger at each other, continuously raising the debt ceiling to no end, and distract us with a blundering impeachment trial, the people are asking, ‘how are we going to safe-guard ourselves against the pink debt elephant in the room?’ I Move To Propose Bills That Will Affect The National Debt 1. Hedge our economy by reinstating the gold standard backing our currency using not only with gold, but other precious metals such as silver and palladium along with new commodities such as crypto-currencies, like Bitcoin, Etherium and Monero. Like gold, Bitcoin is not only scarce in digital nature, but it also has intrinsic cyber value and can be used as a currency in the buying and selling of goods and services that eliminates the need for a central bank and puts banking back into the people’s hands. 2. Abolish the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Central Banks have been at the epicenter of our economic manipulation and they need to be removed and allow the free market to take over. 3. Expedite the bill H.R. 25 which abolishes the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and repeals the Income Tax Act while allowing for a national sales tax to be administered by the states. 4. Implement a cap on government spending that would only allow the incurring of a debt that could be paid off in one generation. If the next generation has to pay for it, then you don’t have the money to spend it. I Move To Propose A Bill That Will Affect Taxes 1. Repeal the 16th Amendment, which is also in contradiction to the 4th Amendment and should have never been allowed in the first place. EDUCATION Federal government has the responsibility to ensure the right to a free and high quality education for all K- 12 students by protecting their civil rights and providing resources for those in the greatest need. California’s Department of Education found that districts with the highest percentage of low-income students had roughly 20-30 percent more inexperienced and under qualified teachers and teachers with a temporary intern credential than districts with fewer low-income children. The federalizing of our educational infrastructure and increasing the power of the Department of Education at the Cabinet level is argued to undermine the 10th Amendment. Furthermore, the Department of Education (DOE) has debatably caused more confusion within each state for its lack of clarity and best practices when it comes to ESEA / NCLB / ESSAct(s), which the ESSA has not resulted in any significant impact since it was updated in 2015. Better funding is also at the helm of concern when it comes to improving our schools. However is it the funding of our education or the quality of our education that is in despair? Many teachers say the two are not one and the same. Therefore, what role should the Federal Government adhere to when it comes to improving our educational infrastructure? I Move To Propose An Act That Will Affect Our District’s Educational System 1. Allow the 10th Amendment to work the way it was intended to, granting and leaving each state to handle their own educational standards at the local level. 2. Increase federal funding to each state for education. 3. Reduce the role of the DOE (Department of Education). The DOE’s authority should only pertain to federal funding oversight and assisting the state’s efforts towards classroom downsizing. 4. Guarantee that each state is granted enough federal funding to provide competitive middle-class wages for teachers in low-income, disabled, and high need student districts. 5. Fund and support state and local research and development towards best instructional practices to assist in enhancing teacher effectiveness. HEALTHCARE Healthcare is one of the most sensitive and emotional topics every state struggles with. Improve the quality, treatment, and accessibility of the medical community while lowering the costs and increasing insurance competition are just a few primary topics plaguing the healthcare outcry. Healthcare insurance is overtly complex, wildly expensive, filled with bureaucracy and an industry where medical professionals are burning out. To make matters worse, a ‘Medicare-for-all’ would quite possibly destroy our current medical infrastructure by adding more weight to our already overburdened medical communities. This act would remove insurance companies altogether that would also wipe out thousands of jobs, raise taxes to hyperinflation on everyone, and pigeon hole the medical profession in a box. I’m also fortunate to have a wife who works in the medical profession. I am surrounded with the thoughts and frustrations from doctors and nurses who are unable to truly perform their duties because of the stringent policy making by big pharmaceutical companies and private financial donors that know nothing about the medical community’s needs from the “boots” on the ground. Socialistic healthcare is not the answer. And to be honest, there is no easy, one size fits all answer. However, I do believe that everyone has a right to available, affordable, and quality healthcare, whether they can pay for it or not. This raises the question regarding what is our best solution. My Proposed Healthcare Plan Would Be To 1. Create a national ‘option’ healthcare plan and maybe call it ‘Ameri-care’ that would compete aggressively with private insurances. Allow ‘Ameri-care’ to be 40 or 50 percent lower then an employer based-insurance plan and provide lower cost package plans for the verifiable temporarily unemployed and low-income households. 2. Control prescription drug costs by capping the pharmaceutical companies on how much they can charge and release their drug patents in a more reasonable amount time to the public. 3. Hold hospitals accountable with an oversight committee to prevent price gauging for the drugs and supplies they administer. 4. Provide yearly data on unnecessary medical waste to Accountable Care Organization (ACO) so medical communities can make quick and decisive quality improvements on delivery of medical care. 5. Provide greater federal incentives for the expansion of private practitioners that allow 20 percent of their low income or physically unable clients to pay zero fees. 6. Eliminate the additional costs that an insurance company can place on the client for their preventative healthcare pursuits. VETERANS There are three major issues with the Veterans Affairs that have yet to truly be resolved: Healthcare, Education, and Housing. The handling of our country’s veterans is something I take very personally. While attending college, I worked for the VA during my work-study program administratively through the handling of educational benefits. I was also a veteran who used his VA medical benefits and I can tell you first hand, it lacks the need for accessible facilities, proper administrative staff, and not enough medical professionals to service the needs of the veterans. Day in and day out I also see too many homeless living on the street or standing on the corner panhandling. Roughly 12 percent of the homeless population comprises of veterans. This is unacceptable. Right now military veterans make up roughly 7 percent of the American population. The VA Mission Act, though a better step in the right direction, requires more improvement. The VA Mission Act simply justified an increase in federal spending. Money is not the issue when it comes to funding healthcare, education, or housing for our veterans. It is the failure to properly place and maximize where the funding should be dispersed and the lack of accountability and oversight of that spending. However, veterans are still dying while on a waiting list to have their health care needs met. Systematic appropriations towards convenient locations and timely access to licensed mental health care providers is sorely lacking from the VA Mission Act. It does not answer to the various types of mental health services needed nor does it provide the services to prevent veteran suicides when an estimate of 6 out of 10 veterans will take their own lives. It opens the doors to non-VA medical centers to provide veterans emergency room care, provided they meet the criteria, but the waiting time for chronic conditions or non-emergent healthcare needs can still exceed 20 to 30 days if the veteran is not within an accessible range to a VA medical facility. Timely and effective care is the aim of the VA Mission Act, but it is still bending to the whim of satisfying legislative compromises. VA educational benefits used to be restricted to a time limit for how long a veteran could access those funds. While the military does provide Transitional Assistance Programs (TAP) for those who are transitioning from the military life back into civilian life, it still takes years for many service members to acclimate to being a civilian. The ‘Forever GI Bill’ was another step in the right direction to address the educational benefits for our service members; however, it insultingly separates active military service members over others who are not Purple Heart recipients in regards to how much funding they can receive. It also separates service members who served during certain years of active duty from other times of service. This is utter nonsense, so many veterans who served between 1993 and say 1998 that did not access their GI Bill within 10 or 15 years, lost their ability to use their educational benefits because they were on time constraints. New services members are granted the ‘Forever GI Bill,’ but not veterans, retired service members, or members of the reserve. I call that discrimination. The ‘Forever GI Bill’ needs to be adapted to benefit and meet the needs of all veterans. The sad thing is that most of these decisions are also being made by individuals who are sitting on the VA House Committee that have never served in the military. I Propose An Act That Will Positively Affect All Veterans 1. Make the ‘Forever GI Bill’ retroactive for ALL honorably discharged service members who are retired, separated, or served in the reserve irrelevant of when they performed their duties. 2. Only Representatives who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces can hold a chair or be the Chairman on the VA House Committee. 3. Establish a waiting period of no more then five days for non emergent health care needs for veterans and no waiting period for veterans needing mental health services. 4. Expand Veteran Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem for a greater reach for the smaller communities and rural areas. IMMIGRATION Policy on Immigration and Boarder Security is one of the most vexed topics in our country and within our state of California. The Legislative branch, and many who are still in office are the perpetuation of this problem. It has been politicized for those who are unwilling to lose their power. In-turn, this has done nothing but cause toxic discussions that would otherwise seem mute among the American people. When it comes to a representative’s role, he or she swears an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution FIRST. This is a set of ideals designed to protect the American citizen’s inalienable rights and American sovereignty, not illegal aliens. This is not debatable. President Ronald Regan tried to compromise on the issue with the ‘Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986,’ which gave amnesty to those already here, but that failed. All that did was incentivize more illegal migration because foreigners knew that they would get amnesty. Unfortunately, this also undermined boarder strengthening. This process was repeated by the Bush and Obama Administrations and the results were the same. This is the definition of insanity and a new compromise will not work. When we talk about immigration reform, we tend to blend boarder security, immigration court, and alien enforcement agencies all into one. These are three separate issues and should be treated as such. Immigration courts and personnel need to get a handle on their overburdening positions. Boarder security needs time to better develop protocols in areas of extreme concern of illegal crossing. Our immigration enforcers, such as I.C.E. are struggling to communicate with state and local enforcement agencies that are in sanctuary cities and states. They are in a losing battle and need better resources to be able to perform their duties. However, if the floodgates are still open, then finding a solution to proper immigration reform is never going to happen. I Move To Reaffirm, Better Define And Strengthen Policy Against Illegal Aliens 1. Place a moratorium on immigration, irrelevant of which nation you come from. This removes any argument about being racially driven. 2. Continue to remove all criminals, irrelevant of the crime, who are already in our jail facilities and deport them to their own country’s prison. No American taxes should be paying for that illegal alien criminal. 3. Permit summary judgment authority to immigration judges to refuse cases that lack any merit for a hearing in order that they might expedite proceedings and lighten the burden of our overwhelmed immigration courts. 4. Provide large grants of funds to incentivize sanctuary states and cities ‘conditional’ upon their compliance with certain federal immigration laws. 5. Move towards a merit based system of entry to our country. One that shifts the focus to be more about an immigrant who can provide economic growth and towards the ‘needs’ of the American people. GUN SAFETY / 2ND AMENDMENT California already has several laws regulating the use, selling, and purchasing of guns. Right now California is implementing 15 new gun laws in 2020, such as AB 12, AB 1968, and SB 61 to name a few. These laws answer to 3 primary measures: First, they will require universal background checks that will require a longer period of time to obtain a firearm; Second, they will prohibit gun purchase or possession by anyone with a history of violence, whether it be a felony or a misdemeanor; Third, they will provide red flags to address people who are assumed to be at extreme risk of committing violence, not only to other people but also to themselves. One of the problems with these red flag laws is that they induce a pre-crime reaction which is un-Constitutional. We don’t arrest people or take away their rights for a crime that hasn’t taken place. Sadly, these gun laws predominately negatively effect the law biding citizen, NOT the criminal. So let’s get something straight, criminals DON’T CARE that there are gun laws. I’ve taken a tour of our county jails and have spoken to several inmates. They all said that if they didn’t have a gun, they would simply find it on the black market, steal it, or drive it in from another state where gun laws were less stringent. I was also told that they know that the laws are more stringent on the law-abiding citizen, not them, so most career criminals use the gun laws to their advantage. Those actions alone undermine our state’s effort to positively enforce effective gun laws. These laws also do not address the already thousands of guns floating around on the streets, online dark-web purchases, or the lack of compliancy from gun retailers. The argument from gun control advocates is that preventative measures will reduce the criminals getting their hands on a gun. Gun advocates, like the NRA argue that guns are a deterrent from violent criminals and that guns don't kill—only people kill. If more people carried guns to protect themselves, there would be less violent crime. We also need to be very careful about the words we use in trying to bring measures towards ‘assault weapons.’ Ambiguity is the enemy in that phrase. Are we talking about blunt objects, knives, bats, cars or strictly firearms? What is the difference between an ‘assault weapon’ as opposed to something used as a weapon that is not designed to assault? What protective measures do we take to stop the ‘criminal’ and positively empower the law-abiding citizen? All the gun laws currently in place and those proposed bills are eating away at our Second Amendment Rights. We need to do a better job at preserving our right to bear arms. I Move To Propose Bills That Will Affect The Criminal 1. Increase the punishment towards gun crimes, such as an increase in fines, longer community service laboring, and longer sentences. 2. Juvenile crime is on the rise and the said above should be applied to the juvenile in addition to ensuring all records, like adult records, be made public for felony acts. 3. Any gun used in a crime, should be charged and held under similar restrictions as cyber crimes, 18 U.S.C. § 1030(e)(1). They must subject themselves, upon release, to probational computer monitoring, be registered like sex offenders are, and held up to the same type of scrutiny. I Move To Propose Bills That Will Protect The Law-Abiding Citizen 1. Loosen and expand the ‘Castle Law’ to tie into the ‘Good Samaritan Law’ for law-abiding citizens when a self-defense gun action has taken place in their home or on their property, but also to a neighboring home that may be in need. SOCIAL SECURITY / PROTECTING SENIORS Socialism does NOT work and ‘Social’ Security, introduced by President Roosevelt, is a prime example of those failing ideologies. Social Security was never meant to last as long as it has. Tough solutions to this problem are going to have to be taken care of now, not later. Americans are going to have to come up with a ‘transitional’ plan for a solvency retirement infrastructure. Social Security may be depleted and bankrupt possibly by the years 2030 to 2035. Seniors retired and those approaching retirement are worried about this and rightfully so. In addition, I’ve spoken with many people who are not happy that in order to receive full retirement, you now have to wait until the age of 67. The truth is, people want to retire with their faculties still decently vibrant. Sadly, corrupt career politicians who have full benefits and golden parachute retirements after just one term do not have to worry about social security benefits, so they simply kick the can down the road. If Congress waits too long, by the time the Baby Boomer generation all hit full retirement age, taxes and payroll taxes will horribly increase at a percentage that could force our youngest generation to work indefinitely. The Democratic Party wants to increase everyone’s taxes through employment and employer payroll, investment earnings, and household earnings over 200k. The Republican Party is fighting against this increase, but sadly they too haven’t come up with any significant plan for the future of Social Security. So, how do we fund those who we promised but transition the American people into a better plan? Not everyone will agree with my plan, and it is not without its own problems that will require a little more finesse, but to prolong the inevitable is even worse. I Propose A ‘Transitional Plan’ To Better Retirement 1. End Social Security through a multi-layered grandfathering percentage approach by ‘generation’ from when Social Security was first enacted. 2. Counter balance the generational approach so that those who will be receiving partial benefits, based on their generation, will be allowed for their retirement to be subsidized by but not limited to zero taxes on stock investment returns, zero taxes on their IRA, zero taxes on 401k’s, zero taxes on crypto currencies and real-estate portfolios. 3. Create a ‘National Retirement Security Program’ (NRSP) that will give taxpayers the ability to opt. In or out of the program, maintained by several public, not private companies with federal oversight ensuring fair and proper services maintaining individual retirement plans. FOREIGN POLICY U.S. foreign policy has always had a major contention with how the United States should conduct itself with allied countries in support of expanding free and fair trade and in dealing with tyrannical governments bent on torturing their own people and expanding their acts of violence across the world. Unfortunately, U.S. foreign policy isn’t simple. Maybe that is the problem. It has become overly complex and our policy law makers need to get back to the basics with respect to the United State’s role it maintaining a positive influential presence across the world. I believe a more grounded approach of the primary U.S. foreign policy goals on trade, diplomacy, sanctions, military/defense, intelligence, foreign aid, and global environmental policy should be more harmonized with the Constitution. The word foreign policy or foreign affairs does not exist in the Constitution; however, the Constitution has been used as a framework for foreign engagements. Right now, the U.S. foreign policy has four primary functions, the protection of the U.S. and its citizens at home or abroad, the maintenance of availability for needed resources and markets, the preservation of a balance of power in the world, and the protection of human rights and democracy. I Propose A Re-Establishment To U.S. Foreign Policy 1. Simplify the four primary functions. 2. In order to protect U.S. citizens at home or abroad, we need a stronger military that requires the latest technologies, training and intelligence to safeguard freedoms, and sovereignty for ourselves and our allies. 3. New diplomacies should be measured by accountability from local district constituent oversight. NATIONAL SECURITY When it comes to the topic of National Security, it is one of intensity. How should our government go about best protecting the sovereignty and safety of the American people? I believe, due to the state of current events that our attention should be geared towards election integrity, education loan forgiveness, trade, and terrorism. Don’t get me wrong, there are a multitude of issues and all require equal attention, but my campaign is focused on what we consider to be basic to and of the highest importance for national security. Election integrity is a concern for national security because it is becoming more difficult to guarantee when it comes to accountability with election voter ID fraud and the new electronic voting booths that can be rigged. Education loan forgiveness is relevant to national security because it can dramatically impact the solidarity of our economy. In providing education loan forgiveness, we perpetuate a socialistic idealism that all things must be free or equal and it does not instill a sense of value to the younger generation when tax payers have to front the bill. Trade is a well known aspect of national security. Prior to President Trump, Americans were left with subpar quality in goods and services from other countries. Prices went up and quality dropped. President Trump’s efforts are turning the tide for higher standard trades and accountability measures. Ever since 9/11 we have been at war with terror. Terror is a faceless enemy. As long as there are human beings in this world, there will always be someone who will want nothing more then to torture the innocence of others. Playing into pacifism and becoming an American apologist towards terrorist countries and organizations seems to be the tone that the previous administration spearheaded and has negatively impacted the strength of our national security. I Propose A Simplistic Approach 1. Election Integrity: Ensure everyone has a verifiable state approved ID for voting. When it comes to electronic submissions and counting, blockchain technology needs to be introduced. It has been proven to be one of the most significant technological advancements to date and can be used to safeguard the integrity of the election process. 2. Education Loan Forgiveness: I vote NO on debt forgiveness. Debt forgiveness would negatively impact tax payers for decades. Colleges have been over charging for units, books, and infrastructure because they know the money is available from education loans. However, this has forced students to default on their loans because the price of a college education is too high. We need to cap the cost on college units and cap education loans. 3. Trade: Every trade agreement needs to benefit Americans. All deals have to be equal in nature and proportionate to the agreement. 4. Terrorism: We cannot hunt down every terrorist country, organization, or cell. However, we can answer back in kind with overwhelming power and force to any act of terrorism towards our country. The way President Trump answered in kind toward General Soleimani’s attack was strategically sound and properly executed. This should be the standard. SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION CONTROL Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (a common name for Title V of the Telecommunications Act of 1996) is a piece of Internet legislation. It provides immunity from liability for providers and users of an interactive computer service who publish information provided by others. An immunity clause in the Act states that no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider. However, since the election of President Trump, the social media giants have been shadow banning, cutting off, deleting, and ending many profiles. They are now controlling the information they ‘allow’ versus when they were merely acting as a free platform. They are now acting as a curator. These social media giants are hiding under the fact that they are a private business while enjoying the protections under Section 230 of the CDA. I Propose a Revisiting Of Section 230 1. Remove Section 230 from the social media giants. 2. Enforce provisional review of all social media platforms. 3. Remove ‘shadow banning' and provide restitution for all who have suffered at the hands of this act. CLIMATE CHANGE Back during my youth, roughly in 1987, there was a hole in the ozone layer and we were not going to be protected by the suns rays. We were all going to burn up and die. That didn’t happen. In 1989, the U.N. scientist predicted that global warming, if not checked would cause coastal cities to be underwater by the year 2000. That didn’t happen. After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, according to scientists, California should have already had the ‘big one.’ Al Gore predicted in 2007, that by 2013 the Arctic Ocean would be completely ice free. That didn’t happen. At some point in time, we need to stop politicizing science research. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said the world has 12 years before it ends if we don’t address climate change. Being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I’m sure he’d like to know how she came up with that number, when God the Father didn’t tell His Son, nor the angels when Heaven and Earth would end. The fires that are happening in my district and all over California are not the result of climate change! They are the result of our faulty electrical grid and power companies not being held accountable for their poor maintenance. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that human beings have a responsibility to safeguard our water, air pollution, agriculture, landfills and forests to name a few. But what is happening is politically driven psychopathic globalist social engineering to fear monger everyone into a one world government. The ‘climate’ is always changing and I have had enough of fear mongering. I Move To Propose 1. We need real data, real science. We need to test it against other independent research groups who are not affiliated with government or political parties trying to push their agenda for voter turn out or a one world agenda. 2. Deny the Green New Deal! 3. Fight against the companies who are complacent in the mishandling of chemicals, waste and pollution that damage our water, agriculture and physical and mental health. HOMELESS / HOUSING The growing homelessness is out of control and current officials at the local and federal level are dragging their feet to improve the situation. I recently spent some time with the homeless in Los Angeles county and spoke with many of them as to how they are taken care of, what resources are available to them, and what organizations have reached out to help them. Many of the homeless are on a waiting list to get into a shelter and have been for quite some time, others have been on the streets for decades with little reprieve in sight. In Ventura County, they are working hard to maintain a year round shelter for the homeless through the ‘memorandum of understanding.’ This understanding is an effort that supports every inner city shelter center working to get the homeless off the street. They help each other by providing more beds, personnel, clothing, food, and medicine. The numbers prove a decrease in the homeless population in Ventura County. Each city has its own structure based on its own needs, but why don’t the adjacent L.A. County cities? The Continuum of Care Alliance group provides incentives for land, building, apartment, and home owners who have vacancies to open up their property for the homeless. The incentive provides paid rent for low income as well as basic maintenance for the facilities. This is a win-win approach. In Los Angeles County, there are roughly 50 thousand homeless but more then 60 thousand vacant apartments, buildings, warehouses, and other various properties that can be retrofitted for the homeless. The solution is there, but no one with the integrity to fight to improve the homeless situation. I Move To Propose 1. Negotiate for the same homeless programs and concepts that are working in one county and apply them to the adjacent county that is still struggling. 2. Develop new incentive programs for inner city home owners to buy up property in the surrounding neighborhoods and work with groups like the Continuum of Care Alliance group who will provide rent payments, maintenance of the facility, and rehabilitation for the homeless. New property owners will gain passive income, banks will no longer have to waste money on vacant property, homeless get off the street, and the people will have a stake in their community. 3. Bridge the gap between any misunderstanding of current property owners with vacancies and provide them with a greater incentive to allow their property to be retrofitted for the homeless. ABORTION The argument of abortion is one of the most tense and exhausting subject matters that has caused division within our nation. This is also a subject to which I do not take lightly. During my time in the military, I met a woman from another command. We were two young twenty-year- olds who were heavily attracted to each other and during our relationship we got pregnant. Yes, I said we because it takes two to create a baby. We spend so much time debating over the woman’s right, we forget about the man. My ex-girlfriend decided to have an abortion towards the last week of the second trimester. No matter how hard I fought to convince her that I would take care of our baby even if she wasn’t ready, it still wasn’t good enough. I feverishly, tearfully begged her to keep our baby. We knew that it was boy. We gave him a name. Tobin C. Mercuri. Toby for short. On April 3rd, 2001 at 1:00pm, my son Toby perished. To this day, there is not a moment that I don’t think about what Toby would have been like and who he would have become. So I ask you, where were my rights? If a woman gets pregnant in America, she has the right to keep the baby or abort them. If the woman decides to keep the baby, the man has to provide child support. If a man, by order of our laws, has to provide child support then he should also have a say over the baby’s life during the pregnancy. Now comes the greatest question that no one has a good answer for, what about women or girls who are a victim of rape, incest, or sex trafficking? When talking to these victims, to simply say the baby is innocent and she must remain pregnant leaves very little room to provide emotional, religious, and psychological support. We cannot have a one sided law that is purely Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, it is not that simple. Right now, we are trying to protect the innocent baby inside that mother’s womb. I believe it goes deeper then that. We are not just fighting for the baby, but need to fight for the victimized mother. We need to provide provisions that will fight for both mother and baby. When speaking to rape victims who were left pregnant, many said that they would have committed suicide if they were forced by state law to keep the baby. Now we have a real dilemma on our hands. How do we protect both? Now let me be clear! I DO NOT SUPPORT ABORTIONS with the exception of rape or a medical complication that threatens the mother’s life. I Move To Propose 1. Only women who have been verifiably proven to have been raped should have the ‘option’ of abortion within a limited timeframe and each should be handled on a case by case basis. 2. We need to better fund organizations that do not support abortions such as religious health centers and other medical foundations that rehabilitate these women who are victims of rape, incest, or sex trafficking. These organizations and foundations should be given the highest priority of funding and personnel to help them educate and meet the emotionally distressed woman’s needs and to incentivize the mother to keep the baby or present them with the support needed when choosing to place the baby for adoption. 3. De-fund Planned Parenthood and require Planned Parenthood to be correctly titled Planned Abortions.[22] |
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| —Daniel Mercuri's 2020 campaign website[31] | ||
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Mike Garcia
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Christy Smith
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Cenk Uygur
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Satellite group ads
Opposing Garcia
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[32] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[33] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Garcia | Republican Party | $10,140,614 | $9,762,756 | $377,858 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Robert Cooper | Democratic Party | $11,183 | $11,183 | $0 | As of April 15, 2020 |
| Getro Elize | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Christy Smith | Democratic Party | $6,112,639 | $5,943,381 | $169,258 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Christopher Smith | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Cenk Uygur | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Anibal Valdez-Ortega | Democratic Party | $23,577 | $23,560 | $17 | As of March 31, 2020 |
| Kenneth Jenks | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Stephen Knight | Republican Party | $271,421 | $304,885 | $0 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| David Lozano | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Daniel Mercuri | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| George Papadopoulos | Republican Party | $135,024 | $135,024 | $0 | As of May 24, 2020 |
| Otis Lee Cooper | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[34][35][36]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- The DCCC launched a $318,000 television ad buy against Garcia. The spot said Garcia "supported the tax hike that forced California middle class families to pay thousands more in taxes." It also said, "Just last year, Garcia's business was fined for unpaid tax bills." Additionally, the group placed a $151,000 coordinated buy with the Smith campaign.[20]
- House Majority PAC purchased $293,000 of television and radio time to run ads labeling "former GOP Rep. Steve Knight as a Trump Republican," according to Politico.[20]
Debates and forums
Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.
February 21 forum
Ten candidates, including Garcia, Smith, and Uyger, attended a debate at California State University, Northridge on Feb. 21.[19]
Click here for a full video recording of the debate
Coverage:
January 23 forum
David Maron of the League of Women Voters of Ventura County moderated a forum for 25th District candidates on January 23. Smith and Uygur were among the candidates present.[15]
Coverage:
Primaries in California
California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[37][38]
Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top-two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round of elections.
As of June 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What was at stake in the general election
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[39]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[40][41][42]
| Race ratings: California's 25th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was EVEN, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were within 1 percentage point of the national average. This made California's 25th Congressional District the 235th most Republican nationally.[43]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.97. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.97 points toward that party.[44]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in California. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won California with 61.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 31.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, California voted Republican 53.33 percent of the time and Democratic 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, California voted Democratic all five times. In 2016, California had 55 electoral votes, which was the most of any state. The 55 electoral votes were 10.2 percent of all 538 available electoral votes and were 20.4 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in California. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[45][46]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 58 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 66 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 40.3 points. Clinton won 11 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 22 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 14 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 13 points. |
| 2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 39.63% | 57.31% | R+17.7 | 36.09% | 56.75% | R+20.7 | R |
| 2 | 64.68% | 30.51% | D+34.2 | 62.20% | 28.98% | D+33.2 | D |
| 3 | 42.41% | 54.46% | R+12.1 | 39.47% | 53.31% | R+13.8 | R |
| 4 | 63.16% | 33.86% | D+29.3 | 63.03% | 29.95% | D+33.1 | D |
| 5 | 41.27% | 55.92% | R+14.7 | 38.51% | 54.85% | R+16.3 | R |
| 6 | 38.59% | 59.09% | R+20.5 | 41.17% | 52.02% | R+10.9 | R |
| 7 | 67.59% | 29.61% | D+38 | 67.63% | 25.69% | D+41.9 | D |
| 8 | 51.72% | 45.62% | D+6.1 | 51.77% | 41.03% | D+10.7 | D |
| 9 | 60.56% | 37.52% | D+23 | 61.47% | 32.89% | D+28.6 | D |
| 10 | 73.76% | 23.28% | D+50.5 | 75.65% | 17.96% | D+57.7 | D |
| 11 | 60.96% | 36.87% | D+24.1 | 58.86% | 35.17% | D+23.7 | D |
| 12 | 45.19% | 52.50% | R+7.3 | 43.11% | 51.05% | R+7.9 | R |
| 13 | 64.23% | 33.88% | D+30.4 | 62.97% | 31.79% | D+31.2 | D |
| 14 | 68.80% | 28.72% | D+40.1 | 69.55% | 24.47% | D+45.1 | D |
| 15 | 86.82% | 9.56% | D+77.3 | 87.39% | 7.04% | D+80.4 | D |
| 16 | 57.74% | 40.10% | D+17.6 | 64.47% | 29.23% | D+35.2 | R |
| 17 | 87.07% | 9.36% | D+77.7 | 88.12% | 6.95% | D+81.2 | D |
| 18 | 86.89% | 10.23% | D+76.7 | 85.89% | 8.44% | D+77.5 | D |
| 19 | 78.94% | 18.38% | D+60.6 | 81.63% | 13.34% | D+68.3 | D |
| 20 | 75.74% | 22.15% | D+53.6 | 75.52% | 19.12% | D+56.4 | D |
| 21 | 55.61% | 42.03% | D+13.6 | 54.63% | 39.46% | D+15.2 | D |
| 22 | 71.43% | 26.31% | D+45.1 | 75.16% | 19.75% | D+55.4 | D |
| 23 | 43.46% | 54.71% | R+11.2 | 43.95% | 50.78% | R+6.8 | R |
| 24 | 72.16% | 24.96% | D+47.2 | 78.19% | 15.93% | D+62.3 | D |
| 25 | 72.40% | 25.26% | D+47.1 | 73.61% | 20.90% | D+52.7 | D |
| 26 | 41.15% | 56.68% | R+15.5 | 41.54% | 52.93% | R+11.4 | R |
| 27 | 76.36% | 21.54% | D+54.8 | 77.76% | 17.29% | D+60.5 | D |
| 28 | 66.64% | 30.77% | D+35.9 | 70.63% | 23.08% | D+47.6 | D |
| 29 | 69.95% | 26.66% | D+43.3 | 70.00% | 22.96% | D+47 | D |
| 30 | 66.99% | 30.86% | D+36.1 | 66.70% | 27.32% | D+39.4 | D |
| 31 | 61.98% | 36.21% | D+25.8 | 62.13% | 32.93% | D+29.2 | D |
| 32 | 56.20% | 41.81% | D+14.4 | 56.50% | 37.98% | D+18.5 | D |
| 33 | 41.80% | 55.51% | R+13.7 | 40.02% | 54.61% | R+14.6 | R |
| 34 | 33.96% | 63.85% | R+29.9 | 34.07% | 60.21% | R+26.1 | R |
| 35 | 47.82% | 49.42% | R+1.6 | 49.57% | 43.43% | D+6.1 | R |
| 36 | 48.79% | 48.48% | D+0.3 | 49.94% | 43.86% | D+6.1 | R |
| 37 | 60.97% | 36.28% | D+24.7 | 64.27% | 29.21% | D+35.1 | D |
| 38 | 46.73% | 50.84% | R+4.1 | 49.64% | 44.39% | D+5.2 | R |
| 39 | 73.75% | 23.67% | D+50.1 | 74.64% | 19.80% | D+54.8 | D |
| 40 | 53.14% | 44.72% | D+8.4 | 54.08% | 40.01% | D+14.1 | R |
| 41 | 59.74% | 37.72% | D+22 | 62.82% | 31.27% | D+31.5 | D |
| 42 | 44.98% | 52.93% | R+7.9 | 45.61% | 49.70% | R+4.1 | R |
| 43 | 67.35% | 29.62% | D+37.7 | 68.94% | 25.45% | D+43.5 | D |
| 44 | 52.37% | 45.51% | D+6.9 | 57.12% | 36.99% | D+20.1 | D |
| 45 | 63.46% | 34.12% | D+29.3 | 67.36% | 27.39% | D+40 | D |
| 46 | 73.73% | 23.65% | D+50.1 | 76.20% | 18.48% | D+57.7 | D |
| 47 | 71.49% | 26.54% | D+44.9 | 70.10% | 24.80% | D+45.3 | D |
| 48 | 64.08% | 33.44% | D+30.6 | 65.60% | 28.50% | D+37.1 | D |
| 49 | 64.69% | 33.26% | D+31.4 | 67.57% | 27.17% | D+40.4 | D |
| 50 | 70.79% | 26.51% | D+44.3 | 76.72% | 18.33% | D+58.4 | D |
| 51 | 83.48% | 13.50% | D+70 | 84.05% | 10.19% | D+73.9 | D |
| 52 | 65.01% | 32.92% | D+32.1 | 65.78% | 28.71% | D+37.1 | D |
| 53 | 84.64% | 12.59% | D+72 | 84.83% | 9.63% | D+75.2 | D |
| 54 | 83.62% | 13.88% | D+69.7 | 85.15% | 10.12% | D+75 | D |
| 55 | 45.77% | 52.23% | R+6.5 | 49.92% | 44.61% | D+5.3 | R |
| 56 | 62.14% | 36.26% | D+25.9 | 64.21% | 31.24% | D+33 | D |
| 57 | 63.71% | 34.01% | D+29.7 | 65.92% | 28.39% | D+37.5 | D |
| 58 | 70.24% | 27.80% | D+42.4 | 72.54% | 22.26% | D+50.3 | D |
| 59 | 93.24% | 5.19% | D+88 | 90.70% | 5.09% | D+85.6 | D |
| 60 | 51.32% | 46.31% | D+5 | 52.48% | 41.97% | D+10.5 | D |
| 61 | 63.43% | 34.55% | D+28.9 | 62.47% | 31.62% | D+30.9 | D |
| 62 | 80.81% | 17.00% | D+63.8 | 82.05% | 13.06% | D+69 | D |
| 63 | 76.06% | 21.73% | D+54.3 | 77.35% | 17.38% | D+60 | D |
| 64 | 88.74% | 9.98% | D+78.8 | 86.21% | 9.61% | D+76.6 | D |
| 65 | 51.90% | 45.68% | D+6.2 | 56.73% | 37.28% | D+19.4 | D |
| 66 | 54.18% | 43.24% | D+10.9 | 59.97% | 33.60% | D+26.4 | D |
| 67 | 39.61% | 58.33% | R+18.7 | 38.89% | 55.94% | R+17.1 | R |
| 68 | 42.55% | 55.12% | R+12.6 | 49.42% | 44.58% | D+4.8 | R |
| 69 | 67.37% | 30.30% | D+37.1 | 71.94% | 22.33% | D+49.6 | D |
| 70 | 67.38% | 29.93% | D+37.5 | 68.13% | 25.09% | D+43 | D |
| 71 | 38.47% | 59.51% | R+21 | 38.19% | 56.26% | R+18.1 | R |
| 72 | 46.71% | 51.06% | R+4.4 | 51.40% | 43.13% | D+8.3 | R |
| 73 | 38.68% | 59.36% | R+20.7 | 43.89% | 50.38% | R+6.5 | R |
| 74 | 45.14% | 52.42% | R+7.3 | 50.71% | 43.29% | D+7.4 | R |
| 75 | 39.42% | 58.50% | R+19.1 | 43.22% | 50.68% | R+7.5 | R |
| 76 | 48.76% | 49.04% | R+0.3 | 53.11% | 40.38% | D+12.7 | R |
| 77 | 48.25% | 49.83% | R+1.6 | 55.16% | 38.94% | D+16.2 | R |
| 78 | 63.15% | 34.08% | D+29.1 | 67.48% | 25.85% | D+41.6 | D |
| 79 | 61.21% | 36.91% | D+24.3 | 64.24% | 30.04% | D+34.2 | D |
| 80 | 69.47% | 28.67% | D+40.8 | 73.15% | 21.34% | D+51.8 | D |
| Total | 60.35% | 37.19% | D+23.2 | 62.25% | 31.89% | D+30.4 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
District history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 25
Katie Hill defeated incumbent Stephen Knight in the general election for U.S. House California District 25 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Katie Hill (D) | 54.4 | 133,209 |
| Stephen Knight (R) | 45.6 | 111,813 | |
| Total votes: 245,022 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 25
Incumbent Stephen Knight and Katie Hill defeated Bryan Caforio, Jess Phoenix, and Mary Pallant in the primary for U.S. House California District 25 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stephen Knight (R) | 51.8 | 61,411 |
| ✔ | | Katie Hill (D) | 20.7 | 24,507 |
 | Bryan Caforio (D) | 18.4 | 21,821 | |
 | Jess Phoenix (D) | 6.4 | 7,549 | |
| Mary Pallant (D) | 2.7 | 3,157 | ||
| Total votes: 118,445 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Diedra Greenaway (D)
- Daniel Fleming (D)
- Kelan Farrell-Smith (D)
- Michael Masterman-Smith (D)
- Scott McVarish (D)
2016
The district was a battleground race in 2016.
California's 25th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Stephen Knight (R) won re-election to his second term in 2016. He defeated Bryan Caforio (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Knight and Caforio defeated Jeffrey Moffatt (R) and Lou Vince (D) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[47][48][49][50][51][52]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Stephen Knight Incumbent |
53.1% | 138,755 | |
| Democratic | Bryan Caforio | 46.9% | 122,406 | |
| Total Votes | 261,161 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |
Stephen Knight Incumbent |
48.3% | 63,769 | |
| Democratic | Bryan Caforio |
29.1% | 38,382 | |
| Democratic | Lou Vince | 15.4% | 20,327 | |
| Republican | Jeffrey Moffatt | 7.3% | 9,620 | |
| Total Votes | 132,098 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
| Click [show] for previous cycle election results. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2014
2012
2010On November 2, 2010, Buck McKeon won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jackie Conaway (D) in the general election.[53]
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State profile
- See also: California and California elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of January 23, 2020
Presidential voting pattern
- California voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Both U.S. Senators from California were Democrats.
- California had 45 Democratic and six Republican U.S. Representatives, with two vacancies.
State executives
- Democrats held 10 and Republicans held one of California's 21 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- California's governor was Gavin Newsom (D).
State legislature
- Democrats controlled the California State Senate with a 29-10 majority, with one vacancy.
- Democrats controlled the California State Assembly with a 61-19 majority.
California Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty years with Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Assembly | D | D | D | S | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
|
|
| Demographic data for California | ||
|---|---|---|
| California | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 38,993,940 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 155,779 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 61.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 5.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 13.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.4% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,818 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
- California's 25th Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in California, 2020 (March 3 top-two primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Facebook, "Steve Knight on March 8," accessed March 11, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Election Results: 25th House District," March 3, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Roll Call, "Potential ballot confusion complicates California special election for Katie Hill’s seat," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Special election to replace former Rep. Katie Hill set for March 3, California primary day," accessed January 23, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "California Democrat Christy Smith launches first TV ad in bid for Katie Hill's former House seat," accessed January 28, 2020
- ↑ Huffington Post, "How Cenk Uygur Threw The Race To Replace Katie Hill Into Chaos," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cenk Uygur's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed February 21, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Mike Garcia's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 21, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Stephen Knight's 2020 campaign website, "25 for the 25th," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ 12.000 12.001 12.002 12.003 12.004 12.005 12.006 12.007 12.008 12.009 12.010 12.011 12.012 12.013 12.014 12.015 12.016 12.017 12.018 12.019 12.020 12.021 12.022 12.023 12.024 12.025 12.026 12.027 12.028 12.029 12.030 12.031 12.032 12.033 12.034 12.035 12.036 12.037 12.038 12.039 12.040 12.041 12.042 12.043 12.044 12.045 12.046 12.047 12.048 12.049 12.050 12.051 12.052 12.053 12.054 12.055 12.056 12.057 12.058 12.059 12.060 12.061 12.062 12.063 12.064 12.065 12.066 12.067 12.068 12.069 12.070 12.071 12.072 12.073 12.074 12.075 12.076 12.077 12.078 12.079 12.080 12.081 12.082 12.083 12.084 12.085 12.086 12.087 12.088 12.089 12.090 12.091 12.092 12.093 12.094 12.095 12.096 12.097 12.098 12.099 12.100 12.101 12.102 12.103 12.104 12.105 12.106 12.107 12.108 12.109 12.110 12.111 12.112 12.113 12.114 12.115 12.116 12.117 12.118 12.119 12.120 12.121 12.122 12.123 12.124 12.125 12.126 12.127 12.128 12.129 12.130 12.131 Christy Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ The Signal, "Our View | Primary Endorsements: Choices for Both Parties," accessed February 23, 2020
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Steve Knight 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed February 23, 2020
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Courthouse News Service, "Candidates Vie for House Seat Left Open by Former Representative," accessed February 3, 2020
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 16.16 16.17 16.18 16.19 16.20 16.21 16.22 16.23 16.24 16.25 16.26 16.27 16.28 16.29 16.30 16.31 16.32 16.33 16.34 16.35 16.36 16.37 16.38 Mike Garcia's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "Steve Knight on February 13, 2020," accessed February 23, 2020
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Politico, "DCCC adds 12 challengers to first round of 'Red to Blue' program," accessed February 3, 2020
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Los Angeles Daily News, "Double-digit array of candidates for 25th Congress jockey for position at CSUN forum," accessed February 25, 2020
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Politico, "What to watch for in Nevada’s caucuses," accessed February 25, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidates," accessed February 6, 2020
- ↑ 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Getro Elize's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed January 21, 2020
- ↑ David Rudnick's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 21, 2020
- ↑ Christopher Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 28, 2020
- ↑ Christy Smith's 2020 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed February 21, 2020
- ↑ Anibal Valdez-Ortega's 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 21, 2020
- ↑ Kenneth Jenks' 2020 campaign website, "Jenks on the Issues," accessed January 21, 2020
- ↑ Courtney Lackey's 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ David Lozano's 2020 campaign website, "David's Platform," accessed January 22, 2020
- ↑ Daniel Mercuri's 2020 campaign website, "Current Issues," accessed March 2, 2020
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Democrat Lou Vince says he will challenge Rep. Stephen Knight," April 30, 2015
- ↑ Daily KOS, "Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: Steve Knight might be the one who gets 'dropped on his ass'," April 23, 2015
- ↑ Evan Thomas' campaign website, "2016 campaign announcement," June 25, 2015
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Democratic lawyer announcing challenge to GOP Rep. Steve Knight," December 10, 2015
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
