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Chris Wiggins
Chris B. Wiggins (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 43rd Congressional District. He lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.
Wiggins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Chris Wiggins was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and lives in Inglewood, California. Wiggins earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Texas and a master's degree from Georgetown University. His professional experience includes working in human resources.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2024
California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 43
Incumbent Maxine Waters defeated Steve Williams in the general election for U.S. House California District 43 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Maxine Waters (D) | 75.1 | 160,080 |
 | Steve Williams (R)  | 24.9 | 53,152 | |
| Total votes: 213,232 | |||
| = 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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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 43
Incumbent Maxine Waters and Steve Williams defeated David Knight, Chris B. Wiggins, and Gregory Cheadle in the primary for U.S. House California District 43 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Maxine Waters (D) | 69.8 | 54,673 |
| ✔ | | Steve Williams (R) | 13.9 | 10,896 |
 | David Knight (R) | 7.2 | 5,647 | |
 | Chris B. Wiggins (D) | 6.4 | 4,999 | |
 | Gregory Cheadle (D) | 2.7 | 2,075 | |
| Total votes: 78,290 | |||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Regina Simes (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wiggins in this election.
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Karen Bass (D) defeated Chris Blake Wiggins (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Bass and Wiggins defeated Shariff Hasan (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Karen Bass Incumbent |
81.1% | 192,490 | |
| Democratic | Chris Blake Wiggins | 18.9% | 44,782 | |
| Total Votes | 237,272 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Karen Bass Incumbent |
80.2% | 115,597 | |
| Democratic | Chris Wiggins |
10.7% | 15,362 | |
| Republican | Shariff Hasan | 9.1% | 13,158 | |
| Total Votes | 144,117 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris B. Wiggins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wiggins' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Proving Universal Single-Payer healthcare.
- Increase the supply of housing.
- Stimulate wages and incomes for middle and working class Americans.
As it relates to Los Angeles, I’ve volunteered as a Leadership Council member for the Design and Gaming School at August F Hawkins High; the namesake to the school is one to emulate. His leadership within the civics of Watts at a tumultuous time has long resonated with me.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Wiggins’s campaign website stated the following:
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Economic Issues Revamp State and Local Tax Deductions for Clarity and Fairness – Let’s keep things simple with income taxes, especially for those making less than $350,000 a year. We shouldn’t make things harder for those who are just trying to make ends meet. – For the big earners, though, I’m looking at a 2% annual tax on households with a net worth between $50 million and $1 billion, plus an extra 1% for those over $1 billion. This will only affect the top 0.05%, bringing in approximately $3 billion over the next decade. – You might’ve heard about the Tax Cut and Jobs Act messing with the SALT (State and Local Taxes) deductions, hitting millions of taxpayers. Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted in 2017, taxpayers could deduct the full amount of their state and local taxes without any limitation. However, the TCJA imposed a cap on the SALT deduction. As of the 2021 tax year, the deduction is limited to $10,000 ($5,000 for married individuals filing separately). I want to fix that, get those deductions back in place to help our community out. – Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and over 75% of small businesses pay their taxes as personal income tax rates. I want to make sure they catch a break. The federal rate for pass-through entities needs to come down – it just makes sense. – Everyone deserves a wage that keeps up with the times. I’m thinking a $20-an-hour minimum wage for bigger employers, with some sensible exceptions. We need to make sure hardworking folks can afford to live decently. – Federal Cannabis legalization is coming, and I want to make sure it benefits everyone. I’m eyeing a cap on federal excise and sales taxes to keep things reasonable. We need a Marijuana Justice Plan! – Let’s fix up the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). I want to make it better, covering things like family caregiving. Also, bumping up the Child Tax Credit to $2,000 per child – every little bit helps. – Inheritance taxes can be a headache, so I’m thinking about a unified inheritance gift tax. The first $2 million would be tax-free for any receiver over their lifetime. Anything more would be subject to federal income and payroll taxes. – We need to stop companies from playing games with taxes, especially those going offshore. I’m putting an end to those incentives and closing the loopholes. Also, no more industry-specific tax breaks unless they’re all about being eco-friendly. – Lastly, let’s get rid of deducting future stock payouts as a loss and cut some business deductions for the bigger companies. It’s time to have a tax system that works for everyone, no matter which party you’re backing. Current Housing Issues In addressing the housing crisis, I propose a U.S. Housing Marshall Plan, focusing on swift and effective solutions: 1. Expand Affordable Housing: – Make 100% affordable housing “by-right,” ensuring project approvals within 90 days. – Explicitly legalize more affordable single-room occupancy housing, fostering shared community spaces. 2. Foreign Home Purchase Tax: – Implement a 30% tax on homes purchased by individuals residing outside the U.S. continuously for less than two years. – Apply a 15% tax for those not living in the U.S. for the past year. 3. Zoning and Building Reforms: – Eliminate single-housing zones, allowing more flexible land use. – Remove height limits for buildings and encourage housing in commercial areas, aligning with successful European models. 4. Streamline Development Processes: – Remove parking requirements for housing near transit, promoting accessibility. – Expedite development by bypassing the need for approval by city councils and extensive community input. 5. Vacant Property Tax: – Introduce a federal tax on vacant apartments or homes, starting at $2,000-$10,000 per year. – Implement a doubling fee each subsequent year, incentivizing property occupancy or productive use. – Funds generated will contribute to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). These measures aim to break the bureaucratic gridlock, increase housing supply, and make affordable housing accessible to all. It’s time for pragmatic solutions to ensure every individual has a place to call home. Healthcare Issues 1. Defend and Expand the ACA: – Vigorously support the Affordable Care Act, ensuring its protection while working to enhance access for all. – Introduce a Public Option to provide additional choices without compromising the freedom to use private insurance. 2. Single Payer Healthcare: – Advocate for a Single Payer Healthcare system, offering universal coverage with access to any hospital, with the government acting as an intermediary instead of insurance administrators. – Negotiate drug prices without imposing caps, allowing the purchase of prescription drugs from various sources. 3. Preventing Price Gouging: – Support the Freedom from Price Gouging Act to prevent drug manufacturers from profiting off unreasonable price spikes. – Ensure insurance providers cover birth control and women’s health products. 4. Consumer Empowerment: – Permit consumers to establish personal healthcare savings accounts and choose their healthcare providers freely. – Allow the purchase of pharmaceutical drugs across state lines and from other countries. 5. Cost Control and Fair Billing: – Implement limits on what healthcare providers, including hospitals, can charge for out-of-network care, set at twice what Medicare pays for the same service. Funding – Projected household savings of 1 trillion dollars, coupled with a 9% decrease in administrative costs compared to what hospitals paid with private insurers. 2. Billionaire Contribution (Ultra Wealth Tax): – Request billionaires to contribute six cents on each dollar of net worth above $1 billion, generating an additional $1 trillion in revenue. 3. Global Minimum Tax and Closing Loopholes: – Implement a country-by-country minimum tax of 35%, bringing in 1.6 trillion. – Close loopholes, generating 7.7 trillion over 10 years. 4. Middle-Class Contribution: – Middle-class Americans would no longer pay health premiums or co-pays. – No new taxes for the middle class; they will pay taxes only on additional take-home pay from the plan, contributing $1.4 trillion in revenue each year. This comprehensive plan aims to transform our healthcare system, making it more accessible, affordable, and sustainable for all Americans. Education Issues Educators and Public Schools 1. Fair Compensation for Educators: – Increase teacher pay and ensure that it’s indexed to inflation within each county across the country. 2. Textbook Reform: – Eliminate onerous textbook requirements that force unnecessary purchases every few years, redirecting funds back to schools instead of enriching publishing companies. 3. Empowering Parents with School Choice: – Open up school choice for K-12, giving parents the primary decision-making role in choosing their child’s education options. 4. Equitable Funding with Block Grants: – Increase block grants to school districts, ensuring equitable funding and reducing the disparity between wealthy and working-class counties. Student Loans and Higher Education – Remove interest rates above 1% on student loans and forgive already accrued interest. – Apply all interest paid to the principal, and allow private loans to be refinanced as public loans. 2. Tuition Control for Colleges: – Require colleges to limit tuition increases to the Consumer Price Index. Violations would result in the loss of access to federal student loans. 3. Tax Credits for Loan Repayment: – Provide a tax credit for individuals who have paid off student loans in the last 20 years, usable until 2035. 4. Accountability Measures for Colleges: – Ensure colleges face consequences for excessive tuition hikes, such as losing tax-exempt status and paying capital gains taxes on endowment earnings or property taxes on real estate. 5. Financial Responsibility for Colleges: – Remove the provision allowing colleges to access tax-exempt markets, promoting fiscal responsibility for infrastructure projects. 6. Transparency in Donations: – Eliminate tax-deductible donations for endorsements, ensuring transparency in financial contributions to educational institutions. This reform plan aims to elevate the teaching profession, provide fair compensation, empower parents in educational choices, and address the financial challenges faced by students pursuing higher education. Policing & Criminal Justice Issues Reducing Recidivism 1. Vocational Education Grants: – Expand grants for vocational education for offenders and juveniles to enhance their re-entry into society. 2. Marijuana Conviction Relief: – Exonerate and expunge records for all individuals incarcerated for marijuana possession and distribution convictions. 3. Employment Opportunities: – “Ban the box” and ease occupational licensing for former inmates, removing barriers to employment. 4. Cash Bail Reform: – Eliminate cash bail for nonviolent offenders to ensure fair treatment in the criminal justice system. 5. Clemency Program: – Implement a National Clemency Program for deserving cases. New Legal Measures – Federally legalize the recreational possession, cultivation, and commerce of marijuana. 2. End Private Prisons: – Cease the use of private prisons and exclusively permit public facilities. 3. Firearm Safety Measures: – Amend the 1934 NFA to no longer penalize the purchase or possession of suppressors. – Enforce federally funded universal background checks for all firearm distributions in all states. 4. Mental Health Support: – Expand provisions to combat mental health issues, including investing in public mental health facilities. Responsible Policing – Abolish qualified immunity, ensuring legal proceedings can occur for police misconduct. 2. Citizen Review Board: – Require a citizen review board for all law enforcement officer-involved shootings. 3. Prosecution for Misconduct: – Enable the prosecution of police misconduct cases. 4. National Database: – Establish a public national database tracking all police officers decertified in any state or locality. – Collect disaggregated data on all detentions, stops, frisks, searches, summons, and arrests. 5. Demilitarization of Police: – End the 1033 program to demilitarize the police. Law Enforcement Support Measures – Provide funding for local law enforcement to employ resource officers practicing behavioral health to de-escalate mental health crises. 2. Whistleblower Protection: – Fund a DOJ Whistleblower protection program in each state for police reporting officer misconduct. 3. Community Policing Training: – Allocate funding for community policing, de-escalation, and diversity training for police. This reform plan is dedicated to fostering a fair and accountable criminal justice system and building a foundation for responsible, community-oriented policing. Addressing Social Issues Women’s Rights – Strengthen the Equal Pay Act to ensure fair and equal wages across all industries, addressing the persistent wage gap where women earn 78 cents on the dollar despite higher education merits. 2. Support for Women’s Institutions: – Allocate additional funding for Women Serving Institutions to empower and uplift women in education and beyond. – Increase resources for women’s sports teams through Title IX. 3. Combatting Harassment and Violence: – Provide increased latitude and protection for women reporting sexual harassment or violence in the workplace, streets, or at home. 4. Protection for Pregnancy and Caregiving: – Implement protections to ensure that pregnancy and caregiving are treated as standard conditions of employment, preventing discrimination. 5. Your Body Your Choice Law: – Enact the “Your Body Your Choice Law” to provide autonomy to women over their health decisions, emphasizing that medical choices should be made by a woman and her doctor, not the government. Immigration Policies – Grant U.S. citizenship to all adults with current United States-issued green cards upon payment of a filing fee. – Provide permanent residency to individuals with Federal Tax IDs (a population over 6 million), those on a first extension H1B, or serving in the armed forces, provided they have lived in the U.S. for a year. 2. Work Visas for Undocumented Immigrants: – Charge undocumented immigrants a renewable 3-year work visa with reduced requirements. – Utilize funds from these visas for a fund dedicated to border security and expanded enforcement of VISA overstays. 3. Fine System and Compensation: – Impose a $10,000 fee for approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants to obtain a work permit and apply for a green card after five years. – Use the $100 billion generated to fund an effective border barrier and compensate states for infrastructure, education, and healthcare costs. 4. Business Accountability: – Impose a $20,000 fine on businesses for each undocumented worker, encouraging compliance and transparency. – Implement a quarterly payroll and I9 submission system to uncover discrepancies and enforce fines on non-compliant businesses. 5. Enhanced Border Security Measures: – Deploy high-throughput scanning technologies to ensure all vehicles and rail traffic entering the U.S. at land ports of entry undergo pre-primary scanning, enhancing border security measures. These comprehensive reforms aim to champion women’s rights, address immigration challenges, and forge a path toward a more inclusive and just society.[5] |
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| —Chris Wiggins's campaign website (2024)[6] | ||
2016
The following issues were listed on Wiggins' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
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|
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| —Chris Blake Wiggins' campaign website, http://www.chriswigginscongress.com/ | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
External links
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Candidate U.S. House California District 43 |
Personal |
See also
2024 Elections
Footnotes
- ↑ Chris Wiggins, U.S. Congress, "Meet Chris," accessed February 6, 2024
- ↑ 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
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," June 7, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chris Wiggins, U.S. Congress, “Issues,” accessed February 6, 2024
