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Jeff Frankenfield
Jeff Frankenfield (independent) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 24th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on June 7, 2022.
Frankenfield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jeff Frankenfield was born in Seattle, Washington, and lives in Santa Barbara, California. Frankenfield served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Washington in 1998. Frankenfield's career experience includes working as the director of global accounts with OFS and a global account manager with Viavi Solutions.[1][2]
Elections
2022
See also: California's 24th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 24
Incumbent Salud Carbajal defeated Brad Allen in the general election for U.S. House California District 24 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Salud Carbajal (D) | 60.6 | 159,019 |
 | Brad Allen (R)  | 39.4 | 103,533 | |
| Total votes: 262,552 | |||
| = 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 24
Incumbent Salud Carbajal and Brad Allen defeated Michele Weslander Quaid and Jeff Frankenfield in the primary for U.S. House California District 24 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Salud Carbajal (D) | 60.0 | 111,199 |
| ✔ | | Brad Allen (R) | 31.0 | 57,532 |
 | Michele Weslander Quaid (Independent) | 7.5 | 13,880 | |
 | Jeff Frankenfield (Independent) | 1.5 | 2,732 | |
| Total votes: 185,343 | |||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Gurpinder Singh Sagoo (R)
- Kenneth Young (Independent)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jeff Frankenfield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Frankenfield's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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He began serving his local community as a police chaplain and continues to serve by volunteering his time coaching high school football. He believes there may be no better way to improve our local communities, and our society, than to do everything we can to help our youth become successful adults.
Jeff graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is a current candidate for a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). For the past 23 years, Jeff has had a successful sales and management career in the telecommunications industry, and currently works with the world’s largest high-tech companies. Seeing firsthand how fast these companies move, and the creativity with which they problem-solve inspires Jeff to bring these same characteristics to Congress. He also thrives in relationship building, strategic thinking, and effective negotiations, which are all skills desperately needed in Congress right now.
- A priority on government accountability. Congress has given authority and resources to federal agencies that impact American citizens, yet unlike Congress, these agencies do not have direct accountability to the people of this country, and that is a fundamental problem with a bloated federal government. I want to see this changed.
- A priority on national security. I believe the federal government’s most important function is protecting the country from its enemies, both foreign and domestic, so that people in each of the 50 states can carve out their lives with the rights and freedoms our country was founded on. It is paramount that our military can respond with overwhelming and incomparable force, and this ever-constant capability ensures the greatest level of peace for us as a country. We also need to ensure the latest technologies are being utilized to protect Americans on our own soil, which includes combating cyber-attacks, preventing acts of terrorism, managing border security, and protecting our power grid and water lines to name just a few.
- I am committed to finding solutions that help take care of our citizens and our land. This includes a focus on good healthcare solutions, a better education system, job opportunities with a healthier economy, affordable housing solutions, immigration reform, and the protection of our natural environment..
People in the private sector are used to moving at a faster pace and constant innovation is the norm. By implementing term limits, we can ensure new representatives are frequently elected, bringing a greater measure of energy and a relevant perspective of the district’s current environment.
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
Frankenfield's campaign website stated the following:
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Energy and Environment ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT I am passionate about protecting our natural environment. Growing up in Seattle, WA, enjoying the outdoors was a way of life year-round. I spent time camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, boating, river rafting, and snow skiing. I want to ensure our children and generations to follow get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors as I did (and still do). OFFSHORE DRILLING When we consider the effect of major oil spills on the environment, especially when recalling oil spills on our Central Coast in 1969 and 2015, is there any benefit to offshore drilling here? Pacific coast offshore wells only account for one-tenth of 1% of our nation’s daily production. Our district receives no revenue from the offshore wells that are in federally controlled waters, yet large corporations benefit at the expense of the Central Coast. Its catastrophic impact on our environment outweighs the reward, and government policy should never follow a high-risk, low-reward scenario. GREEN ENERGY Green energy initiatives, including solar, wind and electric vehicles are important solutions to protect our environment. However, we need alternative solutions for how they are powered. The mining of rare earth metals used in these systems causes radioactive and toxic waste to be released into the environment, and when mined domestically, into our nation’s water supply. In addition, 85% of these metals are currently controlled by China, and moving towards reliance on these types of energy could leave us extremely vulnerable in the future. As we saw during this past winter in Texas, relying on any single source of energy leaves us vulnerable to natural disasters that can take out both the supply and distribution of needed energy. We cannot risk having the same thing happen to us here in California and we must continue to have multiple sources of energy. WATER We are in desperate need of a solution to reinforce our water supply. Much of the water management authority sits at the state level, but there are several federal agencies that work with the state to help with sustainable water supply, clean and safe drinking water, etc. As a congressman, I will prioritize increasing and protecting our region’s water supply by finding ways to capture runoff that flows from our mountains to the ocean, push for desalinization plants, and do whatever we can to ensure there is enough water for farmers and non-farmers alike.
EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION There are few things more important than ensuring our youth get the proper education needed for success in adulthood. They are the future spouses, parents, innovators, and leaders of our great country. Despite extraordinary financial resources in California, our public education system is still not excelling as it could for every student, including here throughout the Central Coast. Through my experience interacting with our local high school students as a football coach, I see firsthand the challenges they face at school and at home. I see the struggle they have in learning, and I know the lack of support systems many of them have. These issues are even more prevalent in our Hispanic community, where many students lack parents or grandparents who speak English and therefore, they cannot rely on those guardians to help them with school issues. Difficulties many students faced during the pandemic were the lack of available technology, internet connectivity, and setup experience at home to access class remotely. I commend recent federal legislation that has put resources towards resolving these issues for students. The United States leads the world in innovation, creativity, and technology. Looking at the private sector, it is amazing to see how fast things change and how more efficient ways of doing things are brought to market. One of the primary reasons we can achieve this dynamic in the marketplace is due to competition. It forces innovation, progress, and cost competitiveness to be successful. Yet, looking at our government-run education system, the opposite seems to be true. Despite the consistent failings, we continue to offer the same education, presented the same way, and continue to get the same unfortunate results. FEDERAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS California receives about 8-9% of its education funding from the federal government, for which Congress holds the budget. This funding should continue to be allocated for high-need students. It should also be reserved for education options outside the public school system, such as charter schools, trade schools, homeschooling, etc. Most importantly, we need to improve the systems that track where the federal funds are being spent by the state. As parents, having options as to how our children are educated is a primary goal of mine and will fight for this to be mandated with any federal funds that are received by the state.
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY It’s no secret that the current state of the economy is in trouble, as evidenced by our country’s inflation rate having just hit a 40-year high. There are significant global supply chain issues, skyrocketing costs for raw materials and shipping for many goods, and energy and gas prices are quickly rising. COVID-19 continues to force workers to be at home instead of on manufacturing floors, causing additional production delays for needed goods and services. We are witnessing its effects locally on the Central Coast when we look at our rising grocery bills. Congress needs to do what it can to help where possible, and if elected, I will commit my full energy to trying to resolve these challenges. INFLATION AND THE MIDDLE CLASS As the middle class continues to shrink, many are teetering on the edge of poverty. With such a high cost of living relative to other regions of the country, many in the Central Coast will not be able to afford living expenses unless Congress can intervene with helpful policies. We can all relate to current astronomical housing costs, and many in the middle class who have purchased homes within the last 10 years are house poor. Living paycheck to paycheck puts us in survival mode, and a chain reaction occurs in our local economy when we are financially strapped and cannot support our community’s small businesses. This includes our regional farmers and winemakers who rely on restaurateurs to buy their local products. Our district’s tourism industry suffers as well, which historically injects billions of dollars annually into our local economy, along with providing thousands of jobs. COMBATING POVERTY Recent U.S. Census figures show 10.5% of the overall population in our district is living below the poverty line. Within our Hispanic communities, this percentage is even higher, reaching as high as 18.5%. Homelessness in our district continues to rise as well. Despite agriculture being the #1 contributor to our district’s economy, over 10% of our households (and over 18% of our children) still suffer from food insecurity, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Our health suffers when we lack access to fruits and vegetables, further compromising those in poverty who cannot afford access to proper healthcare. The state of California’s leadership has failed to help the people of this area get out of poverty, so the burden falls on Congress to get our economy moving again. I am committed to finding new solutions that bring opportunities for people to get out of poverty and to begin to flourish. DEALING WITH THE BOTTLENECKS THAT AFFECT US ALL Domestically, our country’s ports are backlogged and products from overseas are sitting on cargo ships off the coast instead of on our shelves. Some of it has been caused by a lack of manpower and offloading shifts at the port, and Congress needs to investigate expanding our port capabilities. Domestic supply chain issues are also due to a lack of trucks, and truck drivers, at the ports and on the road. Many smaller, family-owned trucking companies have shut down their businesses because of the delays at the ports, where it is now common to wait days in line before it is their turn to load, preventing them from making money. Other truck drivers are being hired away by companies such as Amazon, who have built their own fleet of delivery trucks, and who pay a much higher wage than drivers made previously. Until we get more trucks on the road, we will continue to see delivery delays and consumer price increases across our country. Congress needs to look at new federal guidelines for truck driving such as reducing the age requirement and giving incentives to those who want to get their commercial driver’s license. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE There are a lot of challenges ahead in getting our economy back to its full potential, but I am confident that we can do it with the right leadership. I am committed to seeing us move from a place of simply surviving, to truly thriving economically.
AUTHORITY WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY Congress has given authority and resources to federal agencies that impact American citizens, yet unlike Congress, these agencies do not have direct accountability to the people of this country, and that is a fundamental problem with a bloated federal government. TERM LIMITS I believe in term limits, primarily because the government is generally slow-moving and inefficient, and career politicians take on these same unfortunate characteristics. It is especially concerning in the House of Representatives, where members of Congress only have 2-year terms and spend much of their time fundraising and campaigning for the next term as opposed to actually trying to represent their constituents and move the country forward. People in the private sector are used to moving at a faster pace and constant innovation is the norm. By implementing term limits, we can ensure new representatives are frequently elected, bringing a greater measure of energy and a relevant perspective of the district’s current environment.
HEALTHCARE Lack of proper healthcare, both physical and mental, brings tragic consequences for many aspects of our society. I have seen some of these painful outcomes here in our community personally, as I suspect you have as well. Witnessing many of the tragedies first-hand as a Santa Barbara Police Chaplain added to my desire to run for Congress and find solutions. My very first call-out as a chaplain involved suicide, and unfortunately it was not my last. I became hyper aware of how mental health gravely affects our community. Not only does suicidality and depression affect individuals struggling but also adversely impacts families, friends and communities. Individuals struggling with anxiety is at its peak. More than three in ten adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder since May 2020. In comparison, in 2019, approximately one in ten adults reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder. RE-ORIENTING TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH Perceptual stigmas surrounding depression and suicidality often intimidate those who desperately need help. Some of the main crisis we face is due to a lack of support for mental health. We must overcome the stigma attached to seeking mental health assistance and make resources available for those struggling to achieve mental wellness. Mental health care is expensive and proper health coverage and programming should allow for this. THE NEED FOR PROPER MEDICAL CARE Having access to preventative care and affordable medications are vitally important to combat both chronic and acute medical situations. Forced health insurance is not an appropriate solution for everyone, as more often people are seeking non-traditional healthcare that is not covered by insurance. However affordable health care should be available for those who are in need. Another chaplain call-out involved a teenage girl who had succumbed to a health problem and had passed away overnight. It was a stark illustration of the tragedy that can occur when someone does not have access to proper medical care. Finding a healthcare solution that works well for all 330 million Americans is a challenging task. I am committed to finding solutions that are affordable, flexible, and customizable for those who need it.
HOUSING Access to sufficient housing is a concern for those that live in this region. The cost of housing is high, the availability is low, and in addition, the number of homeless is increasing. The statistics across the district are staggering. For example, as recently as 2020, San Luis Obispo residents paid the most rent in proportion to their income, in the entire United States. While 32% of SLO residents are living in poverty, 60% do not own homes, and rental prices are at an all-time high (128% more expensive than the national average). Over 43% of SLO renters pay more than half their household income in rent, leaving few resources to cover other living essentials like food, utilities, etc. There are similar stories throughout our district. One recent statistic showed the Santa Maria-to-Santa Barbara area having rent prices higher than 90% of California, and higher than 99% of all areas in the entire country. It was stated in 2018 that California only had 22 homes for every 100 of the lowest income renters. So, what are the other 78 out of 100 supposed to do? Local median incomes have not kept pace with the rising costs of housing since then, so the situation will continue to get worse unless we find ways to help. HOMELESSNESS Lack of affordable housing has caused homelessness to drastically increase in recent years, forcing even some middle-class earners to live out of their cars (43% of the homeless in the city of Santa Barbara live this way). California has the most homeless of any state (161,000), and the numbers continue to grow here in the Central Coast. In its last census survey from 2019, San Luis Obispo County saw their homeless numbers rise 32% from 2017. Santa Barbara County’s numbers rose 18% from 2019 to 2021. One of the foundations of addressing the homeless crisis is mental health. As poverty increases, mental health declines and the availability of affordable resources are slim. Holistically, our best chance of decreasing homelessness is holistically taking care of the mental and emotional needs of our community. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HELP At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is tasked with helping state and local communities overcome housing challenges, both with home purchases and with helping find solutions to help the homeless. As a congressman, I will make interacting closely with HUD personnel a top priority and will push for the maximum amount of HUD funding to be allocated for this district, as we are facing a crisis here.
Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds, who are ethnically, socially, and culturally diverse, helps us grow as a society. The blending of our differences and unique expressions can be one of our nation’s greatest strengths. Our country needs immigration to help us continue as the world leader in innovation and to contribute to the future health of our economy. This diversity can bring energy, determination, and a work ethic to our communities that is inspiring. We need a variety of people who are skilled, and people eager to learn new skills, with a willingness to work together towards a common goal. SETTING INDIVIDUALS UP FOR SUCCESS Proper border management should mean that when people enter the U.S. legally, we are able to set them up for success both educationally and economically. This starts by having the proper infrastructure in place. Some examples are ensuring there is affordable housing, education, and health care available. We need to have enough classrooms and teachers for educating the children, as well as the proper trade schools for adults seeking new skills and certifications. It can take years for someone to receive their green card despite having already been employed in the country for multiple years with a work visa. The system delays often result in those visas expiring long before green cards are processed, and that can create significant hardship. When that happens, despite doing everything right and contributing to society in a very positive way, they risk losing their ability to stay here legally. The “land of opportunity” that America is known for stops being just that. We need a low-cost, efficient path for obtaining a green card and citizenship for those deserving of it. REDUCING THE GREEN CARD BACKLOG Congress has essentially not changed the Green Card (Permanent Resident Card) system since 1990, and it is completely outdated for the current global economy that we live in today. The backlog for those waiting for their green card applications to be processed now sits at over 9 million people and can take years to receive. This inefficient system is a disservice to those applicants and for the employers needing their help. The primary cause of the backlog is that only 7% of employment-based immigrant visas can be from any single country. This prevents legal access for many of the people who are desperately needed in the technology and agricultural sectors of the Central Coast, and this leads to increased illegal immigration. Congress needs to revise the per-country limits and pass legislation that works for our current economy. SIMPLIFICATION OF THE H-2A PROGRAM The H-2A visa program involves temporary agricultural workers, providing access for people from other countries to work in the U.S. when seasonal help is needed. This is essential to supporting the key agricultural industry here, as there are currently more jobs available than willing and available U.S. workers. The H-2A visa program is expanding here in California, with our counties representing 2 of the top 5 number of visa holders in the state (Santa Barbara County is 2nd and San Luis Obispo County is 5th). However, the program is complicated and very expensive for farmers to utilize, so many of them are left unable or unwilling to participate. Congress needs to investigate optimizing this program further so that both our farmers and workers can thrive. EXPANSION OF THE H-1B VISA PROGRAM Immigration reform also includes expanding the H-1B visa program, which allows for skilled or specialized workers from around the world to come work in the United States. This is especially true in the high-tech industries, where there is a shortage of properly-trained people within our existing domestic workforce. These U.S. tech companies, including those present in our region, are desperate to access talent that is around the world and available to help. By expanding this H-1B visa program we can ensure our companies succeed against competitors around the world. SECURING THE BORDERS Unimpeded border security is a security risk to our nation. We want to welcome individuals to the United States while also making sure that we reduce the threat of terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking that currently take place. California consistently has among the highest rates of human trafficking in the country. There appears to be a current willingness from both major parties in Congress to have real dialogue regarding immigration reform, but they admit those discussions will not go anywhere until we can successfully secure and manage our border. Because of this, finding a resolution to the border crisis will be a top priority of mine should I be elected.
NATIONAL SECURITY I believe the federal government’s most important function is protecting the country from its enemies, both foreign and domestic, so that people in each of the 50 states can carve out their lives with the rights and freedoms our country was founded on. MAINTAINING MILITARY DOMINANCE From my perspective as a veteran, it is paramount that our military can respond with overwhelming and incomparable force, and this ever-constant capability ensures the greatest level of peace for us as a country. As we see the unfolding of the Ukraine invasion by Russia, we recognize that the ability of our Defense Department to protect our country and its people must never be weakened. Financially, we need to streamline military spending without diminishing our capabilities. HOMELAND SECURITY The United States military is the most powerful in the world, and as our enemies seek to try and attack us in more covert, non-violent ways, we need to strengthen our guard in multiple areas including cyber intelligence. We need to ensure the latest technologies are being utilized to protect Americans on our own soil, which includes combating cyber-attacks, preventing acts of terrorism, managing border security, and protecting our power grid and water lines to name just a few.
VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL Support is needed for both our active duty military and veterans who have served. As a former active duty Marine having been deployed overseas for 18 months, this district will not find a stronger advocate for veterans than myself, as I understand the challenges military communities face. Both the service members themselves, and members of their families, are greatly impacted by deployments and need our full support. I will advocate for as many resources as possible to help military families in our community thrive. CHALLENGES BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELD Members of the military have some of the highest divorce rates in our country, and suicide rates are 50% higher than in the civilian sector, with 20 veterans taking their lives each day. Increased mental health support is paramount for both our active duty and prior service members. While mental health facilities cater to veterans, we lack easily accessible resources for those currently in the military. Much of this is due to the stigma attached to seeking help while serving on active duty, and this stigma needs to be removed. We do a good job of training our men and women fighters physically and technically, but we need to ensure they are healthy mentally as well. It is good for their overall well-being and makes us a stronger fighting force because of it. Extended cycles of deployment cause hardship for everyone. I still recall a story from my Gunnery Sergeant (“Gunny”) that sticks with me to this day. He and his wife had just had a newborn boy when he was deployed on a 6-month tour in the Asia-Pacific region. However, due to limited military personnel in the area, instead of getting to come home to his wife and son, he immediately was redeployed again, and then again before finally returning home. By the time his tours were over, his son was almost 2 years old. He had lost that time with his wife and son that they could not get back. These types of stories are not unusual for our military community. To make it even more challenging, many within our fighting force are very young and must navigate these stresses right out of high school. STREAMLINING THE VA (DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS) The VA is still struggling to serve our district’s 38,000 veterans at the level they deserve. The Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated health system in the country, serving over 9 million patients through hundreds of health facilities. A highly functioning VA is vital for taking care of our veterans’ physical and mental well-being, but it continues to fall short despite being given a larger and larger budget. They have an aging infrastructure that needs to be brought up to current technology standards so they can serve veterans more efficiently. They are also tremendously short-staffed and struggle to retain needed talent. Many successful organizations in the private sector hire outside firms to come in and analyze their business processes to become more efficient and financially profitable. I believe a similar process needs to occur with the VA to help them make changes and optimize things using the resources they have.[3] |
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| —Jeff Frankenfield's campaign website (2022)[4] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jeff Frankenfield," accessed May 14, 2022
- ↑ Jeff Frankenfield for California Congress District 24, "Meet Jeff Frankenfield," accessed May 14, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jeff Frankenfield for California Congress District 24, “Issues,” accessed May 7, 2022
