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Rodolfo Cortes Barragan
Rodolfo Cortes Barragan (Green Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 40th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on March 3, 2020.
Cortes Barragan was a Green Party candidate for the same seat in 2018. He lost the general election on November 6, 2018.
Elections
2020
See also: California's 40th Congressional District election, 2020
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 40
Incumbent Lucille Roybal-Allard defeated C. Antonio Delgado in the general election for U.S. House California District 40 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) | 72.7 | 135,572 |
 | C. Antonio Delgado (R)  | 27.3 | 50,809 | |
| Total votes: 186,381 | |||
| = 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 40
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 40 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) | 50.7 | 38,837 |
| ✔ | | C. Antonio Delgado (R) | 13.7 | 10,467 |
 | David Sanchez (D) | 13.4 | 10,256 | |
 | Anthony Felix Jr. (D) | 12.4 | 9,473 | |
 | Rodolfo Cortes Barragan (G) | 7.3 | 5,578 | |
| Michael Graham Jr. (American Independent Party of California) | 2.6 | 1,967 | ||
| Total votes: 76,578 | |||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 40
Incumbent Lucille Roybal-Allard defeated Rodolfo Cortes Barragan in the general election for U.S. House California District 40 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) | 77.3 | 93,938 |
| Rodolfo Cortes Barragan (G) | 22.7 | 27,511 | |
| Total votes: 121,449 | |||
| = 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 40
Incumbent Lucille Roybal-Allard and Rodolfo Cortes Barragan advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 40 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) | 80.3 | 35,636 |
| ✔ | | Rodolfo Cortes Barragan (G) | 19.7 | 8,741 |
| Total votes: 44,377 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rodolfo Cortes Barragan did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rodolfo Cortes Barragan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cortes Barragan's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
We need Congress to order the appropriation of funds for a National Healthcare Service, similar to the model in the United Kingdom. This doesn't mean a loss of personal choice. It means that the Congress uses its ability to order the use of public money for public purpose. It doesn't mean higher taxes. It means using our money in a wiser manner. We need to offer tuition-free public colleges and universities, just like they do in Germany. We need Congress to work with local governments to introduce more local jobs programs. There's lots of work to do in our communities, ranging from childcare to elder care, landscaping, and construction. Let's make sure every American has a good-paying job.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
We need to recognize that we are at risk of destroying our ability to live on Earth. We need to invest in education for engineers so that we can use the power of technology to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, transition to a carbon negative economy, and reforest our beautiful planet. If we don't take drastic action soon, we will not survive the challenge of climate change.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I'm a scientist. I admire Albert Einstein and Carl Sagan for their science, as well as their optimistic view of human potential.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Elected officials should have a deep drive to help their communities.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am a compassionate person of humble origins. I received a world-class education at UC Berkeley and Stanford. I would like to use my experience and training to empower all others in my community, as well as the national community more broadly.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Elected officials should strive to find ways of making life more rewarding for their constituents.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I would like future generations to know that I did my best to heal our climate.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
As a freshman at UC Berkeley, I took as job as a tutor for high schoolers at the Making Waves Educational Program in Richmond, CA.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas. It's the time of year when you can see your family and cherish what's really important.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Like so many others of my generation, J.K. Rowling's books were central to my childhood. We need to encourage today's children to immerse themselves in books, so that they may dream up better futures for themselves and our communities.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Getting an education was a struggle for me. Being working class, the only real option was loans. It's not a good option. Our economy is being dragged down by student loans. We need to bail out the students, just like we bailed out Wall Street. It's time to put money back in regular peoples' pockets.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
I favor density-based districting, not the gerrymandered maps of today. I also support increasing the number of U.S. Representatives by at least twofold. We have 1 Representative per 700,000 people. That's not a good ratio.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
The U.S. House is unique in that it controls the purse. The House can push for the appropriation (creation) of dollars to meet the needs of the nation. Unfortunately, the House is focused primarily on creating money for multi-national corporations. That needs to change. We need the House to use our money to help our families.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
People with no previous government experience can often become notable Representatives. For example, Paul Ryan had never run prior to his election to the House. He got to be elected Speaker.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
We having an aging Boomer generation, but we are not empowering Millennials to jump-start the economy. We need new solutions.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
The Appropriations Committee is the most important. It holds great influence over our national budget. We need new people and ideas on the Appropriations Committee.
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
Some people are pushing to make it three years. This would give Representatives more time to govern instead of campaign.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
We should enact term limits. We need public servants, not career politicians.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
I became active in elections beyond voting due to Bernie Sanders' run for President. He consistently fought for his constituents, and he always managed to find common ground with his colleagues.
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
There are families in Maywood, CA whose children have brain cancer resulting from the local pollution and industrial residue. We are failing these families. It's time to clean up our air, water, and soil. We need a Green New Deal to employ our population and heal our planet.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
