Carla Neal
Carla Neal (Democratic Party) ran for election to the California State Assembly to represent District 5. She lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Neal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Neal is a graduate from Vermont Law School with a master’s degree in environmental law and policy. She is also a graduate of San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and holds a master's degree from Fresno State University in education and literacy. Neal is an educator and small business owner.[1]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 5
Incumbent Frank Bigelow defeated Carla Neal in the general election for California State Assembly District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Frank Bigelow (R) | 59.9 | 106,791 |
 | Carla Neal (D)  | 40.1 | 71,488 | |
| Total votes: 178,279 | |||
| = 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 California State Assembly District 5
Incumbent Frank Bigelow and Carla Neal advanced from the primary for California State Assembly District 5 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Frank Bigelow (R) | 62.4 | 72,983 |
| ✔ | | Carla Neal (D) | 37.6 | 43,983 |
| Total votes: 116,966 | |||
| = 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
2018
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
My political philosophy is liberal progressive. I believe in in person, one vote for a democratic republic, equality for all, human and civil rights for all and in the rule of law. Is there anything you would like to add? I want to listen and serve my constituents interests and not the special interests. [2] |
” |
| —Carla Neal[1] | ||
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Carla Neal participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 29, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Carla Neal's responses follow below.[3]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1. Making sure everyone has access to a first class public education; i.e., Prek-12, trade schools, colleges and Universities
2. Restructuring the economy for benefit of working families so there are well paying jobs for everyone while providing for a healthy environment; i.e., a Single-payer State of California Healthcare system 3. Reforming politics by getting big money out, cleaning up gridlock and corruption. i.e.,protect our public lands, ecosystems and communities from dark money funded special interests from exploitation, pollution, and injustice within Assembly District 5 and in California.[4][2] |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I am personally passionate about education for all, healthcare for all, sustainable communities, clean water, air and soil, and public open spaces, parks, expanding climate change solutions and renewable energy, good jobs that for all working people so our children also can stay in the district, respect all workers with living wages for families, affordable and non-discriminatory housing throughout AD 5 , equality and environmental and social justice as well as Community Restorative Justice.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[2]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Carla Neal answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | There are several women and men, I especially look up to:
1. I look up to Anita Roddick, Educator, Political Activist and Founder of the Body Shop 2. I look up to Malala Yousafzai, Malala Foundation, Advocate for Women's' rights and Education for all, especially girls and women around the world. 3. I look up to Gayle McLaughlin, Former Mayor of Richmond and CA Candidate, She is of the people and gets the job done! 4. I adore, Rachel Carson, Biologist and Writer, Mother of the Environmental movement she advanced worldwide. 5. I dearly love and look up to my mom and my dad; respectfully, my mother for her sweetness, generosity and work ethic and my dad for his humor, gentleness and his calm and steady manner his whole life. (my sister, Candy for her humor and light spirit and my daughter, Olivia for her gentle smile, sense of humor, intelligence, patience, respectful & kindheart for all and tireless work ethic ) 5. I look up to President Barack Obama, as the smartest and best President ever elected in my lifetime, for his great speeches and his early vision for peace, which needs more work globally today and development of HR 1111 and a department of Peacebuilding. 6. I look up to Martin Luther King for his leadership for his people's rights (along with Malcolm X and many others), his message of love and quality for all and his recognition of the need for a poor people's campaign, which is presently active and gaining large membership in an important movement in the face of economic unprecedented economic injustices negatively impacting labor, the middle class and the poor everywhere, and particularly more so, for African American and Latinas/Latinos in America and worldwide. I am happy to see, the Christian Left, and Bishop William Barber speaking passionately about truth of what it means to protect the poor and disadvantaged as part of a better alternative to our true legacy, our moral compass and/or religious faith. 7. I look up to Senator Bernie Sanders, who is the most honest and caring Politician for all the people, I have ever seen in my lifetime. 8. I look up to Stephen Smith, my partner, who understands the importance of rule of law in our nation and is very supportive of me, even with his disabilities and own challenges in life. 9. I look up to many regional and local delegates, political and peace activists, grassroots environmental organizers, renewable energy experts, tree huggers and many, many moms for who love and support our children every moment and are tireless workers for California, America, Internationally and for our common good everywhere. 10. I look up to family farmer and poet Wendell Berry and his words of wisdom.[2] |
” |
| “ | I would recommend the Book by Naomi Klein, Shock Doctrine, the rise of disaster capitalism and any of her work, in Journalism, Literature or Documentaries as she addresses.
I would recommend Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick. I recommend people read often...anything and everything they choose and can get their hands onto. (I am a reading teacher!)[2] |
” |
| “ | I think a candidate and elected officeholder should represent the people, our common wealth and good, and should listen to constituents interests and take those concerns and cares to Sacramento, this is what I will do if I am fortunate to be elected to Assembly District 5.[2] | ” |
| “ | I possess the ability to list to the people in my district and to serve them with honesty and transparency of my actions that may impact their lives positively is my goal.[2] | ” |
| “ | I beleive the core responsibilities are to show up for work, be there for floor votes, listen to constituents and put their best ideas into the legislative hopper to make good laws happen for our common wealth and sustainability as a region and country. I am up for the tasks.[2] | ” |
| “ | I would like to see California move from 45th in the nation in Public Education to the top 10 in excellent First Class Schools for all students----with student and parents inputs, elected boards, a broad Liberal Arts Curriculum that prepares students for the future, teacher work and environment respect, safe and friendly workplaces for all and balanced budgets and fully funded programs. I want to help pass and create a happy population of all Californians because we have a State Healthcare for all program that serves the people with comprehensive health care, is hugely successful and influences other states and the Federal Government to replicate and expand upon for good.[2] | ” |
| “ | Yes, I think experience in any work, yet our current President never served in elected office and so society does not always value education, experience or qualifications. Unfortunately, who you know and often who has money has become the norm.[2] | ” |
| “ | I think implementing our state healthcare program, providing working class jobs with living wages and decent retirements, keeping public education strong while keeping the world's fifth largest economy stable and simultaneously managing damage control of the Republicans environmental deregulation and oligarchy tax scam and still protect the environment, water, air and soil from Climate change are our greatest needs and challenges.[2] | ” |
| “ | I think a trifecta of democrats is the ideal relationship with the governor and the legislature, especially at this time in California's history to get things done in our Rural districts too and to Resist Trump and the Republicans that are too extremist and leaning towards a more corporate state.[2] | ” |
| “ | As a candidate canvassing in my home county, I flipped a non-compliant Democrat in the City of Madera who was ""anti-abortion"" and very religious after convincingly explaining to the woman that Pro-Choice means whether to decide for or against abortion, Democrats will protect the woman's right to decide privately with her physician about her medical care, and emphasized that there are countries like China were the government may impose abortion on a woman, but not here in the USA. I convinced her that government should play no roll in that decision. The light turned on in that woman's eyes.[2] | ” |
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- California State Assembly elections, 2018
- California State Assembly
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on May 28, 2018
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Carla Neal's responses," May 29, 2018
