On the Issues
Building Affordable Housing
Housing should be affordable and attainable for everyone. However, housing costs have become increasingly unaffordable in California, forcing people to struggle with paying for other living expenses, face eviction from their homes, or relocate to other states. People should have the opportunity to live where they grew up, near where they work, and near their friends and family, without worrying about housing costs. Thus, we need to pursue policies that would build more affordable housing in California so that everyone, not just the super wealthy, can live in this great state. Chris will fight for:
Cutting red tape and streamlining permitting so we can build more affordable homes faster, especially homes near jobs and transit.
Ending exclusionary zoning so that all types of housing, especially missing middle housing, can be built in our communities, so that people can have a choice in which types of homes they want to live in.
Holding communities that refuse to build or delay building affordable housing accountable, especially those that have received taxpayer funds from the state to do so.
Supporting struggling renters by expanding tenant protections and policies that lead to less displacement.
Ending Homelessness
Homelessness is a major humanitarian crisis, and too many Californians are sleeping on the streets without our policymakers doing anything about it. We cannot accept having encampments in our parks and people suffering on our streets as the “new normal” or something we have to “get used to.” Additionally, too much of our taxpayers' dollars have been spent trying to solve this issue without much to show for it. Chris will fight for:
Building more affordable housing not just to prevent people who can’t afford to pay rent from being homeless, but also to create a pipeline that will rehouse homeless individuals.
Cutting through red tape and building more supportive housing and treatment centers faster.
Expanding behavioral health services so those with mental health issues and addictions can get off our streets and get the care they need.
Investigating state agencies and local officials that have wasted billions of funds without results, and instead tying future funds to performance.
Raising Wages
California is becoming increasingly unaffordable for people to live in. Whether you’re a union worker, a small business owner, or a person who just graduated from school, you deserve to live in an economy where hard work pays off. Additionally, while costs continue to rise, wages remain stagnant, and we need innovative solutions to ensure that workers and businesses can thrive. Chris will fight for:
Investing in union apprenticeships, trades training, and partnerships between local businesses and schools so that more people can have the option to access good-paying jobs without having to get a college degree to do so.
Supporting small businesses that create good jobs by offering tax credits and grants.
Enforcing fair labor practices by cracking down on wage theft and misclassification of workers.
Having your paycheck pay more by reducing costs such as housing, child care, groceries, and other necessities.
Resisting Trump
While Chris will work with anyone who wants to improve the lives of Californians, including Donald Trump, the Trump Administration is determined to punish us rather than try to improve our lives. From unconstitutionally cutting federal funding to the state to terrorizing hardworking immigrant communities, Trump wants to erode California’s economic well-being, civil rights protections, and our democracy. Thus, California needs all the tools and necessary resources to push back against Trump’s federal overreach. Chris will fight for:
Giving the California DOJ the resources it needs to sue the Trump administration if Trump acts against California unconstitutionally.
Teaming up with other states and local governments to push back against the Trump administration and presenting a united front against federal overreach.
Ensuring that California’s sanctuary and privacy laws that limit cooperation from federal law enforcement agencies, such as ICE, are enforced, and being firm towards municipalities that refuse to respect California’s sanctuary policies.
Advocacy to protect marginalized groups under attack from the Trump administration, such as the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.
Combating Climate Change
Climate change represents an existential threat to the planet, with rising temperatures posing a significant challenge to our ability to live sustainably. From uncontrollable wildfires to blistering heat waves, California needs to take action now to prevent the worst effects of climate change from negatively impacting our health and way of life. As such, we need policies that will help protect the environment against climate change while boosting our economy and not leaving anyone behind in the process. Chris will fight for:
Investing in more renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and battery storage, creating good-paying, union jobs in the process.
Offering tax credits and rebates for home energy efficiency, water upgrades, and EVs.
Preserving California’s waiver to set stricter emissions standards, even if Republicans in Washington attempt to override it unconstitutionally.
Boosting funding for wildfire protection, such as allocating more resources to CalFire and local firefighting agencies, investing in wildfire readiness and prevention programs, and preparing for extreme heat.
Expanding Abortion Access
Despite the overturn of Roe vs Wade in 2022, California voters have codified the right to an abortion and contraceptives in the California State Constitution, ensuring that reproductive freedom will always be protected in the state. However, it is not enough to have abortion be the law of the land; abortion access should be expanded so it is accessible for everyone. Everyone must have access to reproductive freedom, especially low-income communities, rural residents, and people traveling from out-of-state. As such, our Assembly District needs a representative who will vote to ensure reproductive care is a reality for everyone, protect patients and providers, and ensure that cost is not a barrier. Chris will fight for:
Expanding abortion access in areas where reproductive care is hardest to reach by supporting clinics and providers in these areas, such as in low-income and rural communities.
Protecting patient privacy by strengthening data privacy laws so no one can be shamed or punished when receiving reproductive care, especially those from out-of-state who fear retribution from states with abortion bans.
Reducing costs by expanding Medi-Cal coverage and limiting out-of-pocket expenses for abortion and contraceptives.
Investing in the reproductive care workforce by providing training programs for nurses, doctors, physician assistants, OBGYNs, and others on implementing reproductive care for their patients.
Supporting Unions
Unions are the backbone of the middle class, and they are essential to rebuilding the middle class in California today. However, wages have not kept pace with productivity, and income inequality has worsened, with the rich becoming even richer while the poor and middle class continue to struggle financially. Unions not only ensure that workers are paid a fair wage but also ensure that workers work under safer working conditions, receive healthcare benefits, and have better retirement security. Chris will fight for:
Supporting public sector workers such as teachers, nurses, and firefighters by defending collective bargaining rights.
Closing loopholes that prevent independent contractors from having labor protections, and fighting against the misclassification of workers.
Cracking down on union-busting tactics by implementing more substantial penalties towards employers who intimidate, retaliate, and fire workers for unionizing.
Preventing California from implementing union-busting laws and practices, such as the so-called “right to work” legislation that serves to weaken unions.
Prioritizing Education
Every child deserves the best possible education, regardless of their socioeconomic status or zip code. Providing children with the best education possible begins with supporting our public schools and their dedicated teachers, and opposing any efforts that aim to defund our schools. Education should also prepare every student for success in the future, whether they choose to attend college, pursue a trade, or enter the workforce directly after graduation. Chris will fight for:
Investing in our public schools so that every school has the funding, resources, and staff it needs, regardless of neighborhood or ZIP code.
Giving our teachers competitive salaries for spending countless hours educating our children.
Implementing the same transparency and accountability standards for charter schools so that students in charter schools can get the same quality education as every other student.
Opposing school privatization schemes found in other states that seek to take money away from public schools and give it to wealthy, inaccessible private schools.
Defending Civil Rights
Every Californian has the right to live with equality, safety, and dignity, regardless of their background, identity, or legal status. Unfortunately, our civil liberties are being attacked across the country. Thus, California needs to be a model for protecting immigrants, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people of color, and everyone who has been marginalized and targeted. Chris will fight for:
Protecting immigrant communities by upholding California’s sanctuary laws and rejecting any effort to force California to cooperate with federal immigration crackdowns.
Upholding LGBTQ+ rights by strengthening anti-discrimination laws and protecting LGBTQ+ youth and adults from harassment, discrimination, and exclusion, and pushing back against hateful actions against the LGBTQ+ community.
Addressing racial justice by fighting disparities in housing, education, health, policing, and quality of life, as well as ensuring representation among all groups.
Expanding voting rights so voting can be easier and more accessible, as well as preventing local governments and officials from gerrymandering their seats, so that every vote counts.