US Senate

Hon. Barbara Lee, US Senate | California
Website: https://barbaraleeforca.com/

US Congress

Hon. Lateefah Simon, Congress District 12 | Oakland/Berkeley
Website: https://www.lateefahsimon.com
Top 3 platform issues: Support for caregivers: Black women often bear a disproportionate burden of caregiving responsibilities for their family and communities. Ensuring adequate support for caregivers is crucial for us as it directly impacts our health and wellness, our economic opportunities, and our ability to fully participate in the workforce.

CA State Legislature

Hon. Jovanka Beckles, Senate District 9 | Oakland/RichmondWebsite: https://jovanka4casenate.com/
Top 3 platform issues: Reparations, Affordable Housing and Healthcare.
The average white family has approximately 10 times the amount of wealth as the average Black family, a statistic that demands that we hold the US government accountable for reparations. Reparations are, after all, deferred wealth that should be redistributed to the Black families and communities that built this country. They are a crucial component to restoring equity of the American Dream. When we see the homelessness and encampments in our state, coupled with stagnant wages and a shrinking and competitive job market that rarely offers living wages to the average worker, there is simply no getting around the fact that it has become an absolute necessity to fight for affordable housing. During the early months of the global coronavirus pandemic, we saw a disproportionate amount of Black Americans die from COVID-19 due to pre-existing health conditions. Those pre-existing health conditions exist in our community due to a lack of widely available quality healthcare, which should and must be made available for all people.

Ms. Sade Elhawary, Senate District 57 | Los Angeles
Website: https://sadeforassembly.com/
Top 3 platform issues: 1) improving outcomes for our youth with better public schools, debt-free higher education, the development of youth workforce programs, criminal legal reform, and climate action
2) passing universal health care—and making sure we build into our universal health care provisions for comprehensive reproductive care, mental health care, and substance-use treatment; and
3) delivering on the commitment that housing is a human right by creating affordable housing and taking the steps needed to end the root causes of houselessness.

Hon. Michelle Chambers, Senate District 35 | Los Angeles
Website: https://chambers4senate.com/

Ms. Phlunte Riddle, Assembly District 41 | Pasadena
Website: https://www.phlunteriddleforassembly.com
Top 3 platform issues: 1) We must ensure that when families choose to have children, they have the resources to care for their kids, including helping them with paid family leave, access to high-quality health care, and affordable childcare. The recent pandemic brought to light many of the inequities within childcare for communities of different socioeconomic levels. I will work every day to expand universal preschool. Our early childhood education system currently rewards the wealthy and well-connected. When I speak with youth offenders, too often, they weren't afforded the opportunity to attend preschool, nor did they have after school programs. If we want to create a more equitable and safe state, we need to make early childhood education and youth programs accessible to every family.

2) Our region’s homelessness crisis is in a state of emergency. With an expensive housing market, economic instability, and increased demand for mental health services, our work is cut out for us. We must act with urgency and go “All In” on solutions. We need to confront the complexities and root causes of homelessness, such as mental illness and drug addiction, and build response teams like Pasadena’s Police Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (H.O.P.E.) Team. Our officers need the training and resources to address these multi-layered issues. I will also help prioritize moving people off the street and into supportive housing with access to wrap-around mental health and social services. I am 100% behind LA Mayor Karen Bass’ state of emergency over homelessness and support the permanent housing model that strives to match the individual to the services they need while also providing housing.

3) We need a rehabilitation system that requires a correctional system that is focused on seamless re-entry to society. When parolees can’t access good-paying jobs or stable housing, we know they are more likely to re-offend. I support funding for wraparound rehabilitation services, quality and accessible mental health care, and transitional supportive housing so that we have the apparatus in place to support long-term solutions to recidivism and crime.

Hon. Rhodesia Ransom, Senate District 5 | Stockton
Website: https://www.voteransom.com
Top 3 platform issues: Education, Housing Affordability & Homelessness, and Mental Healthcare.

Dr. LaShae Sharp Collins, Assembly District 79 | San Diego
Website: http://www.lashaeforassembly.com
Top 3 platform issues: Equity in Education: Investing in education is critical to closing the opportunity gap and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality education regardless of their background or zip code. As an educator, I know first-hand how important it is to invest in our schools, teachers, and students. 

Addressing Homelessness for All: California has the largest homeless population in the country, with over 160,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given day. Addressing homelessness is crucial to addressing the growing crisis in the state, especially among seniors, veterans, and youth.

Environmental Justice: District 79 has a high percentage of low-income residents and communities of color, which are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards. Environmental justice is critical to ensuring that all communities have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. 

Hon. Sandre Swanson, Senate District 9 | Oakland/Richmond
Website: http://www.sandreswanson.net
Top 3 platform issues: Making education California’s number one budget priority; Continuing our work to rescue our children from human traffickers and stopping its support of an underground economy of crime in our cities; Improving housing affordability and ending the homeless crisis in California. 

Education: As a Member of the Assembly Budget Committee on Education Finance, I worked hard to make education California’s top budgetary priority. California needs to be in the top 10% in the nation in school funding, classroom resources, teacher’s pay, health and retirement benefits. Students of color would benefit most from an  effective learning environment and full-service schools.

Human Trafficking: I led the State’s efforts to rescue our children from Human Traffickers—some children as young as 12 years old. and my bills increased funding for wrap-around services for our most at risk-youth. This insidious enterprise is funding the underground economy of crime and contributing to the increase in criminal activities in our cities. I am committed to continuing my work to rescue our children who are mostly female, 40% of which are African Americans young girls. This is modern day slavery and I am committed to stopping it.

Homeless Crisis: Homeless encampments are growing daily. We are losing control of our streets with an increasing environmental hazard of trash and waste. We no longer provide safe city parks for our children. Now a criminal element is victimizing the unhoused, particularly women and children. This violence is spreading to the general population and must stop. History has shown my hard-fought opposition to the elimination of redevelopment funds was right and, in the Senate, I would like to fix our current housing and homeless crisis. solving the homeless problem is California’s moral imperative and I will lead a humanitarian effort to fix this as your State Senator.