Federal
Senate (short and regular term)- Alex Padilla. He’s done fine as a Senator, and the policies he’s pushed for on abortion, climate change and preserving Democracy are a closer fit to my values than his opponent.
US Representative, District 8- John Garamendi. He’s done a good job as a congressmember and directed resources to Pinole in particular. The laws he has pushed for on abortion and voting rights earn him my support.
State
Governor- Gavin Newsom. I would prefer that he more strongly back single-payer healthcare, but he’s done a good job taking the state through Covid-19 so far.
Lieutenant Governor- Eleni Kounalakis. As her statement notes, she’s fought to block new oil development, which is critical to fight climate change. Her desired policies (in the event of Newsom’s retirement or election to another office) are closer to what I would prefer than Jacobs’.
Secretary of State- Shirley Weber. She’s done a good job at expanding and maintaining ballot access, given the limitations of our county-based elections systems. For example, Contra Costa County is not a part of the Voter’s Choice Act system, but that’s a county-level decision, not a state-level one.
Controller- Malia Cohen. She has experience doing statewide auditing work through her current role as head of the Board of Equalization, and explicitly promises to ensure that tax credits claimed by major corporations are actually used for their intended purpose (her platform, page 2- PDF), and to push for effective, audited climate action (pages 4 and 5, ibid).
Treasurer- Fiona Ma. Seems to have managed the state’s funds well, has the right background experience for the job by her statement.
Attorney General- Rob Bonta. He’s done a good job as Attorney General, fighting for the issues I care about- voting rights in particular, as seen here. His priorities- fighting ghost guns, for Roe V Wade, and against polluters and pharma companies by his statement seem worthwhile.
Insurance Commissioner- None. My objections to Ricardo Lara from the primary remain- he’s still under investigation by the FPPC to the best of my ability to determine for redirecting funds from insurance companies he regulates into independent action groups working to support his re-election. I don’t see how being a cybersecurity equipment manufacturer qualifies Robert Howell to be Insurance Commissioner. Therefore, I will be leaving this portion of the ballot blank.
Superintendent of Public Instruction- Tony Thurmond. He’s had to deal with incredibly challenging conditions with Covid-19, and in my opinion has earned another term.
Board of Equalization, District 2- Sally J. Lieber. She worked at the state and local levels to fight for equity, and wants to make sure that property tax burdens aren’t shifted off of the major corporations and on to the rest of us by her statement.
State Assembly, District 14- Buffy Wicks. She’s continued to impress in her work fighting for equity in housing, workplaces and welfare.
Judicial- in my opinion, we should vote to retain unless there is clear evidence of failure to perform their duties by the justices. I haven’t seen any evidence of such, so I will vote yes for all.
Local
Clerk-Recorder: Kristen Connelly. She hasn’t taken down her opponent’s signs, and her opponent has. It’s important that the clerk-recorder of all local officials conduct their campaign with integrity.
Pinole City Council: Rafael Menis, Anthony Tave, Cameron Sasai. I’ve been fighting for a more sustainable and just Pinole for years, but there’s limits to what I can do as a citizen, or even as a planning commissioner. I ask for your vote to build a more transparent, engaged and resilient Pinole.
Anthony Tave is a great guy who has done important work with integrity on the council. Cameron Sasai’s passion and vision for Pinole is an inspiration.
Rafael's thoughts 