New Assembly Member To Represent Aptos, By Jondi Gumz • Gail Pel lerin Runs for Assembly

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COMMUNITY NEWS

New Assembly Member To Represent Aptos

By Jondi Gumz

Aptos voters are in the new 30th Assembly District, which will represent coastal areas from Live Oak and Capitola to Rio del Mar and La Selva Beach to Monterey, Seaside, Marina and Pacific Grove to San Luis Obispo – and there is no incumbent.

To meet prospective constituents 160 miles, the candidates may have to do a lot of driving.

Candidates in the June 7 primary are:

Dawn Addis, a teacher, mom and Morro Bay City Council member, who cofounded the 2017 Women’ March in her community. She contends that California can afford to meet the basic needs of every Californian.

Zoe Carter of Monterey, operations director of the Monterey County Business Council. Her priorities ae mental health training for police and teachers, clean drinking water and investing in infrastructure.

Vicki Nohrden of Monterey, a family advocate. She wants fewer government regulations, fewer mandates for schools and one-stop shop help for unhoused people with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Jon Wizard, Seaside City Council member. He advocates a statewide climate resiliency plan, offshore wind energy, and change in the Local Control Funding Formula for schools.

The 30th, created through redistricting, is dominated by San Luis Obispo County, then Monterey County. Santa Cruz County voters comprise 17 percent of the district.

Meanwhile Corralitos and Watsonville are the new 28th District after redistricting.

Incumbent Robert Rivas, 42, grandson of a farmworker is chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.

“Assembly” page 16

Gail Pellerin Runs for Assembly

For 27 years, Gail Pellerin ran elections in Santa Cruz County. This year, she is running for office — State Assembly, the newly redrawn 28th District, which includes Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley and Los Gatos, Cambrian Park and Morgan Hill, but not Aptos, which in the 29th District.

State Assemblymember Mark Stone, who has represented much of the county since 2012, is not seeking re-election.

Pellerin’s priorities include addressing affordable housing, ensuring that health care is universal and accessible, providing mental health care services to youth, and keeping California as a world leader in addressing climate change.

“And most importantly right now, our democracy is under attack and I want to take the fight for the right to vote to the state level,” she said.

Stone has endorsed her. So has Assemblymember Robert Rivas, who represents the southern parts of Santa Cruz County, and State Senator John Laird, who represents Santa Cruz County.

She also has support from Congressman Jimmy Panetta, retired congressman Sam Farr, and retired state senator Bill Monning.

Joseph Thompson filed preliminary paperwork to run, but did not make his contact information available.

“Although this was a difficult decision, it is made easier by having an incredible candidate to step forward in Gail Pellerin,” said Stone.