State Offices – 2022 Primary – INDIVISIBLE VENTURA

Note: this post will be periodically updated! (05/26/2022)

QUICK LINKS TO: Federal candidates, State candidates, County candidates, Local Measures, Voting/registration information, Ballot drop-off locations, In-person voting locations, Other voting guides/endorsements.

NOTE ON PRIMARY VOTING: The top two vote-getters for state and federal offices will compete again in November.

Ventura County has switched to a new election model ahead of California’s June 7 primary, swapping neighborhood polling places with mail-in ballots and more voting days.

The June primary will be the county’s first election under the Voter’s Choice Act, which requires that mail-in ballots be provided to all registered voters and extends in-person voting days but reduces the number of voting locations. The county has had similar rules during the COVID pandemic and saw turnout reach a record high of nearly 86% in November 2020.

Due to the 2020 census, districts have been redrawn. YOUR district may have changed. Check new 2021 maps for Board of Supervisors, Assembly, State Senate, Congress

Governor

Gavin Newsom – Governor of CA – (D)

Age: 54
City of residence: San Francisco/Fair Oaks
Occupation: Businessman/Mayor of SF/ LG of ÇA/ Gov of CA
Education: Santa Clara University
Funding: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/70386/gavin-newsom
Website: https://gavinnewsom.com
Full endorsement list here.

Additional comments:

(LATimes) Endorsement: Give Newsom a second term
(San Francisco Examiner) Endorsement: Gavin Newsom the clear (and only) choice for California governor. Newsom has done a good job in crisis and is running virtually unopposed
(mercurynews.com) Editorial: Gov. Gavin Newsom deserve another four-year term. The best of 26 California primary candidates, he should be credited for his successes and criticized for his failures.
(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Fresh off his resounding win in last year’s recall race, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is almost certainly going to win reelection to a second four-year term. For LGBTQ residents in the Golden State, that is a good thing. Newsom has consistently been a strong ally to the community, dating from his days as San Francisco mayor when he helped launch the nationwide fight for marriage equality by ordering city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
- As governor, Newsom has signed significant pro-LGBTQ bills into law. Last year these included bills requiring big stores to have gender-neutral toy aisles; allowing marriage and children’s birth certificates to be updated to reflect their legal name and gender in a way that protects their privacy; and requiring public colleges and universities to stop deadnaming trans and nonbinary students on their diplomas and academic records. Over his first term in office the governor also signed a controversial bill ensuring LGBTQ adolescents are treated the same as their heterosexual peers when faced with the possibility of being listed on the state’s sex offender registry. And there are many others.
- We expect his pro-LGBTQ stance to continue in his second term. But one piece of legislation that he hasn’t signed yet is an important one. Senate Bill 357, the Safer Streets for All Act, was delayed last year even though it passed out of the Legislature. Co-authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), it would repeal California Penal Code Section 653.22, the law that criminalizes loitering for the intent to engage in sex work. It also allows those convicted of loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, particularly the Black women and transgender individuals often targeted under the law, to have their records sealed. Wiener told us earlier this year the bill would head to Newsom’s desk “soon,” but that hasn’t happened yet, likely due to some concerns on the part of the governor. We urge him to sign this legislation.
- Newsom has governed well over these last four years. He instituted measures to help manage the COVID pandemic and has repeatedly stood up for California values and equality for all and confronted pushback from Republican governors like Ron DeSantis of Florida. He has appointed qualified LGBTQ people to various roles in his administration, including the courts, and has the state on the right track. We recommend Newsom for governor.

Lieutenant Governor

Eleni Kounalakis – Lieutenant Governor of CA – (D)

Age: 56
City of resident: San Francisco
Occupation: Businesswoman/Ambassador to Hungary/LG of ÇA
Education: Dartmouth University, UC Berkeley
Funding: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/179456/eleni-kounalakis
Website: https://www.eleniforca.com

(Asbarez) ANCA-WR Endorses Eleni Kounalakis for Lieutenant Governor of California
(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Eleni Kounalakis (D) has no strong opposition and should easily win reelection. She has been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community. Last fall she announced the formation of a transgender advisory panel. While that is a good thing, we haven’t heard much about its work since its formation. At the time there was no one from a San Francisco-based agency on it, which we opined about at the time. She also passed up a chance to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community when she declined to comment to us about top Hungarian diplomats who had their photo taken in San Francisco City Hall last August (she was the U.S. ambassador there during the Obama administration). That drew the ire of some Hungarian Americans and LGBTQ leaders because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long been on an anti-LGBTQ tirade that shows no signs of abating now that he’s won reelection.
- On the positive side, Kounalakis last year co-sponsored legislation that benefits the community. Assembly Bill 387, by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), eliminated gendered language referencing constitutional officers. Newsom signed it into law.
- We hope Kounalakis can be more proactive in terms of LGBTQ issues in her second term.

Mohammad Arif – (Peace and Freedom)

(San Francisco League of Pissed off Voters) Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis had a full career as a housing developer of master planned Sacramento communities, which you’d think wouldn’t affect her largely ceremonial role as Lieutenant Governor of California. But Kounalakis has raised millions from developers and other special interests for this practically unopposed office. And as Lt. Governor, she sits on the state’s College Trustee Boards. So it’s not surprising that as UC Regent she voted for a massive UC Berkeley student housing development in People’s Park. As a San Francisco resident, Kounalakis has an ex-officio voting seat on the local Democratic Party’s Central County Committee where her votes have been disappointing- voting against endorsing local progressives for the Democratic Party candidate slate.

Mohammed Arif is a Peace and Freedom Party veteran – an organizer from Kern County, endorsed by various county Green parties as part of the Left Unity Slate. Arif is running on a platform of free education, free healthcare, full rights for immigrants and environmental restoration. He calls out Kounalakis as a wealthy developer, and we support his radical call to tax the rich. Vote Mohammad Arif for Lieutenant Governor.

Secretary of State, State of California

Shirley N. Weber – Appointed Secretary of State, CA – (D)

Age: 73
City of residence: San Diego
Occupation: Current CA Secretary of State, CA State Assemblymember, Educator
Education: UCLA
Funding:
Complete list of endorsements:
Website: https://drshirleyweber.com

(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Shirley Weber, Ph.D., a Democratic former assemblymember from San Diego, was named the state’s chief elections officer by Newsom last year after he appointed Alex Padilla, her predecessor, to the U.S. Senate to replace Kamala Harris when she assumed the vice presidency. In the Assembly, Weber worked on criminal justice reforms and has been a great ally to the LGBTQ community. As chair of the Assembly Black Caucus, Weber in 2020 joined with state Senator Scott Wiener in the successful effort to have Newsom posthumously pardon gay Black civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who had been arrested in Pasadena in 1953 on vagrancy charges.

As secretary of state, Weber states on her campaign website that she is committed to making California the national leader in running inclusive, trustworthy, and transparent elections — expanding the franchise to more of our citizens, ensuring election security, and empowering voters to make informed decisions.

We recommend Weber for a full term as secretary of state.

Controller, State of California

(Indivisible Conejo): With incumbent Betty Yee termed out, several qualified candidates have thrown their hats in the ring. Democrats Steve Glazer and Ron Galperin have won some endorsements, and the L.A. Times thinks Republican Lanhee Chen would be a good watchdog on Democrats’ spending. But Cohen, chair of the state Board of Equalization, is a highly qualified, charismatic rising star in the Democratic Party, who has earned the backing of most of the state’s elected Dems.

Malia Cohen – Current Chair of CA State Board of Equalization (D)

Age: 44
City of residence: San Francisco
Occupation: Chair of the CA State Board of Equalization from the 2nd district, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Education: Fisk University, Carnegie Mellon
Funding:
Complete list of endorsements: https://maliacohen.us/endorsements/
Website: https://maliacohen.us
Sample of Malia Cohen’s endorsements below

Ron Galperin – Current Los Angeles Controller (D)

(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Ron Galperin (D) is a gay man who currently serves as controller and chief financial officer for the city of Los Angeles. He is a son of immigrants and was L.A.’s first citywide LGBTQ elected official. He stated in his endorsement questionnaire that he has transformed the office by “launching independent, hard-hitting audits — rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; exposing misspent funds to address homelessness.” He stated that California needs a controller “with the experience and credibility to safeguard the people’s dollars — and to strengthen the financial health of all Californians.”

Another candidate in the race is Malia Cohen, a Democrat who is a former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco police commissioner, and currently chair of the Board of Equalization, the state’s tax administrative body. In her endorsement questionnaire she said she would direct state funds to be invested in resources that uplift historically marginalized communities and sustainable investment sectors. Cohen has been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community, but on balance, we think Galperin has more direct experience.

Treasurer, State of California

Fiona Ma – Treasurer of California – (D)

Age: 56
City of residence: San Francisco
Occupation: Current Treasurer of California, Chair of the California Board of Equalization, Speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly
Education: Rochester Institute of Technology,
Golden Gate University,
Pepperdine University
Funding:
Complete list of endorsements: https://www.fionama.com/endorsements
Website: https://www.fionama.com
Sample of Ma’s endorsements below. See her huge list here.

(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Fiona Ma, a Democrat and former San Francisco supervisor and assemblymember, is seeking reelection as the state’s treasurer, the state’s chief investment officer. She stated on her campaign website that in her first term, “we refinanced billions of dollars of bonds to save California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars that were reinvested back into critical public services.” She stated, “I will continue to invest California’s money in a socially responsible manner and ensure our state is on sound financial footing. I will continue to prioritize funding for health care, housing, jobs, the environment and our schools, while making it easier for Californians to afford college and retirement.”

Ma, a certified public accountant, has no serious opposition in deep-blue California. One cause for concern, however, is a lawsuit filed by a former staff member alleging wrongful termination. In the complaint, Judith Blackwell alleges sexual harassment. Other records obtained by the Sacramento Bee show that Ma regularly shared hotel rooms with staffers; she said it was to save the state money, other experts say it crossed an ethical line. Ma says the lawsuit claims are without merit.

Ma has done a good job as treasurer but we hope that she will maintain clearer boundaries with her staff.

Attorney General, State of California

Rob Bonta – Attorney General of California – (D)

Age: 49
City of residence: San Francisco
Occupation: Current AG of California, Former CA Assemblymember, Deputy City Attorney in San Francisco
Education: Yale University
Funding: https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=13008519
Complete list of endorsements: https://robbonta.com/endorsements/
Website: https://robbonta.com

Additional comments:

(LATimes) Endorsement: Rob Bonta has earned a full term as California attorney general
(Indivisible Conejo) Bonta’s reformist ideas have made him a target for Republicans hoping to exploit Californians’ fears about crime.
(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): Like Weber, Attorney General Rob Bonta was nominated by Newsom after the previous AG, Xavier Becerra, was tapped by President Joe Biden to be his health and human services secretary. Bonta, a Democrat, previously represented part of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro in the Assembly. He was the only AG candidate to return our endorsement questionnaire, and in it, he stated that he’s committed to protecting the civil rights of all Californians, “including California’s vibrant LGBTQ+ communities.” He stated that he will continue to prioritize criminal justice reform, and racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- One of Bonta’s chief opponents is Anne Marie Schubert, a lesbian who’s the Sacramento County district attorney and the sister of Frank Schubert, one of the masterminds behind Proposition 8, the now overturned California same-sex marriage ban. Schubert is running as an independent but has a more conservative view of law enforcement and would likely take the state away from recent successful legislative efforts to hold police officers accountable.
- Bonta stated that the state needs to build upon community policing as that is a way to build trust in communities. “Law enforcement agencies should resemble the communities they serve,” he stated. He also said he has taken steps as AG to accelerate the public release of peace officer use-of-force and misconduct records that are in the state Department of Justice’s possession.
- Bonta has done a good job so far as the state’s top law enforcement official. We recommend him for a full four-year term.

Insurance Commissioner, State of California

Ricardo Lara – CA Insurance Commissioner (D)

Age:
City of residence:
Occupation: CA Insurance Commissioner
Education:
Funding:
Website: https://ricardolara.com
Sample list of endorsements below. Complete list of endorsements: https://ricardolara.com/endorsements/

Additional comments:

(Indivisible Conejo): Lara, who set off a minor scandal by accepting campaign contributions from insurance companies, faces stiff bipartisan competition–including a challenge from Democratic assemblymember Marc Levine. But Lara has performed his job well.

Marc Levine – Member. CA State Assembly (D)

Sample list of endorsements below. Complete list of endorsements here.

Additional comments:

(LATimes) Endorsement: Marc Levine for state insurance commissioner
(sfchronicle) Endorsement: Ricardo Lara has to go. Vote Marc Levine for California insurance commissioner
(Sacbee/no pay wall) Sacramento Bee Editorial: “California needs an insurance commissioner with ethics. This candidate could restore trust”
(The Mercury News) Editorial: Elect Levine to end Lara’s insurance commissioner scandals. California needs consumer protection, not partying, dining, and cozying up with industry lobbyists and executives.
(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism) Editorial: Endorsements for CA offices: We wanted to recommend current Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara (D) for another term. A gay man, he was the first LGBTQ person to win election to statewide office four years ago and shattered that pink glass ceiling. But Lara has had a rocky tenure beset by ethical scandals dating back to 2019. He accepted industry campaign contributions in excess of $270,000 from 56 different sources with ties to the insurance industry and he has intervened in cases involving donors, as multiple news outlets have reported.
- Enter Marc Levine, a Democratic assemblymember who represents Marin and Sonoma counties in the North Bay. In his questionnaire, he stated that the current officeholder is “ethically compromised” and wrote that he would be an “activist insurance commissioner who will stand up against the insurance companies on behalf of Californians…” Notably, many of Levine’s constituents have been impacted by wildfires in recent years. Levine helped increase transparency on homeowners’ insurance, which is particularly critical for those living in areas vulnerable to wildfire, the website states. He ensured homeowners are provided with timely estimates about their current property values so they don’t find out they are underinsured following a wildfire.
- Levine is a strong supporter of universal health care and a staunch advocate and leader on consumer protection legislation, he wrote. He has taken on Big Oil, the National Rifle Association, and other special interests.
- Lara has done some important work to help the LGBTQ community. He issued an order in support of trans youth accessing medical care and he worked with state Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) to adopt Senate Bill 1255, ending the practice of insurance companies discriminating against individuals because of their HIV status. He also imposed a one-year moratorium on insurers leaving wildfire prone areas. But California deserves an insurance commissioner who is independent of the industry they regulate, and on that metric, Lara has not lived up to his pledges.
- We recommend Levine for insurance commissioner.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of California

Tony K. Thurmond – CA Superintendent of Public Instruction – (D)

Age: 53
City of residence: Richmond
Occupation: CA Superintendent of Public Instruction, former CA State Assemblymember
Education: Temple University, Bryn Mawr College
Funding: https://ballotpedia.org/Tony_Thurmond
Complete list of endorsements: https://www.tonythurmond.com/endorsements
Website: https://www.tonythurmond.com/
Sample of Thurmond’s endorsements below

(The Bay Area Reporter – local, independent, LGBTQ journalism): State schools chief Tony Thurmond is seeking reelection and we recommend him for a second term. During his first term, Thurmond had focused on equity and promoting academic success for students of all backgrounds, his campaign website noted. Of importance to our readers, Thurmond, a longtime ally to the LGBTQ community, has worked to address implicit bias in schools, train teachers and administrators on how to support queer students, develop an inclusive ethnic studies curriculum, and close the achievement gap, the website stated.

During the COVID pandemic, he secured rapid COVID tests for schools and administered an additional $5.2 billion for COVID school relief that provided things like computers, personal protective equipment, and mental health counseling.

Going forward, Thurmond wants to help public school students recover from more than a year of remote learning gaps by expanding after-school tutoring. He wants California students to be able to read by the third grade by 2026 and has an ambitious plan to accomplish that. It includes providing reading coaches and specialists at schools that need to improve literacy goals, expanding funding, working with parents, and providing books to students and families in need.

Successful public schools are essential to California’s future. We recommend Thurmond for another term.

Member, District 2, California Board of Equalization

Michela Alioto-Pier – Small Business Owner(D)
Peter Coe Verbica – Investment Advisor (R)
Sally J. Lieber – Councilwoman/Environmental Advocate (D)

Sally J. Lieber – Councilwoman/Environmental Advocate (D)

State Assemblymember – District 38

Assembly District 38 now contains Ojai, Ventura, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Oxnard and the portion of Camarillo that is north of highway 101 and west of Lewis Road
Ventura County Star report on League of Women Voters candidate’s forum for 38th Assembly District here.
League of Women Voters – State Assembly District 38 Candidate forum: VIDEO
We are pleased to note that the CA Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) gave failing grades to both Bennett and Wilson. The GOP’s “God and Family” candidate Cole Brocato received an “A.”

Assembly District 38
Steve Bennett – Assemblymember – (D)

Age: 71
Residence: Ventura
Occupation: Ventura County supervisor/ CA State Assemblymember
Education: Brown University, Master’s degree in education from Butler University
Complete list of endorsements https://stevebennettforassembly.com/supporters/
Website: https://stevebennettforassembly.com
Website here. Complete list of endorsements here.

(Indivisible Conejo): Daniel Wilson’s presence in this primary, challenging Bennett from the left, makes this a tougher call than it otherwise would be. But as much as we hope Wilson will remain in politics and find ways to serve, Bennett’s bona fides and experience make him the choice for re-election.

Assembly District 38 (Ventura)
Daniel Wilson – Civil Servant (No party)

Age:
Residence: Ventura County
Occupation: Civil servant
Statement: “My name is Daniel Wilson, I’m a working-class, trans, veteran and like you, I am frustrated with the failed leadership at every level of government in this country.”
What matters: Everybody in, Nobody Out. “It is an indisputable fact that people work, learn, and function better when they have their basic needs met – you cannot thrive when you are struggling to just survive and the people of Ventura County.” deserve better than just surviving.
Education:
Website: here Complete list of endorsements here.

State Assemblymember – District 42

We are pleased to note that the CA Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) gave a failing grade to Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. The GOP’s Lori Mills and Ted Nordblum both received an “A.”

Assembly District 42 (Oxnard)
Jacqueline (Jacqui) V. Irwin – Assemblymember – (D)

Age: 60
City of residence: Thousand Oaks
Occupation: Engineer/Mayor of T.O./State Assemblymember
Education: UC San Diego
Sample of her endorsements below. https://jacquiirwin.com/endorsements-2022
Website: https://jacquiirwin.com

Additional comments:

(Indivisible Conejo) ASM Irwin’s re-election seems safer than Brownley’s, partly because both her primary opponents are so very unimpressive — in the same way that Irwin’s previous two challengers were (Ronda Kennedy in 2018, Denise Pedrow in 2020). Lori Mills, who’s deeply embedded in Rob McCoy/”Move the Needle” land, has received the Republican endorsement, but if anything the other Republican, Ted Nordblum, is slightly more serious (though still extremist).

State Assemblymember – District 46

We are pleased to note that the CA Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) gave a failing grade to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. The GOP’s Dana Caruso did not respond to their survey.