Skinner’s exit means the East Bay will elect a new state senator. Here’s where the candidates stand on the issues
on November 1, 2024
Jovanka Beckles and Jesse Arreguín are running for the District 7 California state Senate seat, which covers Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Incumbent Nancy Skinner, who is not seeking reelection, represents the same geographic region, which was called District 9 before redistricting occurred in 2021.
Richmond Confidential interviewed the two candidates, both Democrats. Here is a summary of their responses.
| Jesse Arreguín, Berkeley mayor | Jovanka Beckles, AC Transit director |
What are your top three priorities as state senator?
| Arreguin said housing affordability, public safety and reducing homelessness are his top priorities, based on what he’s heard from the thousands of conversations he’s had with voters while campaigning. “All these issues directly impact the safety and quality of life of people in this district. It affects the cost of living, and these are areas where I’m proud to have demonstrated leadership in Berkeley,” he said. | Beckles said her top priority is income inequality. She said that by tackling the wealth gap, she can address higher worker compensation, affordable housing, universal health care and the environment. “And of course, none of that matters if we don’t have a planet,” she said. “We have to transition away from the fossil fuel industry and into a more clean energy, green economy, where we put in place a just transition for those workers that are currently in an extractive economy.” |
How do you think those priorities can serve Richmond?
| Arreguín said he’s running for Senate because he believes he can be the most effective advocate across East Bay jurisdictions. He said he would focus on securing money to address homelessness, fund police and violence prevention programs, and strengthen gun control laws. “We need leaders in Sacramento who are going to be committed to making sure that we can get the funding to be able to create transitional housing to close problematic encampments to provide more expanded mental health treatments and substance abuse treatment,” he said. | Beckles said when candidates take funding from corporations, they become beholden to them. She gave credit to the Richmond City Council members who held Chevron accountable by demanding the company pay its fair share of taxes. She said her opponent has received funds from PG&E, who she believes is exploiting rate payers. Arreguín has received $11,000 in contributions from PG&E, according to campaign filings. “That’s not someone who’s going to hold them accountable,” Beckles said. |
What will you do to address public safety?
| Much of Arreguín’s campaign is focused on public safety. He said that he will address three main aspects: prevention, deterrence and accountability around prevention. He emphasized the need to address the root causes of crime, while also bolstering public safety officers and violence prevention programs. “While we do need to hold people accountable and to address crime, we also don’t want to perpetuate historical disparities and inequities that have resulted in disproportionate numbers of Black and brown people being incarcerated.” | Beckles said addressing the root cause that leads individuals to crime will ultimately reduce crime, which is something she said she did during her time as a Richmond council member. She pointed to her efforts to increase the minimum wage and create rent control policies as ways she has helped address the root causes of crime. “When you’re able to buy food, then you don’t have to resort to crime,” she said. |
What will you do to address homelessness?
| “As somebody with lived experience of facing eviction and housing insecurity, this issue is very personal to me,” Arreguin said. He emphasized the need to sustain Project Homekey, a program allowing local governments to buy hotels and other buildings for permanent housing. He added that he would secure funds from Proposition 1 to provide funding for mental health beds and treatment. He said he helped achieve a 45% reduction in unsheltered homelessness and financed thousands of permanent housing units in Berkeley over the last six years. | Beckles wants to focus on building more affordable and low-income housing regionally. She wants to make the permitting process easier to build housing, reduce housing application fees and fine owners with vacant buildings. She also wants to reform Proposition 13, which bases taxes on when a property was last sold, not on current market rates. “I fall short of saying a regional bond because people are so taxed. They’re taxed to the max,” she said. |
What will you do to address environmental concerns?
| “The state set very ambitious goals. I don’t think they’re ambitious enough to be honest with you. We need to accelerate the transition to zero emission sooner than 2035,” Arreguín said. He said he wants to make sure there’s a just and fair transition for the thousands of workers at Philips and Chevron refineries, because those industries need to be repurposed or shut down. Converting Point Molate into a regional park, and adapting to sea level rise and wildfire risk are other environmental actions he supports. | “We don’t have time for incremental change anymore,” Beckles said. “The planet doesn’t have time for us to play games.” Beckles said she will focus on capping wells and restricting fracking permits as part of her plan to transition away from fossil fuels. She added that she will find support for communities like San Pablo and Richmond to prepare for sea level rise and for residents in the hills to combat fire risks. She has received endorsements from environmental justice organizations such as Communities for a Better Environment, Asian Pacific Environmental Network and 350 Bay Area. |
Is there anything you’d like to add?
| “The question the voters need to decide is who will best deliver on our district’s progressive values,” Arreguin said. He believes he is best positioned to be an effective leader because of his experience as mayor of Berkeley and work he’s done on housing affordability, crime reduction, and addressing homelessness and climate change. He highlighted his endorsements from Skinner, the incumbent, as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Senate and Assembly members. | “I’m pumped about this race.” Beckles said. “It’s absolutely grassroots. I’m not taking corporate money. It means that I have to work harder than my opponent, but I do it because I believe in a future, and I believe in an economy that works for all of us, not just a billionaire class.” She said her attention-deficit disorder prevents her from speaking as succinctly as some other politicians, but she hopes her track record of being a community leader will speak for her. |
| Arreguín Campaign Financeshttps://www.datawrapper.de/_/byS6q/ Notable Individual Endorsements: Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, state Sen. Nancy Skinner Notable Organization Endorsements: California Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood, State Building and Construction Trades Council, California Federation of Labor Unions, United Farm Workers | Beckles Campaign Financeshttps://www.datawrapper.de/_/9a50c/ Notable Individual Endorsements: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martínez Notable Organization Endorsements: California Teachers Association, California Labor Federation, California Working Families Party |
Richmond voters consider conflicting ballot measures that would change how local leaders are elected.
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