SLO LIFE FebMar 2020

| CANDIDATE FORUM
Election
2020
Presidential Primary Election 2020
The Other Races
It was Tip O’Neil, the former Speaker of the House, who is credited
with the quote: “All politics is local.” Aside from the questionable
grammar—we would argue that he should have said, “All politics are
local,”—he was absolutely correct. While the Internet makes it easy
to become drawn into every stanza of unending drama, which unfolds
daily on the national scene, the fact is that it’s the decisions that are
made right here, right now, locally, which affect our lives most.
This year, the State of California moved its Presidential Primary
Election up to March, which means that all of the down ballet local
races that go along with it will take place a few months earlier than
they normally do. Now is the time to dig in, learn the issues, learn
the candidates, and what they believe.
In San Luis Obispo County, all eyes are on the Board of Supervisors
contests shaping up in Districts 1, 3, and 5. With just five seats on
the board, any change will significantly alter the composition and,
therefore, the policy direction of the body. The supervisors control a
budget standing now at about a half-billion dollars annually, so the
stakes are high. And, unlike the other races in this election, these
three are final. Unless someone fails to garner more than 50% of the
vote, these seats will be decided in March.
We gave both the incumbents and their challengers the opportunity
to make their case to our readers in 425 words or less in the pages
that follow. Be sure to review what they had to say and then get out
there and vote.
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, DISTRICT 35
This one may be more of a formality, at least for now, as the incumbent,
Jordan Cunningham, a Republican, and the challenger, Dawn Addis,
a Democrat, will automatically advance on to the general election in
November unless a last-minute write-in candidate appears.
CALIFORNIA SENATE, DISTRICT 17
The incumbent, a Democrat from Carmel, Bill Monning, has termed-out,
which means this seat is now up for grabs. Four people have tossed their
hats into the ring, and the two with the most votes will continue on to the
November general election to decide the new state senator. The candidates
are as follows: John Laird, Democrat, and former state Natural Resources
Secretary; Maria Cardenas, Democrat, and executive director of a Santa
Cruz-based non-profit; John Nevill, Republican rancher and respiratory
therapist; and Republican Vicki Nohrden, a businesswoman from Carmel.
US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 24
The top two vote-getters in this three-person race will meet again in
November to decide the winner. Former Santa Barbara County supervisor
Salud Carbajal, a Democrat and two-term incumbent, will be facing
challenges from Andy Caldwell and Kenneth Young. Caldwell is a
Republican and the founder of COLAB (Coalition of Labor, Agriculture,
and Business) as well as a conservative radio talk show host. Young is
running as an Independent. He is a Santa Barbara-based civil engineer.
Vote
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
50 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | FEB/MAR 2020