Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Grayson campaign announces newspaper, other endorsements in race for State Senate District 9

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San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board and East Bay Times political editor join Planned Parenthood of Northern CA, CA Labor Federation, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, State Building and Construction Trades Council of CA and CA Federation of Teachers in endorsing Assemblyman’s campaign

Tim Grayson. Source: Grayson for State Senate campaign

CONCORD, CA – Assemblymember Tim Grayson announced new key endorsements from the San Francisco Chronicle and the East Bay Times in support of his campaign for State Senate District 9. The local newspaper Editorial Boards join a growing list of endorsers including Planned Parenthood Northern California Action Fund, California Labor Federation, State Treasurer, State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and California Federation of Teachers.

The San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board cited Assemblymember Grayson’s experience noting, “Grayson, by contrast, has nearly a decade of state legislative experience under his belt. In his interview with us, he ticked off a few key accomplishments, including authoring laws to make it easier to build housing near BART stations, accelerate green-energy development in Contra Costa County, prioritize in-state students for admission to the University of California and crack down on predatory lending by capping interest rates for consumer loans.” Read the complete endorsement here.

Dan Borenstein, Political Editor of the East Bay Times also lauded Grayson’s legislative record and experience in their endorsement stating, “Experience and knowledge count. That’s why suburban East Bay voters should elect Assemblymember Tim Grayson to fill the state Senate seat that Steve Glazer is vacating because of term limits. The complete endorsement is accessible here. 

Grayson currently represents more than half a million Contra Costa County residents in the California State Assembly. A small business owner and the former Mayor of Concord, Tim is focused on fighting for quality jobs and economic security for working families, addressing California’s housing crisis, and taking on predatory lenders and financial fraudsters across our state. Tim was the first in his family to earn a college degree. His father was a Teamster and his mother was a public transit worker. Tim has been a licensed general building contractor for nearly 30 years and operates his own small business. He is the Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee. Tim and his wife Tammy have been married for 35 years and have raised two adult children in Concord, CA.

Complete Endorsement List:  A complete endorsement list is available at www.graysonforca.com/endorsements

East Bay Times

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board

Planned Parenthood Northern California Action Fund

California Labor Federation

California Professional Firefighters

Equality California

State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

State Controller Malia Cohen

State Treasurer Fiona Ma

California Federation of Teachers

CAL FIRE Local 2881

California Association of Highway Patrolmen

Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council

Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County

Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association

Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104

Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 300

Housing Action Coalition

The Honorable Bob Hertzberg (former Speaker, Majority Leader and State Senator)

State Senator Bill Dodd

State Senator Melissa Hurtado

Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas

Assemblymember Evan Low

Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris

Assemblymember Sharon Quirk Silva

Assemblymember Blanca Rubio

Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua

Assemblymember Jim Wood

Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes

Assemblymember Matt Haney

Assemblymember Chris Holden

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin

Assemblymember Laura Friedman

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Women’s Caucus Vice Chair

Assemblymember Mia Bonta

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Assemblymember Diane Papan

Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco

Contra Costa Supervisor Ken Carlson, District 4

Contra Costa Supervisor Diane Burgis, District 3

Contra Costa Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District 5

Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia, District 1

Contra Costa Supervisor Candace Andersen, District 2

Pleasant Hill Vice Mayor Matt Rin

Pleasant Hill Councilmember Sue Noack

El Cerrito Councilmember Gabe Quinto

Sheet Metal Workers Local 104

For more information about Grayson and his campaign click, here.

The primary election is March 5 and he faces only one opponent in the race. So, both will face off in the November general election.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

 

 

Candidates Night for 3 Contra Costa races in Antioch Feb. 22

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Including State Senate District 9, Assembly District 15 and County Supervisor District 5

Presented by Building Black Political Power of Contra Costa PAC and NAACP East County Branch

By Allen D. Payton

A Candidates Night for those running in State Senate District 9, Assembly District 15 and Contra Costa County Supervisor District 5 will be held this Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Antioch Church Family, 55 E. 18th Street in Antioch. It is sponsored by Building Black Political Power of Contra Costa Political Action Committee (BPC) and the NAACP East County Branch.

Formed in 2022, according to the organization’s website, “The purpose of Building Black Political Power of Contra Costa, also known as the BPC, is to bring attention to the issues affecting the Black community. We want to make sure black voices are heard, on the issues that matter to the black community. We will provide the public with information on current issues facing the Black community and share candidate positions on those current issues. We will contribute to the support of candidates for local, state, and federal office whom we believe, and who have demonstrated their beliefs in, the principles to which blacks are dedicated. The BPC will work in general to protect and advance the interests of Blacks by supporting qualified candidates for federal office, regardless of party affiliation, who understand and are sympathetic to these goals. To further these purposes, the BPC will be empowered to solicit and accept personal contributions from the public that may then be expended to support the campaigns of a variety of candidates.”

The organization is a political action committee (PAC) with both a California Fair Political Practices Commission ID, #202250618736 and a Federal Election Commission ID, #88-222344130. It was formed in 2022 by former Antioch School Board Trustee Alonzo Terry and Odessa Lefrancois, President of the NAACP East County Branch and others, including PAC President Frances Green, Vice President Crystal Sawyer-White, also a former Antioch School Board Trustee, Treasurer Victoria Adams and another former Antioch School Board Trustee Debra Vinson, who along with Dr. Lamont Francies and Willie Mims are founding board members, as well.

Lefrancois said the PAC hasn’t yet raised or spent any funds. However, Dr. Payton said, “We’re starting to raise funds, now for this election cycle, beginning in March.”

For more information about the NAACP East County Branch visit their website at eastcountynaacp.org.

What you need to know about voting in Contra Costa

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Official Ballots have been mailed for upcoming Presidential Primary Election

By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department 

Ballots for the March 5th Presidential Primary Election have been mailed to Contra Costa voters.  If you do not receive your ballot by February 20th, call 925-335-7800.

Here’s what you need to know about voting in the upcoming election:

To ensure you receive a ballot in the mail, confirm that you are registered to vote and that your address is correct at MyVotingInformation. After February 20th, registration must be in person at one of the County’s early voting sites, the Elections Division in Martinez, or at a polling place on Election Day. 

No stamp is required to return your ballot!  Great news!  Your return envelope is postage paid.  Just put your completed ballot in the envelope, seal it, sign it, and mail it to us.  Voted ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven (7) days after the election to be considered timely. 

You can drop your ballot at one of the County’s 40 Official Drop Boxes. Official drop boxes are ready to receive ballots.  Dropping your ballot at an official drop box is just like dropping it at the Elections Office and saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the cost of return postage. Voters can find the most up to date list of convenient drop-box locations here. Ballots must be dropped off no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Be sure your vote is included in the Election Night results– Vote early and mail or drop off your ballot so the Elections Office receives it before Election Day.   

Five regional early voting sites will be open across the County on Friday, Saturday, and Monday leading up to Election Day.  On Election Day, 147 polling locations will be open.  Every voter will be assigned a polling place which will be listed on the back of their Voter Information Guide.  For those who wish to vote in person, you can minimize the time spent waiting by reviewing your ballot options ahead of time and arriving ready to vote.

“Registered Voters in Contra Costa County should all have their Vote By Mail Ballots by now.” said Registrar of Voters, Kristin B. Connelly.  “Our Election team is ready to receive and process ballots and there are many different ways to cast your ballot early.” 

You can track your ballot!  Ballot tracking is a Secretary of State service that will send you notices about your ballot, including when it’s mailed, received, and counted.  Know where your ballot is every step of the way!  Sign up at https://WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

More information and locations of each voting option can be found on the Contra Costa Elections website or call 925-335-7800.

 

Climate Action California endorses in Contra Costa Assembly, State Senate races

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Candidates endorsed by Climate Action California include Jackie Elward in SD3, Dan Kalb in SD7 and Monica Wilson in AD15. Source: CAC

Elward in SD3, Kalb in SD7 and Wilson in AD15

By Chris Thomas, Climate Action California

Climate Action California – the only statewide group basing endorsements for the March primary solely on a candidate’s positions on climate – has announced its endorsements. With more than 7,500 supporters around the state, Climate Action California is endorsing a total of 15 candidates for the California State Assembly and 13 for the State Senate. Climate Action California’s rigorously vetted endorsements assure voters that these candidates are climate champions committed to continuing and expanding California’s clean energy policies and global climate leadership as we work to address the climate crisis. 

Jackie Elward for State Senate District 3

Climate Action California believes Jackie Elward can be counted on to fight the fossil fuel industry in Sacramento—and reach a 100% renewable future as soon as possible. Elward supports California’s 2045 net zero goals and encourages their acceleration, prohibiting natural gas in new building construction, incentives to remove gas infrastructure during retrofits, and ensuring people in impacted sectors have every opportunity for gainful employment in a similar field for a just transition. She also sees protection from climate impacts such as wildfire, extreme heat, drought, and increased flooding in the district as one of her top priorities.

Elward has served the North Bay community as an educator and labor organizer as well as Rohnert Park City Council member (since 2020) and Mayor. She is also a board member for Sonoma Clean Power (Sonoma County’s ground-breaking Community Choice Aggregator for clean energy), the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the Regional Climate Protection Authority (alternate), Sonoma County Continuum of Care (provider of homeless services), and North Bay Jobs with Justice.

A first-generation immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Elward has first-hand experience of the disease and devastation wrought by bad environmental policies.

All of Climate Action California’s endorsees – including Jackie Elward – have declared addressing climate change to be among their highest priorities and are committed to bringing about key legislation our state needs in the crucial years ahead.

Senate District 3 includes portions of far Eastern Contra Costa County. Read more about Elward on the CAC website.

Dan Kalb for State Senate District 7

Dan Kalb has spent his entire career as an advocate on climate, environment, and social justice issues and as a public servant, leading efforts to protect our environment and combat climate change. He is now running for an open seat in the state Senate, as Senator Nancy Skinner terms out after 12 years in Sacramento. Skinner, a climate warrior since long before joining the legislature, leaves a legacy of far-sighted climate policies passed into law. California needs an equally committed climate champion in that seat, and Climate Action California is confident that Dan Kalb is the right person for the job.

Kalb has served on the Oakland City Council since 2013, where he’s led the council on climate and environmental issues. His accomplishments include:

  • Requiring divestment of fossil fuel portfolios from city funds
  • Requiring new buildings to be all-electric
  • Banning gas-powered leaf blowers
  • Guiding adoption of Oakland’s equitable climate action plan through the Council
  • Authoring ordinances banning storage and transport of coal through Oakland

Before joining the Oakland City Council, Kalb worked as the California Policy Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists for nine years, leading their efforts to pass early climate legislation in Sacramento. Based on Kalb’s long track record leading decarbonization efforts at the local and state level, Climate Action California is confident Kalb will be one of our strongest voices taking on climate change in the California State Senate.

Janet Cox, Climate Action California CEO, who lives in Dan’s district and has known him for many years, says, “Dan is exactly the kind of committed, focused climate leader we need in Sacramento. I know we’ll be able to count on Dan to take on the tough issues and work with colleagues to pass essential climate measures.” She adds, “Now it’s up to us to get to work to make sure Dan and his fellow endorsees win in March and November. This is how we can keep California moving at the speed and scale necessary to reduce our emissions and bring on the low-carbon economy we need.”

Senate District 7 includes portions of Western Contra Costa County. Read more about Kalb on CAC website.

Monica Wilson for Assembly District 15

In 2012, Monica Wilson was the first African American woman elected to the Antioch City Council, and she is currently serving her fourth term. As a councilwoman, she successfully enacted an ordinance banning oil and gas drilling within Antioch’s city limits. She and the council also voted to end a lease for a natural gas line that runs through Antioch.

Her priorities are:

  • Delivering environmental justice, ensuring access to clean water and air for all communities, especially those disproportionately affected by pollution
  • Meeting California carbon neutrality goals of 100% by 2045
  • Reducing CO2 emissions from the transportation sector
  • Ensuring a just transition from fossil fuels so that the workforce is retrained and the tax base is made whole as a result of the zero carbon transition

Monica was born in Washington, D.C., where her parents marched with Dr. Martin  Luther King, Jr. She grew up in San Rafael, where she was one of the few African American children at her school. For the past two decades, she has served the people of Contra Costa County as a community organizer, nonprofit manager, and leader in the fight for safe neighborhoods and healthy families.

Climate Action California believes that Monica has demonstrated her support for working people and a commitment to playing a role in the fight against climate change.

The climate can’t wait! California must elect climate champions.

Despite Democratic supermajorities in both the assembly and senate, the California legislature has struggled to pass many important climate bills. In 2023 alone, important climate bills addressing pension fund divestment from fossil fuels (SB 252) and bidirectional charging for electric vehicles (SB 233) failed to move out of the legislature. The climate cannot wait while the legislature holds tightly to the status quo. California needs more climate champions in the Assembly and the Senate to take on the climate crisis with the urgency that it deserves.

Assembly District 15 includes portions of Contra Costa County. Read more about Wilson on the CAC website.

Climate Action California (formerly the 350 Silicon Valley legislation/policy team) is a statewide, volunteer-led, 501(c)(4) social welfare organization (EIN 88-4217994). Our members understand the importance of California and our legislative initiatives to the rest of the nation – and the world. Visit our website for the full list. For further information, contact the Climate Action California Elections team at elections@climateactionca.org.

Realtor running to represent far East Contra Costa in State Assembly District 11 race

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Source: Wanda Wallis for Assembly campaign

Campaigning to restore common sense, integrity, transparency to state government, on issues of parental control in education, public safety, reducing taxes and regulations on business.

My name is Wanda Wallis, I have been a Solano County and Suisun City resident for 20 years. I am a mother to one adult son, and I have been happily married for 20 years. As a businesswoman, I am running a grassroots campaign in my election for CA State Assembly District 11. It is time to bring back common sense, integrity and transparency. 

Families are the foundation of society and you, the parents, are the best advocates of your child’s education and wellbeing. Every parent has the right to make decisions about what is best for their child.  My opponent has authored, and voted for legislation, which would usurp parental authority and transfer it to teachers, “professionals,” elected and unelected bureaucrats (AB 957, AB 665, AB 1078). I will fight to support parents as the ultimate decision-making authority regarding the well-being of their children and oppose any bill that intrudes on those rights. 

Education such as reading, writing and math serve as a deterrent to criminal behavior in youth.  For young men and women who cannot read, perform basic math or write, joblessness is a future leading to crime as a way of survival. Instead of focusing on legislation that encourages basic reading, writing, and math, my opponent voted in support of willful defiance in the classroom. I will support legislation that encourages academic success, not disabling capable students due to others disruptive behavior. 

People deserve to be safe in their homes, businesses, and in the community. Soft on crime legislation, like Prop. 47 and no-cash bail policies, combined with the lack of prosecution has created a revolving door for criminals making our neighborhoods unsafe and endangering the lives of law enforcement officers and EMT’s. When thieves get off easy, more than likely, they will steal again and are emboldened to commit more crimes.  

My opponent is more concerned about the comfort of criminals than the safety of our communities. We have many laws already on the books to hold criminals accountable, but we lack enforcement. My opponent thinks there ought to be more laws, I think we ought to enforce the law. 

Smash and grab crimes are rampant in California. Lax enforcement policies and failure to prosecute criminals has created a crime sanctuary, a safe haven for criminal behavior.  

It’s time for a new voice in the California legislature and I am the new voice of the people. It is time for your voice to be heard and I will work for you to support families, safer communities, and promote economic policies that work for the working class of Solano and East Contra Costa Counties. 

I have not forgotten our vets, in many cases homeless and forgotten. My goal is to give them back their dignity. With housing and the benefits, they deserve. 

I am Wanda Wallis and I ask for your support in time, talent and treasure. Please contact my campaign to schedule meet and greets, speaking invitations, volunteer opportunities at wanda@votewanda.com and contribute at www.votewanda.com.  

 

District lookup tool for Pleasant Hill council elections goes live

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Source: City of Pleasant Hill

As the City of Pleasant Hill transitions to a District-Based Election system, a new online tool will allow residents to know their voting district.

Following the request in early 2023 for the City to move from an at-large to a district-based system, the City Council held several meetings to determine a map that would split the City into separate districts, each with its own City Council representative.  On July 17, 2023, the City map was approved and will take effect in the November 2024 General Election.

To help residents know what district they are voting in and who their representative will be, the City has unveiled a new online tool for determining what district an address will be in. To use the tool, residents can go to www.pleasanthillca.org/mydistrict and type their address into the search bar.

During election season Save Mt. Diablo sends mailer showing 10-month-old votes by Pittsburg councilmembers

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Mailer from Save Mount Diablo shows how the five Pittsburg councilmembers voted on the Faria housing development last year. Source: Save Mount Diablo

Two running for county supervisor on March 5th ballot; org leader says they have no position in race

By Allen D. Payton

A week before the ballots for the March 5th primary election began arriving in mailboxes, a mailer from Save Mount Diablo (SMD) was sent to all households in Pittsburg asking for public support of their effort to get the council members to reverse their vote last April for Discovery Builders’ hillside housing development. Known as the Faria project, the project includes 1,500 homes on 341 acres with 265 acres of open space on the south side of the city which borders the new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park in Concord.

The mailer reads, “On April 17, 2023, the Pittsburg City Council approved a Master Plan for the Faria/Southwest Hills Annexation Project.” It shows photos of and “aye” votes by then Mayor Shanelle Preston-Scales, Councilmember Jelani Killings, who are both running for county supervisor in the March 5th primary election, as well as Councilmembers Dionne Adams and Angelica Lopez. But the leader of SMD claims they have no position in the race for supervisor. The mailer also shows then-Vice Mayor Juan Antonio Banales who voted to abstain.

In addition, the mailer claims, the “plan…was opposed by thousands of residents, environmentalists and the city Planning Commission, which recommended against the plan.”

Faria project General Plan Land Use map, adopted 4-17-23 (bottom) versus map of the previously adopted General Plan Land Use. Source: City of Pittsburg

Read mailer, here: Save-the-Ridge-Pittsburg-2024 mailer

It’s part of the organization’s campaign, including an online petition, to keep the homes from being built along the ridgeline. The effort has also included a successful lawsuit filed by SMD in May 2021. On February 10, 2022, a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge sided with SMD. Discovery Builders then appealed the decision but lost again when the court ruled in favor of SMD on April 4, 2022 rejecting all of the developer’s arguments. (See related articles here, here and here)

SMD refers to the Faria project as a Seeno development because Discovery Builders is owned and operated by Albert Seeno, III.

On the organization’s website, SMD wrote, “We stopped Faria for two years, but now it’s back” and asks the public to “Save the Ridge!” The organization says, “We’re not opposed to all development; we just think the Pittsburg City Council and the developer should move it off the ridgetop.” SMD claims the project “would also betray the voters who approved Measure P in 2005 and placed the entire site in the protective hillside zoning. Now Seeno wants to change the zoning to bulldoze the steep hills for massive subdivisions. Because the site is almost entirely over 30 percent slope, with substantial parts at 50 to 70 percent slope, Seeno’s proposed new zoning will allow up to 25 times as many houses as the current Measure P zoning that the voters approved.”

Save Mount Diablo’s Save the Ridge 2024 mailer to Pittsburg residents, side 1. Source: SMD

However, according to the City staff report for the agenda item 13 for the April 2023 meeting, “the current General Plan allows for up to 478 acres of residential use and 129 acres of open space.” It also reads, “The proposed amendments would not change the existing maximum development potential (1,500 single family units), but rather would focus the development to the center of the site within the valley area.”

The effort’s webpage further reads, “Thee Pittsburg City Council should SAVE THE RIDGE for everyone and ensure public access to the new regional park for Pittsburg residents.

Save the ridge to keep our area a beautiful and desirable place to live, work, and visit!

Join us and sign our Save Pittsburg Hills/Save Mount Diablo petition urging the Pittsburg City Council to SAVE THE RIDGE and require the Seeno/Discovery Builders Faria development to be relocated off the top of Pittsburg’s ridge.”

Save Mount Diablo’s Save the Ridge 2024 mailer to Pittsburg residents, side 2. Source: SMD

SMD Asked If Attempting to Impact the Election

Questions were sent to SMD’s Executive Director Ted Clement asking when the effort began and why the mailer was sent during election season. He was further asked if it was timed to impact the election of Killings and Scales-Preston in their campaigns for county supervisor.

Clement responded, “We’ve been working to protect the Los Medanos ridge between Concord and Pittsburg for years. That effort is ongoing. We’re working to educate as many people as possible. We don’t have a position on the county supervisor campaigns.”

He was again asked if the mailer was sent to all homes in Pittsburg and if not, how many were mailed. But he did not respond.

Efforts to reach Killings and Preston-Scales asking if they had any comments about the mailer and their votes for the project were unsuccessful, as were efforts to reach Albert Seeno, III or anyone at Discovery Builders for comment.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Watch the Contra Costa County 2024 Primary Election candidate forums on cable TV or online

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Hear from candidates for Supervisorial District 5, Assembly Districts 11 & 15 and Congressional District 10

Presented by Contra Costa TV, Elections Department and League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley

Contra Costa Television partners with the Contra Costa Elections Department and the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley to bring you unbiased voter education information.

Watch 2024 Primary Election forums moderated by KTVU Anchor Claudine Wong, from Monday, February 5, 2024 – 8:00am to Thursday, February 29, 2024 – 7:00pm on Contra Costa County cable TV or watch the videos on the LWVDV YouTube channel or on the Contra Costa TV website.

Forums are scheduled for the following races:

All four candidates, Iztaccuahhtli Gonzalez, Jelani Killings, Shanelle Scales-Preston and Mike Barbanica participated.

Only incumbent Lori Wilson, Democrat and challenger David Ennis, Republican. Democrat Jeffrey Flack and Republican Wanda Wallis did not participate.

The three Democrats, Anamarie Avila Farias, Karen Mitchoff and Monica Wilson participated but Republican Sonia Ledo did not.

Only candidates Joe Sweeney and El Sherbini Mohamed, both independents, participated. Incumbent Mark DeSaulnier, Democrat, and Republicans Nolan Lee Chen and Katherine Piccinni, and independent Musa Jalis did not participate.

The City of Concord will cablecast Supervisor District 5, Assembly District 15, and U.S. Representative District 10 on their channel Concord TV. View schedules for these forums on the Concord TV website.

Click here to see the details, including broadcast times and channels.

 

Ballots are on the way to Contra Costa residents for March 5th primary

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Voting in person and by mail has begun; public test of county’s Vote By Mail counting equipment Friday, Feb. 9

Across the Bay Area, elections officials have dropped ballots in the mail and those ballots will be arriving in mailboxes this week.  Bay Area Elections Officials encourage you to vote early!

Bay Area Residents should note that if they do not receive the ballot they were expecting, they can contact their local Registrar’s office to find out more about receiving the ballot they wish to vote.

All eligible California voters will receive a ballot in the mail for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election. Remember that Bay Area residents have many options to cast their ballot.

  • You can vote in person from February 5th through March 5th.
  • Mail your completed ballot to your Elections office in your postage paid return envelope.
  • Drop your completed ballot in the return envelope in an official ballot drop box.
  • You can even register and vote on the same day.

Don’t forget to sign your envelope!

Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters Kristen Connelly wants you to know, “we are here to help you understand the process and ensure that you cast your vote and that it is counted.”

Voters who vote by mail can track their VBM ballot to know when it is mailed, received, and processed by the county elections office. Sign up at the Secretary of State’s office (https://wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov). See the attached graphic to better understand what the vote by mail process looks like.

Information on this topic as well as direct links to local elections offices can be found on our website, BayAreaVotes.org, or our Facebook page, Bay Area Votes. For more local information, go to your local county election official, who is your trusted source of nonpartisan election information.

Ballots lined up to be counted in the County Elections office on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. Herald file photo

Contra Costa Election Equipment Testing to Ensure Accuracy, Friday, Feb. 9

The March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election is underway. Ballots have been mailed and the elections office is ready to receive voted ballots sent by mail or dropped in drop boxes. The Contra Costa County Elections Division will perform the County’s official logic and accuracy testing on central ballot counting and processing equipment at 10:00 am Friday, February 9, 2024 at the Elections Office, located at 555 Escobar Street in Martinez and the public is invited to observe.

Logic and accuracy testing is a standard pre-election procedure. The test will confirm that all central count equipment is in working order and functioning properly. A set of test ballots will be run through each scanner to ensure they are properly programmed and operating as expected.

If you would like to observe this process, we encourage you to let us know in advance by contacting the Elections office at 925-335-7800. On the day of testing, visitors will be asked to check-in at the Elections lobby on the first floor.

 

 

65 Bay Area candidates in March 5th primary share vision, values on transportation issues

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Only 9 running to represent Contra Costa respond; read the questions and their answers

A coalition of transportation advocacy groups from around the Bay published the results “Transportation Questionnaire” for Bay Area Candidates for Office that are on the March 5th 2024 Ballot which the public can view in its entirety here. People can view it by region at: East Bay; North Bay; Peninsula; San Francisco; and South Bay.

The project, led by Transbay Coalition, SPUR, Seamless Bay Area, San Francisco Transit Riders, Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, and Bike East Bay will help voters across the Bay Area make more informed decisions about candidates for local, state and federal office.

“Candidate’s stances on how to make it easier for people to get around the Bay Area and what needs fixing is essential information for voters,” said Carter Lavin, the project lead at the Transbay Coalition. “Transportation policies impact everyone and every elected official, no matter the office, has the power to make it easier, greener, safer, more affordable, just and accessible for people to get around– or they can make it harder. Voters deserve to know where the candidates vying for their vote stand.”

“To my knowledge, this is the only vetting process that really seeks to demystify where candidates stand on the region’s transportation issues, which is critical given how much public funding goes into transportation and the pivotal moment we are in” said Laura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director for SPUR, a public policy nonprofit rooted in the Bay Area.

Candidates were asked the following questions included in the survey:

  1. Which forms of transit and active transportation (bicycling, walking, scooters, wheelchair) do you use on a regular basis and for what types of trips– and why?
  2. Would you seek additional funding for Bay Area transit and what form of funding do you think makes sense?
  3. Public transit in the Bay Area is highly fragmented, with 27 transit agencies, each with different fares, schedules, branding, and customer information. Do you believe it should be a priority for the region to create an well-coordinated transit system? And as an elected leader or potential member of a local transit agency board, would you support state legislation that advances a more integrated, high ridership system, even if it diminishes local control?
  4. Transportation is the largest single source of carbon emissions in California, and in the Bay Area, and the largest share of transportation emissions come from single occupancy vehicles.  What are your top priorities to achieve substantial reduction in transportation-related GHG emissions?
  5. The Bay Area still has road projects under development that would increase Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution.  What decisions would you make about projects that increase VMT and pollution?
  6. Transit priority improvements are proven to make taking the bus faster and more reliable, while also reducing operating costs. Should local governments be able to stop transit priority improvements on local roads?
  7. What do you think are the most important actions that can be taken to make public transit comfortable, accessible, and safe for all communities?
  8. Traffic violence and deaths in California are increasing annually; in 2021, 4,258 people died in vehicle crashes, a 10.7% increase from the prior year. If elected, what will you do to reverse the trend, increase street safety, save lives and reduce injuries in our community?  What policies or specific projects would make the greatest impact?
  9. What do you think are the biggest access and mobility needs for disadvantaged populations in your district, and how would you propose to solve them?
  10. In what circumstances do you support removing parking or repurposing vehicle travel lanes to create safer and more efficient bus, biking, and walking options? How do you propose balancing the demands of different interest groups who may disagree on how streets should be designed?

Contra Costa County Candidates Who Responded

So far, only the following candidates have responded to the questionnaire in the following races:

Assembly District 14 – Margot Smith 2024 Transp Qnr    Buffy Wicks 2024 Transp Qnr

Assembly District 15 – Karen Mitchoff 2024 Transp Qnr  Monica E Wilson 2024 Transp Qnr

Assembly District 16 – Joseph Rubay 2024 Transp Qnr

State Senate District 3 – Jackie Elward 2024 Transp Qnr

State Senate District 7 – Jovanka Beckles 2024 Transp Qnr  Dan Kalb 2024 Transp Qnr

Congressional District 10 – Mohamed Elsherbini 2024 Transp Qnr

No candidates have responded yet in the races for Contra Costa County Supervisor District 5, Assembly District 11, State Senate District 9 nor Congressional District 8.

“Over the next few years, the region faces important decisions about continuing on a path toward convenient, rider-friendly, accessible worldclass public transportation – or taking steps backward. Our elected officials at the local, state and federal levels will make key decisions steering our region on a path toward improvement or into a downward spiral. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand at this pivotal time,” said Adina Levin, Co-Founder and Advocacy Director, Seamless Bay Area.

“With the rise of biking and walking fatalities across the Bay Area, it is more important than ever that voters know where candidates stand in building communities that are joyful, safe, and inclusive” said Justin Hu-Nguyen, Bike East Bay’s  Co-Executive Director of Mobility Justice.

“Public transit is a lifeline for so many people in the Bay Area. Allowing transit agencies to go unfunded would hurt economically disadvantaged and transit-dependent people the worst, leaving thousands of transit riders — including workers, seniors, and people with disabilities — without a reliable way of getting around. It connects folks with everything from food, to healthcare, family, friends and fun. We’re excited to release this questionnaire, which lifts the issues that matter to transit riders, with our other partners in the space. In order to make the Bay Area a more pleasant, affordable, and green place to live, our elected representatives need to center public transit and transit riders in the choices they make for us,” said Dylan Fabris, Community & Policy Manager for San Francisco Transit Riders.

Candidates who have not yet responded can email their answers to info@transbaycoalition.org and the coalition could potentially update their website and include them.

The Transbay Coalition is a grassroots public transportation advocacy group championing bold near-term solutions to the Bay Area’s regional transportation challenges. Learn more at www.transbaycoalition.org.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.