Eleni Kounalakis, Angela E. Underwood Jacobs running for California lieutenant governor
Eleni Kounalakis
Party: Democratic
Age: 56
Birthplace: Sacramento
Residence: San Francisco
Occupation: Lieutenant governor
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dartmouth; MBA, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Offices held: U.S. ambassador to Hungary, 2010-2013
What policies or goals were you unable to accomplish in your first term that you’d continue to pursue if re-elected?
While I am proud of the work we have done to combat the impacts of climate change and prepare for a clean energy future, there is more work to do. We co-sponsored legislation to move forward with off-shore wind development. We terminated three offshore oil and gas leases, returning 7,200 acres to our coastal sanctuaries. And in my second term, if re-elected, I will continue to aggressively pursue and promote clean energy while fighting to protect our precious natural resources.
As a member of the boards of the California university systems, how will you ensure that these institutions are prepared for the anticipated enrollment growth over the next four years?
Every Californian deserves a chance to access our transformative institutions of public higher education, just as my family has. The higher ed compacts in this year’s budget include 1% annual enrollment growth at the CSU and UC for the next four years leading to an additional 14,000 full-time equivalent resident undergraduates at the CSU and approximately 8,000 undergraduate students at UC, with concentrated growth on the Berkeley, Los Angeles and San Diego campuses.
In addition to adding capacity throughout our system for California students, we must work to improve graduation rates at the CSU. Significant progress has been made over the past seven years to increase graduation rates and close equity gaps. Still only 33% of first-time students graduate in four years. These numbers pale in comparison to private institutions and our UCs. By ensuring our students get their CSU degrees in a timely and efficient manner, we can save students, taxpayers and the state time and money while opening up more spots for new students.
What role should the state play when it comes to ensuring local officials are complying with affordable housing production goals and policies?
California must build more housing and prioritize the delivery of more affordable housing units. As I learned from nearly two decades in the housing industry, housing is a human right. In order for our state to thrive, we must ensure that working people are able to afford a home, and that everyone can sleep at night with a roof over their head.
I support legislation to streamline projects through the permitting process which have a high percentage of affordable housing. I also support the governor’s efforts to hold cities and counties accountable to housing element law.
Angela E. Underwood Jacobs
Party: Republican
Age: 56
Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska
Residence: Lancaster
Occupation: Senior vice president, regional manager for California Bank and Trust
Education: Bachelor’s degree and MBA, University of Phoenix
Offices held: Lancaster deputy mayor and city councilwoman, 2015-2019
What do you think is lacking within the current Lieutenant Governor’s Office — and why do you think it would benefit from your election?
Sacramento is currently controlled entirely by one political party. I believe it would be good for California to have alternative viewpoints and fresh ideas, and I believe the lieutenant governor should provide those alternative viewpoints.
As lieutenant governor, you would sit on the boards of the California university systems. What would be your priorities?
We must make higher education affordable and attainable for California’s students again. The cost of college has skyrocketed and made the American dream unattainable for too many Californians.
You’ve said you want to reduce red tape and regulatory hurdles to building more affordable housing. How would you do that?
If elected, I will push the Legislature to take real action to reform regulatory barriers to housing. High housing costs are the major reason California has the nation’s highest rate of functional poverty and the second lowest rate of homeownership. It’s a crisis that I want to help solve.