Who deserves your vote? See The Sacramento Bee’s Editorial Board endorsements here
California has begun mailing ballots to voters. The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board has compiled its endorsements for the June 7 primary election.
Below, the primary races are separated into federal, state and local categories and include links to videos of our interviews with the candidates, as well as transcripts, if available.
This story will be updated, so check back as more content is added. Our editorial endorsements are exclusive for subscribers. You can subscribe to The Bee here.
Federal offices
U.S. Representative, California’s 3rd Congressional District
“Encompassing Placer County and portions of Sacramento, El Dorado and Yuba counties, including Rocklin, Roseville and Folsom, the sprawling new 3rd Congressional District also stretches through Lake Tahoe and much of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, including Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Alpine, Mono and Inyo counties.” Republicans Kevin Kiley and Scott Jones are running against Democrat Dr. Kermit Jones.
U.S. Representative, California’s 6th Congressional District
Interview transcript // Video
“Sacramento area Rep. Ami Bera clawed through bitter campaigns, a fund-raising scandal, and a series of close elections to secure his seat in Congress.” Bera faces Air Force veteran Tamika Hamilton and real estate agent Chris Bish.
U.S. Representative, California’s 7th Congressional District
Interview transcript // Video
“During her current term, Rep. Doris Matsui has championed legislation to document and combat anti-Asian American hate crimes and increase awareness of Japanese American internment. She also supports President Joe Biden’s decision to stop barring asylum seekers from the country on public health pretexts, which has divided her caucus.” Matsui is running against Democrat Jimmy Fremgen and Republican Max Semenenko.
Statewide offices
California Attorney General
Interview transcript // Video
“Rob Bonta is undoubtedly a solid candidate for a full term as attorney general in the November general election. But for the time being, he is just Newsom’s choice for the job — not the choice of California voters.”
California Controller
Interview transcript // Video
“The pandemic era has been a study in the potential importance of the California controller’s office. In the early months of the crisis, the state showered billions on an array of sometimes dodgy vendors promising masks and more. Meanwhile, the state’s unemployment agency held up legitimate applications while hemorrhaging money on fraudulent claims, another example of the need for stricter scrutiny of state spending and competence.” Candidates in the race include state Sen. Steve Glazer, Board of Equalization chair Malia Cohen, Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin and Hoover Institution fellow Lanhee Chen.
California Insurance Commissioner
Interview transcript // Video
“Ricardo Lara, the Democratic commissioner currently seeking a second term, has managed to make his potentially dull office all too interesting in a short time, amassing an astonishing series of ethical face-plants.”
Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine and independent Robert Molnar are running against Lara.
California Legislature
California Assembly, 5th District
Interview transcript // Video
“The three Republicans vying for Assembly in the 5th District, encompassing a red swath of Placer and El Dorado Counties, seem more interested in spewing talking points than proposing meaningful legislative ideas that would benefit their constituents.” Attorney Rebecca Chenoweth, law enforcement officer Jason Paletta, Rocklin City Councilman Joe Patterson and business owner Greg Smith are all running.
California Assembly, 6th District
Interview transcript // Video
“Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, who chairs the Assembly Budget subcommittee on education finance, has had eight successful years in the Legislature after 10 years on the Sacramento City Council.” McCarty, a Democrat, is being challenged by Josh Pane, a former Sacramento City Councilmember.
California Assembly, 7th District
“Josh Hoover said he wants better transparency from California government and has detailed commonsense ideas for reaching that goal, such as an audit of state spending on homelessness programs that have been largely ineffective. “ Hoover, a Republican, is trying to unseat Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley.
California Assembly, 10th District
Interview transcript // Video
“Each of the contenders vying to represent South Sacramento and Elk Grove in the Assembly have strong community credentials and experience fighting for the underrepresented.” Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra, Elk Grove City Councilwoman Stephanie Nguyen, Elk Grove resident Eric Nigard and Sacramento Genesis Church senior pastor Tecoy Porter are vying for the open seat.
California Senate, 6th District
Interview transcript // Video
“If Roger Niello is elected, he will find his (Republican) party in an even smaller minority whose votes are rarely sought or needed by Democrats — and one that hasn’t shared its affiliation with an elected statewide official since the Schwarzenegger era.” Niello’s chief opposition for the seat is Democrat Paula Villescaz.
California Senate, 8th District
“With (Sen. Richard) Pan termed out, the Editorial Board was torn between veteran Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and former state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones for the new 8th District seat in the California Senate. It ultimately came down to which contender is more likely to stand up to the fierce opposition that stymies progress on housing, homelessness, and climate change and challenge the status quo in the Senate.”
Sacramento County
Sacramento County District Attorney
Interview transcript // Video
“The race between elite prosecutor Thien Ho and attorney and law professor Alana Mathews is perhaps the most consequential election in the county this year. The winner would make history as the first person of color to hold the job while serving and protecting constituents who are clamoring for results. Which candidate can do that better is not an easy question, and this race is not an easy call.”
Sacramento County Sheriff
“It seems like a lifetime since Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones was endorsed by The Bee’s Editorial Board ahead of the bruising 2010 election in which voters narrowly chose Jones to run the county’s largest law enforcement agency.
Jones’ opponent 12 years ago was Jim Cooper, a sheriff’s captain. Now a state assemblyman, Cooper is running for sheriff again against a Jones protege, Undersheriff Jim Barnes.”
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, 2nd District
Interview transcript // Video
“(Duke) Cooney promises to give a voice to the underserved and overlooked areas of District 2, where he laments the glaring differences between the polished eastern neighborhoods and the passed-over western neighborhoods of South Sacramento, Meadowview and Vineyard. If elected, he would be the first millennial supervisor in Sacramento history.” Cooney is seeking to unseat incumbent Patrick Kennedy.
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, 5th District
Interview transcript // Video
“Sacramento County, like the city of Sacramento, needs leaders who are about more than just enforcement of the homeless issue. The county needs leaders committed to the hard work of increasing housing capacity so that there are places to put homeless people once they are moved.” Newcomer Jaclyn Moreno is running against Elk Grove City Councilman Pat Hume.
Sacramento City Council
Sacramento City Council, 1st District
Interview transcript // Video
“For the first time in 12 years, North Natomas will be represented by someone not named Angelique Ashby when the midterm elections conclude this fall. Sacramento’s current vice mayor and District 1 council member is running for the California Senate, vacating a seat that has long benefited from her dedication to putting families first in one of Sacramento’s most attractive middle-class destinations.”
The candidates to succeed Ashby are Lisa Kaplan, Nate Pelczar and Alyssa Lozano.
Sacramento City Council, 3rd District
“Frankly, our board struggled to find consensus and pick a winner in this race. Each candidate embodies the ideals we seek in elected officials, having used their own experiences to find their purpose and turn the successes they attained into a vehicle to serve others. “ Michael Lynch and Karina Talamantes, both 33, are running.
Sacramento City Council, 5th District
Interview transcript // Video
“This year’s council race between city Transportation Commissioner Tamiko Heim, a state worker, and Sac SOUP (Solidarity of Unhoused People) cofounder Caity Maple has serious ramifications for constituents who need tireless leadership and measurable change.”
Placer County
Placer County Sheriff
Interview transcript // Video of Undersheriff Wayne Woo // Video of Sgt. Brandon Bean
“One of California’s fastest-growing counties, Placer is expected to experience unprecedented expansion over the next few decades. That growth – and its potential impact on crime rates – is top of mind for the two candidates running to be Placer County’s next sheriff.” Running to succeed Sheriff Devon Bell is Undersheriff Wayne Woo and Administrative Sgt. Brandon Bean.
Placer County Board of Supervisors, 2nd District
“Constituents in Placer County’s 2nd Board of Supervisors District deserve a future-minded representative who mirrors Lincoln and western Roseville’s mix of family values, fiscal conservatism and politics that are moving closer to progressive.“ Vying to succeed Supervisor Robert Weygandt is his district director and choice for the seat, Shanti Landon, as well as Roseville Councilman Scott Alvord and Lincoln Councilman Paul Joiner.
This list will be updated. Have questions? Email us at opinion@sacbee.com.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors candidates for District 5.
BEHIND THE STORY
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This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.