Sacramento, Placer will decide a California Senate battleground. Here’s the better choice

The last time Roger Niello was in the Legislature, he was one of just six Republicans who joined the Democratic majority and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in passing tax increases to solve a budget crisis, which was fiscally necessary but politically perilous. Probably not coincidentally, he lost a subsequent bid for state Senate during which a Republican opponent hammered him for the principled but unpopular vote.

Now the former assemblyman and Sacramento County supervisor from Fair Oaks is making another bid to represent the region’s suburbs in the state Senate. A longtime owner of an auto dealership group and certified public accountant who led the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, he retains the collegial and pragmatic bent that his 2009 vote exhibited — qualities that would suit the district and the Legislature.

The new 6th Senate District spans parts of Placer and Sacramento counties, including Roseville, Rocklin, Folsom, Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights. Sen. Jim Nielsen, a Tehama County Republican who represents much of the area, is leaving the Senate due to term limits, yielding one of California’s more competitive legislative contests. The district, which leans Republican but only slightly, could be one of the state’s most politically competitive.

Niello’s extensive experience in elected office showed when he was asked about rancor over pandemic precautions. He said reassuring constituents that they have a say in policy is key to tempering polarization.

“I’ve noticed that individual frustrations with things just generally have become extremely acute in the last couple of years, beginning with the pandemic,” he told The Bee’s Editorial Board. “People get frustrated because they think they have no influence. ... It’s because they feel relatively powerless.”

The former legislator also offered a prescription for easing the housing shortage that could use support in the Capitol, which has been all too deferential to a landmark environmental law often weaponized against desperately needed residential construction.

“I have believed for a long time we need serious reform of the California Environmental Quality Act, otherwise known as CEQA,” Niello said. “We seem to nibble at it for specific projects like sports stadiums, which does not make a lot of sense to me. We need a more broad reform of that, specifically to make building more efficient and less expensive.”

If Niello is elected, he will find his 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. Fortunately, he is the sort of seasoned and reasonable Republican the party needs more of to return to statewide relevance.

Niello’s opposition for the seat is Democrat Paula Villescaz, a member and former president of the San Juan school board who has also served as an assistant state health secretary. A lobbyist for county welfare officials, Villescaz says her pertinent experience includes the school district’s reopening during the pandemic and its successful advocacy of a facilities bond issue in 2016. Another Republican candidate was eliminated from the contest in June’s top-two primary.

Villescaz takes care to strike a compassionate, conciliatory tone and holds centrist positions on most of the issues. That suits the political complexion of the district but has the disadvantage of failing to clearly distinguish her from Niello, whose record and experience give him the edge to represent the region in the state Senate.

This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.