A moderate Democrat is the best choice for this red Assembly seat in Placer County
In a strongly Republican area, California’s District 5 Assembly seat seems like it could go to former Rocklin City Councilman Joe Patterson. But Democratic challenger Rebecca Chenoweth, who earned the highest number of votes in the June primary, is putting up an impressive fight.
With her realistic, bipartisan proposals for alleviating California’s housing and climate crises, Chenoweth is the best candidate for District 5, which encompasses swaths of Placer and El Dorado Counties.
Chenoweth’s Republican challenger is more interested in engaging in online antics, consorting with the county’s worst political players and spewing talking points than proposing meaningful legislative ideas that would benefit his constituents.
Case in point: Patterson has endorsed controversial Roseville restaurant owner Matthew Oliver who is running to fill the vacant Rocklin City Council seat Patterson left open when he resigned to run for Assembly. Oliver kept his business open in defiance of state public health guidelines implemented during the pandemic. Oliver, who is also a local pastor, offered religious exemptions to the COVID vaccine to anyone who wanted one. Apparently, by virtue of his endorsement, Patterson could also care less about public health.
The Republican vote was split in the primary, with two other Republicans vying for the seat earning a collective 22.28% of the vote back in June. Now, with only Chenoweth and Patterson moving onto the primary, Chenoweth faces the daunting challenge of grabbing more Republican votes than her Republican counterpart
California’s newly drawn 5th District Assembly seat stretches from the bustling suburbs of Roseville, Rocklin and El Dorado Hills to the rural communities of Coloma, Cameron Park and Shingle Springs. Chenoweth, a moderate Democrat, has lived in the area for more than 20 years.
During her endorsement interview with The Bee — which Patterson, notably, refused to attend — Chenoweth stressed the importance of building more affordable housing and increasing access to health care.
During the same interview, Chenoweth said her Republican opponent has not been willing to debate her in other forums, either. Voters should be leery of any candidate unwilling to debate their opponents or face questions from journalists and the public.
On the subject of the climate change driving California’s worsening wildfires, Chenoweth has pledged not to take funds from gas and electric utilities and supports policies that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, including incentives to make it easier to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Regarding the continuing drought, she said, “I think we need to limit water (consumption) a lot more than we have. I know it’s a drastic measure, but we’re in a severe drought situation, and it’s just going to get worse.”
Despite his experience on the Rocklin City Council, Patterson’s unwillingness to answer questions and engage with voters outside his base raises serious questions about his ability to serve all voters — not just the ones who agree with him. Voters would be right to wonder whether he can deliver results in the Democratic-controlled Assembly.
Chenoweth, by comparison, isn’t afraid of questions or debate and is eager to represent her entire district.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat are editorials, and who writes them?
Editorials represent the collective opinion of The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board.
They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members or the views of Bee reporters in the news section. Bee reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions. The same rules apply to our sister publications, The Modesto Bee, Fresno Bee, Merced Sun-Star and San Luis Obispo Tribune.
In Sacramento, our board includes Bee Executive Editor Colleen McCain Nelson, McClatchy California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writers Robin Epley, Tom Philp, LeBron Antonio Hill and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer.
In Fresno and Merced, the board includes Central Valley Executive Editor Don Blount, Senior Editor Christopher Kirkpatrick, Opinion Editor Juan Esparza Loera, and opinion writer Tad Weber.
In Modesto, the board includes Senior Editor Carlos Virgen and in San Luis Obispo, it includes Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.
We base our opinions on reporting by our colleagues in the news section, and our own reporting and interviews. Our members attend public meetings, call people and follow-up on story ideas from readers just as news reporters do. Unlike objective reporters, we share our judgments and state clearly what we think should happen based on our knowledge.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
Tell us what you think
You may or may not agree with our perspective. We believe disagreement is healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy. If you would like to share your own views on events important to the Sacramento region, you may write a letter to the editor (150 words or less) using this form, or email an op-ed (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com. Due to a high volume of submissions, we are not able to publish everything we receive.
Support The Sacramento Bee
These conversations are important for our community. Keep the conversation going by supporting The Sacramento Bee. Subscribe here.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 10:42 AM.