State Senate, District 7

Why does this race matter? 

The winner of this hotly contested race will replace termed-out state Sen. Nancy Skinner, whose progressive record on criminal justice and the environment made her a local favorite in this progressive East Bay district, which includes the cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond (formerly District 9). Housing development, public safety and climate change are key issues for local voters.

What does a state senator do?

State senators represent communities at the California Legislature in Sacramento. The 40 members of the state Senate write and vote on state bills, serve on policy committees and vote on the annual state budget. The winner will serve a four-year term.

Candidates

Jesse Arreguín
Jesse ArreguínMayor, BerkeleyDemocrat
Jovanka Beckles
Jovanka BecklesFormer City Council Member, RichmondDemocrat

Key Supporters

This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.

For Arreguín

  • Gavin Newsom, governor, California
  • Nancy Skinner, state senator 
  • California Democratic Party
  • California State Council of Laborers
  • Sierra Club

For Beckles

  • California Conference Board Amalgamated Transit Union
  • California Labor Federation
  • California Progressive Alliance
  • California Teachers Association
  • East Bay Democratic Socialists of America
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.

If elected, what policies would you push for to make housing more affordable for East Bay residents?

Arreguín says he would focus on making it easier and faster to build new housing. He points to his track record as Berkeley’s mayor during the city’s biggest housing boom in decades. He says he supports developing more government-owned housing to create affordable options for residents. And he vows to fight for stronger rent control and eviction protections, noting he is the only renter running for this seat.
Beckles believes the state is investing too heavily in market-rate housing and should instead build more affordable housing. She thinks it’s unrealistic to rely on private developers to take this on, and would instead propose a “multibillion-dollar housing bond” to fund it. Beckles also touts her work on shaping Richmond's strong tenants’ protection law, and vows to continue being a vocal tenant advocate.

Amid rising concern over retail and property theft, do you think Proposition 47, which lowers penalties for some types of non-violent crimes, should be reformed? If so, how? What other steps would you push for to reduce property crime in the district?

Arreguín says he supports Newsom’s plan to amend the language of Proposition 47, so as to impose harsher penalties on “professional thieves” who sell stolen goods. “By pursuing targeted laws and strategies we can address the growing problem of retail theft without throwing out needed reforms to reduce our prison population and promote rehabilitation,” he says.
Beckles says she supports Proposition 47 as it stands and is “not interested in contributing to right-wing fear mongering about the Bay Area or racialized panics about retail and business closures.” She says she would push for crime-reduction policies that focus on the root causes of crime. That would include broadening social services, raising wages, expanding rent control and reducing employment barriers for people leaving prison.

What actions would you take in the Senate to help your district better respond to increasing risk of flooding, fires and other climate change-related impacts?

Arreguín says he would push the state to update zoning laws, provide grants to homeowners to encourage “home hardening,” and work with insurers to underwrite policies for residents in fire zones. He would also advocate for more effective stormwater management strategies in flood zones. He notes that under his leadership, Berkeley adopted home-hardening standards to reduce damage caused by potential wildfires.
Beckles says she wants to modify the California Environmental Quality Act to require that approved projects eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and wants to ensure that fossil fuel workers are prioritized for jobs in green industries. She touts her broad environmental justice experience, both as a Richmond City Council member battling Chevron and as an AC Transit board director, where she helped lead the transition to zero-emission buses.

We’ve seen a dramatic increase in labor strikes in industries like health care and education. What would you do to ensure workers in these essential sectors receive the pay and support they need to be able to continue living in this district?

Arreguín says he would work to raise the state minimum wage, expand worker protections and increase funding for public sector employees, including teachers. He notes that when he was on the Berkeley City Council, he helped raise the city’s minimum wage to one of the highest in the state ($18.07/hour). He argues the cost of housing in the district is out of reach for most working-class families and says he would push to produce more permanently affordable housing units.
Beckles says strong unions are essential to improving the pay and working conditions of the state’s essential workers. She’s currently a rank-and-file member of the Teamsters Local 856, and says she will continue the push to force businesses to provide pay to striking workers, remove strike prohibitions in work contracts, and make union organizing easier.

Last June, a state task force released a historic plan to provide reparations to the Black California descendants of enslaved Americans. Where do you stand on that proposal?

Arreguín says he strongly “supports reparations and believes that monetary payments cannot be the only restitution.” He would support the repeal of Proposition 209, which bans the consideration of race in government decisions, and supports a measure before voters this November to prohibit involuntary servitude in the prison system. He would also push to eliminate Article 34 in the state constitution, which makes it harder to approve the construction of low-income housing.
Beckles says she participated in two focus groups run by the task force, in which she shared her perspective as a Black immigrant (born in Panama City, Panama). She says she has read and supports every element of the proposal, and would push the state to first offer a formal apology to the descendants of enslaved Americans. She thinks the task force’s calculation of reparations payments is likely low and would “support a plan to revise it upwards.”

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