2016 SF DCCC Endorsement Questionnaire

Transcription

1 2016 SF DCCC Endorsement Questionnaire NAME: OFFICE RUNNING FOR: CAMPAIGN ADDRESS: District 9 Supervisor CAMPAIGN CONTACT AND CELL PHONE: ADDRESS: Christian Schneider; Christian@pivotalcampaignservices.com Instructions Please complete this questionnaire and send electronic copies by end of business on August 9 th, 2016 to info@sfdemocrats.org. The 2016 endorsement interviews for candidates will take place during a special meeting of Saturday, August 13th, from 9:30am-1pm, at 209 Golden Gate Ave. The SFDCCC s endorsement vote will occur the meeting of the SF Democratic Party at the Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, August 17 th, at 6pm. Only candidates who return a completed questionnaire electronically by 5pm on August 10, 2016 will be allowed to present before the committee. At the time of the interview, you may also provide 15 copies of up to 4 pages of information for distribution to SFDCCC members. While it may seem that some of these questions do not apply to the office you are seeking, they represent Democratic Party principles and since you may run for higher office where these questions will be relevant, we would like them addressed. We will distribute the questionnaires to the DCCC members and post them on the S.F. Democratic Party s website (at for the public to view. 1

2 General Questions 1. Are you a registered Democrat? Yes: No: 2. When did you first register as a Democrat? I registered as a Democrat and have been a Democrat since the day I turned 18, over 12 years ago. 3. Who did you vote for in the last two Presidential general elections? I am proud to have casted my vote for President Barack Obama in 2012 and then- Senator Obama in Have you ever voted for or endorsed a non-democrat in an election? Yes: No: If Yes, who? When? 5. Please provide a brief summary of your qualifications for this office. (No more than 200 words.) I grew up in the Mission in a Union family and understand the needs of families struggling to make ends meet. A daughter of Peruvian immigrants, I have spent my career to date as an Education Advocate fighting to fix a broken system. I know how to develop legislation in collaboration with a diverse set of stakeholders, build coalitions and get things done. My work background will enable me to better serve and represent the community of District 9. I successfully led a two-year legislative campaign that increased education services and supports to 40,000 foster youth in California who were previously ineligible and increased the state funding of this program by 67%. I also reformed 2

3 the state s education program for foster youth through AB 854. In 2014, I investigated the detention conditions of migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border. As the only fluent Spanish speaker on my team, I interviewed these youth to document their treatment in federal custody, which was appalling. Last year, a federal judge ruled that these children and their mothers must be freed. I have successfully fought for communities that have been ignored, and I will continue to fight for them and all communities as Supervisor. 8. Please describe your contributions to the Democratic Party at the local, state and or/national level in the last 4 years. (No more than 200 words.) I have been an active Democrat for a number of years. In 2012, I had the distinction of serving as an At-Large California Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, casting my vote for President Obama. I ran and was elected to serve as an Assembly District 17 delegate representing San Francisco from In addition, I was elected to serve as Vice Chair for the Bay Area for the Chicano Latino Caucus of the California Democratic Party from Finally, I was elected to serve as the Northern California Region Director for the California Young Democrats, Latino Caucus (CYDLC) and was elected in 2015 to serve as the CYDLC s Vice-Chair. I have worked to elect various Democratic candidates, walking precincts, phone-banking and organizing others to volunteer as well. I have registered voters to the Party and have fought to make the Party more inclusive of women, Latinos and young people through my various leadership roles. I am proud to be a Democrat and will continue to fight for Democratic causes and candidates. 9. If elected, what are the three top issues you will work to affect? (No more than 200 words.) I believe that Education, Affordable Housing, and income inequality are three significant challenges facing our community. I am a proud product of our city s public schools, including Lowell High. My experience at Lowell was life-changing, but I was painfully aware my 3

4 childhood friends did not have these same opportunities. In San Francisco, only 69% of Latino students graduate. Our system is broken. I have dedicated my career to addressing the education inequities that hold back our youth and will continue to advocate for school resources and programs to serve families. Our city is in a housing crisis, which has dramatically affected District 9. I have seen my friends and neighbors pushed out due to high rents and evictions. We must develop more affordable housing so low-income, working-class and lower-middle income families can stay. I will work to develop in collaboration this cohesive plan for our district that includes the community s voice and creates the type of housing we need. Providing students and residents with the skills and opportunities needed to earn good salaries is essential to addressing income inequality. We need increased resources to support youth development, pathways to union jobs, and partnerships with industries to facilitate the transition to higher-paying careers. We also need strong enforcement of minimum wage laws so our communities benefit from these rights. 10. What have you done to mentor women and people of color in your field? (No more than 200 words.) As a woman of color, I understand the everyday struggle to find opportunities and seize them. That s why I ve spent a considerable amount of time mentoring women and people of color, and have made a commitment to hiring, recommending, and appointing these candidates. I have served as a mentor through the YWCA and volunteered as a facilitator for the young woman s leadership development program, Girlsource. I also led a student group dedicated to increasing the number of Latinos going to and staying in college. My activities didn t stop there. I served as a mentor for Hope Scholars, and was matched with former foster youth who are current students at UC Berkeley. I also served as a mentor for a Latino student in the SPARK program, which matched middle school children with professionals to serve as apprentices in the workplace. Most recently, I have mentored young women who are former foster youth as they applied for university admission. I 4

5 fundamentally believe in the mentorship and development of women, young people and people of color generally. I look forward to continuing to advance the next generation of leadership. 11. Please list the organizations and elected officials who have endorsed you. Stationary Engineers, Local 39 Former California State Assemblyman and former San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Ted Lempert Former United States Senator Richard (Dick) Clark Issues Questions Please only mark whether you SUPPORT or OPPOSE each position. QUESTION SUPPORT OPPOSE 1. Do you support or oppose a woman s right to choose a safe and legal abortion? 2. Do you support or oppose affirmative action? 3. Do you support or oppose privatization of essential government services? 4. Do you support or oppose expanding rent control to post-1979 buildings? 5. Do you support or oppose San Francisco s sanctuary city policy? If you need to add further explanation or qualification to any of your support-or-oppose answers above, you may do so here: 5