Experience gives Pellerin edge for Assembly seat
Four candidates are vying for the District 28 Assembly seat in the wake of Scotts Valley Assemblyman Mark Stone's decision to retire after serving 10 years in the Legislature.
The winner will face the challenge of representing a newly drawn, sprawling district that stretches from Santa Cruz through the Santa Cruz Mountains to Boulder Creek and east to Los Gatos, southwest San Jose and Morgan Hill. The ideal candidate would understand the needs of coastal dwellers, mountain folk, urban residents and small-farm operators.
Two candidates stand out — former Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin and Los Gatos Mayor Rob Rennie. We give the edge to Pellerin because her knowledge of voting rights issues, passion for improving California's mental health challenges and seven years of experience working in the Assembly would best serve the district.
Pellerin, who has Stone's endorsement, is energetic, possesses strong people skills and is widely known for her longstanding advocacy for more women in leadership roles.
She was appointed county clerk in 2004, was elected in 2006 and reelected three times before retiring in 2020 to the position that manages all elections in the county. Pellerin served as president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials from 2010-12 and co-chair of the Secretary of State's Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee. Prior to serving as county clerk, she spent seven years working in various offices in the Legislature.
Pellerin is a National Alliance on Mental Illness board member and articulates solutions for the state's mental health crisis better than any other candidate we've interviewed. She argues that the state needs to put a much higher focus on increased funding and staffing for mental health programs, adding that California doesn't have nearly enough mental health workers to meet the growing need.
Mental health hotlines for those in need are valuable, she says. “But that's not enough.” She advocates for 24/7 mobile mental health units throughout California, which would not only provide in-person help for the mentally ill but also remove that burden from untrained police officers called to assist.
Rennie, an electrical engineer who is a Bay Area native and has lived in Los Gatos since 1997, intended to run for the District 1 Santa Clara County supervisor's seat before redistricting rendered him ineligible. When Stone chose to retire Rennie became a late entry in the race.
Rennie was first elected to the Los Gatos Town Council in 2014 and has gained political experience by serving on the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority board, the Valley Transit Authority and the Santa Clara County Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. He cites affordable housing, public safety and education as his three highest priorities. He is bright and articulate discussing issues and would do a solid job if elected.
The other two candidates in the race are Monte Sereno Councilwoman Liz Lawler and Starbucks barista and union organizer Joe Thompson.
Lawler is the only Republican in the race and wants to “restore balance and accountability to the one-party rule in the Legislature.” She, too, is well-versed on issues, but her conservative approach would make her ineffective in Sacramento.
Thompson, a UC Santa Cruz student, is engaging and passionately progressive. He doesn't have the financial or political backing to make a serious run for the Assembly, but we hope he will continue to be involved in politics and seek to serve in some capacity in Santa Cruz.
Pellerin is the best choice for District 28 voters. Pellerin's expertise on voting rights and mental health would be a valuable addition to the Assembly. We recommend her in the June 7 election.