3 Democrats vie for open Assembly District 50 seat
Robert Garcia, Dejonaé Shaw and Adam Perez seek to replace Eloise Gómez Reyes, now running for state Senate
There’s an open Assembly seat in the heart of San Bernardino County.
District boundaries were redrawn in late 2021. A year later, just after winning reelection, Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, D-san Bernardino, announced she would not seek a fifth and final term in the Assembly but instead would run for state Senate District 29 in the 2024 election.
And into that vacuum have stepped three Democrats, each seeking a chance to move from local politics to Sacramento.
Assembly District 50 includes the cities of Colton and Loma Linda, along with parts of Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino.
Candidates are listed in this article in the order in which they will appear on the March 5 ballot, as determined by the San Bernardino County registrar of voters. We asked all candidates the same questions. Below are their responses.
Robert Garcia, Democrat
Occupation: Etiwanda School District school board member Website: Robertgarcia4ca.com
Campaign donations:
$231,974.44 as of Monday
If elected, what would you do to respond to the housing crisis in the district?
“If the state and municipalities incentivize the development of housing, it should be to allow multilevel entry into housing. It is also possible to provide additional grant funding to nonprofit housing developers.
“We need to revisit zoning of neighborhoods and diversify the kinds of housing in all of our communities to make it affordable for all.”
What would you do, if elected, to improve the district's employment and job prospects?
“For the most part, our region continues to be a bedroom community where jobs require a commute. Our job prospects depend on educating our workforce and attracting quality employers who will provide livable wages.
Focusing on investment for public education, including
programs for the trades, and implementing an additional housing development for our area will ensure economic growth.
I support stronger labor agreements that provide a living wage for workers which benefit the entire community.”
What makes you the best choice for voters, rather than your opponents?
“For over 20 years, I’ve devoted my life to public service as a teacher, school administrator, and Etiwanda School District board member, delivering results to strengthen education, keep students safe, and focus on mental health for middle schoolers.
I am a father of three kids who cares deeply about our future.
This community is where I’ve lived and worked for nearly two decades, and I want nothing more than to see our district thrive.”
Dejonaé Shaw, Democrat
Occupation: Licensed
Vocational Nurse Website:
Shawforassembly.com
Campaign donations: $499,994 as of Feb. 5
If elected, what would you do to respond to the housing crisis in the district?
“The housing crisis is a mixture of an increasingly growing, working population of people who have been priced out of their homes, combined with individuals suffering from mental health issues that are rooted in substance abuse.
Most people are one paycheck away from becoming homeless themselves.
Changing the material conditions in which we live through good paying jobs and affordable homeownership is key.”
What would you do, if elected, to improve the district’s employment and job prospects?
“People in San Bernardino County deserve an economy that is more equitable and creates more opportunities for people to reach the middle class. As
a leader in my union, I’ve fought for better wages, safer working conditions, and affordable access to quality health care for people throughout the Inland Empire.
In the Assembly, I will support our workforce development centers and local businesses to train workers, cut bureaucracy, and create new good-paying jobs to grow our local economy.”
What makes you the best choice for voters, rather than your opponents?
“I am a working nurse and leader in my union who fought to improve wages and patient care, and earned a 100% rating with Planned Parenthood.
I’ve worked to improve the local economy with good-paying local jobs and build housing working people and seniors can afford.
I have personally felt the impact of the homelessness crisis and I am endorsed by nurses, educators, and firefighters because I will treat the homelessness and housing affordability crises with the urgency they deserve.”
Occupation: Fontana Unified School District board member
Website: Adamperez.org
Campaign donations: $132,840 as of Feb. 5
If elected, what would you do to respond to the housing crisis in the district?
“I believe our housing crisis stems from a drastic lack of housing supply, which has forced housing prices to skyrocket and make housing unaffordable for too many Californians.
Our primary focus should be on building more housing units — including subsidized, affordable, and market rate housing — and reducing red tape that often inhibits our ability to build units affordably and efficiently.”
What would you do, if elected, to improve the district’s employment and job prospects?
“As our region grows, we must prioritize the development of our local economy.
I’ll work closely with businesses to encourage innovation, expand our skilled workforce, and create more good-paying local jobs. I also believe we must do more to support students as they enter into the workforce.
That’s why, as a school board member, I spearheaded efforts to get more technology into classrooms, introduced financial literacy and career pathway programs for high schoolers, and expanded STEM programs.”
What makes you the best choice for voters, rather than your opponents?
“I’m running for state Assembly today for the same reason that I enlisted in the Army as high school senior, because I believe in public service and giving back to my community in the most impactful way that I can. As a local school board member, police detective, and combat veteran, I believe that I have the experience needed to fight for San Bernardino County residents and deliver results on issues affecting our daily lives.”