Four Democrats in running for Assembly seat

Four Democrats — three from Marin and one from Sonoma County — are competing in the June 7 primary election to replace Assemblyman Marc Levine.

The top two vote-getters will face off in the November general election regardless of whether one wins a majority of the votes in the primary.

Levine, a Democrat who lives in Greenbrae, is forgoing his chance for a sixth and final term in the Legislature to run for state insurance commissioner.

Damon Connolly, a San Rafael resident, has been a Marin County supervisor since 2015. Prior to that, he served two terms on the San Rafael City Council and was a school board trustee.

Connolly, who has a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, worked as a deputy attorney general prosecuting energy companies that gouged the state during the energy crisis of 2000-2001.

“I'm running to be a local voice in Sacramento for our communities,” Connolly said during an Independent Journal editorial meeting with the candidates on May 4. “The relationships that I've developed locally and the proven track record that I have on the issues that we need to address at the state level are what distinguish me in this race.”

In March 2019, Connolly pleaded guilty to driving with more than 0.08 percent of alcohol in his blood after leaving a holiday gathering in December of 2018. He was arrested in his home after knocking down a stop sign with his car.

“At the time, I took full responsibility for my actions, and I still do,” Connolly wrote in an email. “Since the incident, I have eliminated alcohol from my life completely, and I no longer drink. I'm continuing to take all necessary steps to ensure that it never happens again.”

Connolly has raised the most campaign contributions, nearly $300,000, but Sara Aminzadeh of Kentfield, a California Coastal Commission member since 2017, is not far behind.

Aminzadeh is a vice president at US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit organization, and worked previously at the Pisces Foundation and the California Coastkeeper Alliance. She has a law degree from University of California, Hastings College of Law, in San Francisco.

While Connolly emphasizes his local connections and experience, Aminzadeh touts her support in Sacramento among Democratic lawmakers.

“I've been endorsed by 26 current Assembly members and state senators,” Aminzadeh told the editorial board. “These are relationships that the North Bay needs to secure investments in key projects and move the needle on tough issues.”

Another Marin candidate in the race, Ida TimesGreen, told the editorial board, “It's real clear as to how I differ from the other candidates. As a resilient Black woman, I have lived experience.

“I've witnessed the performative movement toss money on topics,” TimesGreen added, “but systemic racism will never be eradicated unless transformation work happens, and I am willing and prepared to do that type of work.”

Times-Green is a county social worker and the board president of the Sausalito Marin City School District.

The only candidate in the race from outside Marin is Steve Schwartz of Sebastopol, founder and director of the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative, which aims to foster sustainable agriculture through religious congregations.

“I have training and experience at the state level. I've been chief of staff to two assemblywomen,” Schwartz told the editorial

board. “I've been in the room where things happen. I'm a bridge builder.”

Finding a major issue on which the candidates differ is a difficult task. They all believe California should cut its greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” by 2030; they support having California create its own single-payer, government-operated health care system; and they want the state to do more to address the state's shortage of affordable housing and its growing homeless population.

Aminzadeh said it isn't their positions on issues that differentiate the candidates.

“The strategies are relatively well understood,” she said during a candidates' forum sponsored by the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods on April 14, “but what has been missing is the political will and action in Sacramento. We cannot send a representative to Sacramento who will merely be a cog in the political machine and allow the wheels of the system to continue to move slowly.”

Aminzadeh said Connolly and other county supervisors have shown a lack of

courage when dealing with issues such as homelessness, housing and Golden Gate Village, the public housing complex in Marin City.

Aminzadeh, however, agrees with Connelly that housing mandates handed down to Marin by the California Department of Housing and Community Development are unreasonable.

Connolly said the number of new homes Marin must accommodate — more than 14,000 by 2031 — is “simply too high.”

“Communities are justifiably concerned about putting housing in high fire risk areas or areas subject to flooding,” he said.

During the April 14 forum, Connolly said the housing mandates “underscored for me that we need a strong local voice at the state level.”

During that forum, Aminzadeh said, “We have seen some rather draconian mandates come down, more of a command and control approach from the state. That needs to change.”

Aminzadeh also said she agreed with county supervisors' decision to scrap a 2020 plan to rehabilitate Golden Gate Village public

housing project in Marin City. The plan would have created 156 new affordable residences, including 48 for seniors. The scheme was dropped in the face of opposition by the Golden Gate Village Resident Council.

Times-Green and Schwartz did not criticize the state housing mandates.

“Folks might not like SB 9 and SB 10 and the package that came out recently,” Schwartz told the editorial board, “but we're going to have to show that we can build more workforce housing in the district. We need to make sure there is financing for the individuals who want to do a duplex or a junior accessory dwelling unit in their backyard.”

Times-Green said, “Although I feel that infill and accessory dwelling units and repurposing existing sites are part of the solution, I also support thoughtful, nonprofit development of housing built to green standards in transit areas and close to jobs.”

Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who declined to state who he planned to vote for, has endorsed both Connolly and Aminzadeh.