Candidate for
State Senator; District 26

This beautiful corner of our state virtually scripted the California Dream. From aircraft factories to movie studios, we produced the middle class jobs that bought homes, sent kids to college, and provided families with a secure retirement. Now, we must preserve those jobs and attract new ones to keep that dream alive.

As President of the Writers Guild of America, West, I did what I believe every elected leader should do - fight for what matters. I led a struggle to save thousands of middle class jobs and we won. When the members of my guild elected me to lead that struggle, I was honored by their trust and inspired by their strength. While some writers are very well known, most are solidly middle class and many are struggling to maintain their families' economic security. They are regular folks who got it in their heads and hearts to stand up for middle class values like fair treatment and a decent retirement. We were up against some of the most powerful corporations in the world. They thought we wouldn't fight, but we did. They thought we wouldn't stand together, but we did. They thought we wouldn't win. But we did.

As your state senator, preserving and creating quality jobs that strengthen the middle class will matter most to me. We need strong, creative, and focused leadership fighting every day for the middle class. That's what I did as head of the Guild. That's what I'll do in Sacramento.

Politics in Sacramento can be divisive and dysfunctional, but in our district and in our state, there is much that unites us. We all want better schools, a cleaner environment, safer streets, and security for senior citizens. All of these goals and values become achievable, and more affordable, if we protect and expand the middle class. So let's start there.

I have many ideas - some big, some not so big. From raising the minimum wage to closing corporate tax loopholes, I am proposing priorities to make work pay. From making college more affordable and accessible to working to address childhood hunger and truancy so more kids can succeed, I am proposing priorities to prepare our workforce for the high-skill jobs of the future. From fighting harder to protect consumers to teaching financial literacy, I am focusing on ways to keep families in the middle class. From getting kids the right start with universal kindergarten to improving home care so seniors can retire with dignity, I am proposing ways to do what a strong middle class community should do first - protect children, seniors, and families.