On March 5^th, 2024 we will have a chance to use the full weight of the electoral process to determine who will represent us in the State Senate for what may be the next 12 years.

There are 543,010 registered voters in the 7^th Senate District with approximately 27% of the district’s registered voters residing in West County.  Sending a simple postcard to every household with a registered voter (301,392) can cost more than $100,000!

In an effort to help level the playing field, Radio Free Richmond has extended an offer to all six known candidates for the Senate to post their own words to let you, the voters, know their positions on what they believe to be the important issues.

THIS IS FREE PUBLICITY.

The candidates have also been invited to post guest editorials on the issues of importance.

RADIO FREE RICHMOND DOES NOT ENDORSE CANDIDATES--THEY OFFER A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO EXPRESS IDEAS ON ISSUES OF VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY

Typically, the content of these posts is drafted by the candidate.  This text appears to have been drafted by a secondary author on behalf of the candidate.  Out of respect for the candidate, Radio Free Richmond is posting this as if it came directly from the candidate.

In a few days we will have made our choice for who we want to represent us in the State senate, whether or not we cast our ballot I encourage you to fill it out and get it in.

Dan Kalb is the strongest candidate for State Senate D7. Kalb has the relevant state level experience, strongest policy plan and, importantly, the know-how to get it done in the rough-and-tumble of Sacramento.

Kalb’s strong record and expertise on climate and related environmental issues is unmatched. Over his long career as a public interest and environmental advocate, he has played a significant role legislating and advocating bold action on climate change, renewable energy, air quality, environmental health, transportation, and other environmental matters. Kalb worked for the Union of Concerned Scientists as their state policy director crafting and lobbying on complex issues. He worked for the Sierra Club before that. In Oakland, he was the actual author and leader on their laws to ban single-use plastics and require new buildings to be all-electric green. Kalb is supported by many leaders in the solar energy community, is endorsed by California Environmental Voters and is the only candidate endorsed by Climate Action California.

Kalb is a long-time advocate for affordable housing, and was recognized by East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO), the nonprofit collaboration advocating for housing justice, as an “Affordable Housing Champion” just a few years ago. He authored local legislation that has raised tens of millions of dollars for affordable housing, and has supported many such projects in Oakland, where he serves as a City Councilmember. This is a priority for him in Sacramento, and he has stated that he wants to bring back a revised form of Redevelopment focused on increasing the below market housing supply.

Kalb supports single-payer health care, will fight to make reproductive services available to everyone regardless of economic status, including taking on the insurance companies, and earning him a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood Advocates. Kalb’s state health care plan also expands residential drug treatment - to reduce overdose deaths and to help our homeless population. Kalb is a long-standing champion for public libraries, and was awarded for his work supporting them by the California Public Library Advocates, an award rarely given to any one not already at the state level.

Kalb has ties across the district - not least, his mother lived in San Pablo for almost ten years- and he has pledged to establish West County Advisory and Youth Advisory Councils to ensure everyone in the district is heard, and to take their ideas to Sacramento and fight to bring state resources home.

In a state full of show horses, Kalb is the effective workhorse who has enacted and will enact meaningful solutions on the complex policy challenges facing our communities and our state. His integrity is solid, and he is a passionate advocate for Clean Money Elections (he used to work for CA Common Cause). While other candidates (or their proxies) are attacking each other, Kalb is running a principled, engaged campaign talking directly to voters throughout the district.

We are losing Nancy Skinner and her environmental expertise to term limits. Dan Kalb is the best choice to fill that gap. His website, http://www.dankalb.net/ details his accomplishments and issue priorities. Please join us in voting Kalb for State Senate.