California Assembly District 54 election: Gonzalez vs. Yi voter guide

Two Democrats are vying to succeed incumbent Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), who did not seek reelection. Santiago instead ran for the Los Angeles City Council but lost in the primary.

Former Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Mark Gonzalez will face John Yi, executive director of Los Angeles Walks, a pedestrian advocacy group.

Who are the candidates?

Gonzalez is the district director for Santiago and received endorsements from major labor unions, including those representing teachers and construction workers. The California Democratic Party and Gov. Gavin Newsom also endorsed him. The support has helped Gonzalez raise nearly 10 times as much campaign money as his opponent. A resident of Chinatown, Gonzalez said his goals as a lawmaker would be to focus on “affordable housing, criminal justice reform, climate justice, and a just economy.”

As district director, he worked on housing with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and on economic justice issues, including advocating for a $25 minimum wage for healthcare workers in California.

Yi has had a career leading nonprofit advocacy groups including the American Lung Assn. in California and Parent Revolution, an education reform organization. Support for his campaign comes largely from the left wing of the Democratic Party, including the L.A. chapter of Our Revolution, the organization founded by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He is also endorsed by the Korean American Democratic Committee and the East Area Progressive Democrats.

Born in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, Yi said the district needs a representative in Sacramento who will focus on the region’s biggest problems: “Skyrocketing rent and displacement, lack of dignified public spaces, and ... the worst air in the nation. We deserve public servants who feel the urgency-of-now our region demands.”

One of his biggest priorities is to fix public transportation, notably by making Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority an elected body, similar to how the Board of Directors of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is elected, a change that would require state approval. He also wants to get rid of single-family home zoning to create more equitable access to housing.

Where is the district?

The district includes the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westlake, Chinatown, Koreatown, Boyle Heights and Pico-Union, as well as the cities of Montebello and Commerce.

Proposition 3

Proposition 3 would affirm gay marriage in the California Constitution. Both candidates identify as LGTBQ+ and support the measure.

Yi called it a “no-brainer,” adding: “That’s the beauty of the Legislature. Making statements like enshrining into the constitution is a statement for the world. I approach this position with that level of seriousness.”

Gonzalez also supports the measure, recalling the impact in 2008 of the passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage statewide: “I think we’re ready and glad the Legislature did what it did to get it on the ballot to reaffirm the rights.”

Proposition 32

Proposition 32 would institute an $18 hourly minimum wage for all Californians.

Both candidates support this measure.

Proposition 36

Proposition 36 would create stiffer penalties for some drug and theft crimes, revising parts of Proposition 47, a decade-old ballot initiative.

Both candidates oppose this measure. Yi called Proposition 36 “a knee-jerk reaction” to crime statistics. Gonzalez called it a “bait and switch” move by the Republican Party.

Healthcare

Gonzalez and Yi said they support a single-payer healthcare system that would insure all California residents.

Gonzalez’s campaign website said he would work to “guarantee healthcare as a right for all so that everyone can get the care they need when they need it.” He previously advocated to expand Medi-Cal benefits to all Californians regardless of their immigration status. He’s also vowed to push to increase funding for Planned Parenthood, expand access to reproductive health services and strengthen abortion protections.

Yi’s campaign website states that he supports the single-payer healthcare system because it would allow the state to expand coverage to more Californians and lower the price of medication. He said he would also invest in community health clinics, nonprofits and community healthcare workers. When it comes to abortion, Yi believes “unhindered access to abortion” is a fundamental right that the government should not be involved in regulating. He believes California should expand resources in the state’s most rural areas and can be a national leader by increasing services for out-of-state residents.

The budget

The candidates were asked how they would address more budget deficits projected in years to come.

Yi said he does not believe the state should be cutting services to make up for the budget deficit. He said California “has the money in reach” and pointed to the state’s prison spending as an example of where to make cuts.

Gonzalez thinks one way to address the deficit is by raising taxes on Californians who “can afford to pay their fair share.” The budget deficit and whether to slash services will demand hard conversations, he added, and the state should not be taking money away from classrooms and public sector jobs.