California Environmental Justice Alliance Announces 13 Endorsements Ahead of June Primary
Environmental justice alliance releases guide to “most exciting progressive candidates on 2022 statewide ballots”
April 18, 2022 | Sacramento, CA – The California Environmental Justice Alliance Action (CEJA Action), a statewide alliance of 8 grassroots and environmental justice organizations, today endorsed a slate of 13 candidates for statewide office for the June 7th Primary Election. CEJA Action is proud to endorse the following leaders: Dave Jones (SD-8), Aisha Wahab (SD-10), Bryan Osorio (SD-16), Steve Padilla (SD-18), David Campos (AD-17), Assemblymember Steve Bennett (AD-38), Pilar Schiavo (AD-40), Christy Holstege (AD-47), Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (AD-50), Elizabeth Alcantar (AD-64), Fatima Iqbal-Zubair (AD-65), Assemblymember Chris Ward (AD-78), Georgette Gómez (AD-80).
As frontline residents who organize and build power in the face of blackouts, extreme heat waves, and chronic pollution, CEJA Action shares this slate of candidates vetted and endorsed by alliance members to support environmental justice organizing through policy solutions.
“CEJA Action is proud to announce this slate of the most exciting leaders on the ballot this June. CEJA-Action endorsed candidates are leaders for environmental, economic, and racial justice. Our candidates will stand up for working class communities of color. With a historic number of legislators departing the state legislature this year, we need to unite our voices and our votes to elect a new wave of progressive leaders. We’re proud to endorse individuals who have spent their lives representing frontline residents with integrity, dedication and commitment to real climate solutions,” said Mabel Tsang, Interim Co-Director and Political Director of CEJA Action.
Twenty-six California state legislators vacated their position or announced they would not seek reelection in 2022. With seven lawmakers reaching the end of their term in November, there will be a total of 33 open seats this November — presenting a critical opportunity for working families and frontline residents to elect representatives who will champion and vote for legislation that aligns with community priorities, values, and wellbeing.
Members of California Environmental Justice Alliance Action provided the following quotes about candidates in their districts:
“Leadership Counsel Action is excited that Bryan Osorio has received CEJA Action’s endorsement. Communities in the new SD-16 want a representative who is unafraid to stand up to corporate interests and who will advocate in the Legislature for policies that represent community priorities. We are confident that Bryan will best represent the interests of Central Valley communities, and look forward to working with him in the Legislature,” said Olivia Seideman, Policy Coordinator with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.
“Fatima Iqbal-Zubair for Assembly District 65 and Elizabeth Alcantar for Assembly District 64 will advance community rooted solutions to urgently address the intersecting climate, income, and housing affordability crises. Their experiences – as a community organizer and lifelong public representative committed to centering frontline communities – make Iqbal-Zubair and Alcantar ideal candidates to represent working class Angelinos in the state Assembly. On June 7th, it’s time to vote to reclaim and reinvest resources for frontline communities of color,” said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Executive Director with CBE Action
“Georgette Gómez has a track record of fighting for environmental and racial justice. As the former Associate Director of the Environmental Health Coalition, Georgette organized for toxic free neighborhoods in San Diego’s low income communities of color. She continued that focus as a city councilmember and as the first LGBTQ Latina City Council President in the City of San Diego. This June we have the opportunity to elect Georgette along with a slate of CEJA Action-endorsed environmental justice champions to represent all of us,” said Franco Garcia with the Environmental Health and Justice Campaign.
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California Environmental Justice Action (CEJA Action) and our member organizations represent engage and mobilize bilingual and monolingual non-english speaking Asian, Black and Latinx voters to take action for climate and environmental justice the following communities:
- APEN Action – Richmond, Oakland
- CAUSE Action Fund – Santa Barbara and Ventura County
- CBE Action – Richmond, Oakland, Southeast Los Angeles Cities and Wilmington
- CCAEJ Action – San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
- CRPE Action – Kern County
- Environmental Health & Justice Campaign – San Diego County
- Latinxs for Environmental Justice – San Francisco
- Leadership Counsel Action – Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties, and the Eastern Coachella Valley