The late additions of veteran Republican Charlie Schaupp and 28-year-old legislative aide Dustin Call have filled out the race as Matt Pope, a Napa County Democrat, dropped out last month, leaving the field to replace outgoing Assemblymember Mariko Yamada at five.
We have ballot statements from four of the five.
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Bill Dodd
Office: State Assembly, District 4
Name: Bill Dodd
Occupation: County Supervisor/Businessman
Age: 57
Education & Qualifications:
“Leave the world a better place than you found it.” This principle guides me. I’m old-fashioned. I try hard to listen, respect others, hold myself accountable and follow-through on my commitments.
That’s how I’ve succeeded for 14 years as Napa County Supervisor. I’ve helped streamline government regulations to approve job projects without weakening environmental regulations. I’ve brought people together to help save the Napa River, widen Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon, and adopt sustainable vineyard management policies in Napa County.
I believe that’s why 142 local elected officials from all over the district (Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, Solano, Colusa) support me, including all 5 Napa County Mayors (American Canyon, Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, Calistoga). They know me and my record. (See them at www.billdodd.com).
In the State Assembly, I’ll work with all parties to get things accomplished. It’ll be “California First,” not “Political Party First.” I’ll get people together on an investment strategy to improve our roads, water, public schools and universities.
I’m a moderate. I’m pro-business and pro-environment. I’m pro-choice, pro-minimum wage increase and pro-equal marriage rights. I’m pro-agriculture and against the big delta water tunnels.
If elected, I’ll work to leave California better than we found it. It’s the best way I know to pay-it-forward for our children and grandchildren.
Thank you for your consideration.
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Joe Krovoza
Office: State Assembly, District 4
Name: Joe Krovoza
Occupation: University Director and Mayor of Davis
Age: 51
Education & Qualifications:
I am running for State Assembly to extend my decades of public service and volunteerism.
Shortly after my wife and I moved to Davis to raise our family in 1991, I led the successful effort to restore Putah Creek. This decade-long effort transformed the creek’s ecology and restored its historic salmon run.
At UC Davis, I have worked for 17 years developing the world’s leading academic programs in clean transportation and energy efficiency. Our work has led many of the state’s efforts to fight climate change, reduce energy costs, and advance vehicle technologies of the future.
I was a fierce advocate for education long before my career at UC Davis. I served as the student trustee of my community college. Beginning in 1984 I served seven years on the California Student Aid Commission fighting to make college education more affordable. I spearheaded student loan reform to better protect students. As a father I have been active in our local public schools. As mayor I have built partnerships with our schools to improve safety and save money.
As mayor of Davis for the past three years, I have championed tough decisions to cut costs and return the city to firm fiscal footing. To create regional jobs, I forged the city’s groundbreaking partnership with Davis Roots, a thriving non-profit business incubator.
I am proud of my many significant accomplishments. With your help, I will bring my real world experience and a fresh perspective to Sacramento. Learn more at www.joekrovoza.com.
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Charlie Schaupp
Office: State Assembly, District 4
Name: Charlie Schaupp
Occupation: Retired Marine Corps Officer
Age: 59
Education & Qualifications:
I am a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and a member of a 4-generation Yolo County farming family who would be proud to be your new Assembly Representative. As a veteran I served our nation in combat operations in The Battle of Fallujah (2004) and Operation Desert Storm (1991). The Marines expect leadership and instill in you that courage, honesty and integrity is everything. Without those things a person can’t lead effectively or be trusted to do what is right. Our government in Sacramento continues to be seemingly devoid of understanding what leadership is and what a representative government should be.
I pledge to fight corruption, waste, new unnecessary taxes and reinvigorate our state’s economy. As a 4th generation farmer, protecting our state’s water resources and agricultural industry is paramount. We must also reduce excessive government regulations on business so our state can once again become a “Golden State” of opportunity.
I’m a graduate of Chico State, majoring in soil and water science with graduate work in hydrology and viticulture. I have also served as a two-term School Board Trustee, VFW Post Commander, Lions Club President and currently serve as a director on the Esparto Community Services District Board. Sacramento’s political establishment has and continues to fail us and has brought us to the brink of fiscal and moral bankruptcy. Let’s put California back on track and elect leaders we can trust. Please find out more before you vote at:www.CharlieSchaupp.com
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Dan Wolk
Office: State Assembly, District 4
Name: Dan Wolk
Occupation: County Attorney and City Councilmember
Age: —
Education & Qualifications:
As a public servant and father of young children, I’m concerned the California Dream is fading for the next generation. For too long we have neglected our future. We’ve failed to do so much: invest enough in our schools, create quality jobs, protect the environment and maintain critical infrastructure.
The California Dream is in danger of vanishing altogether.
To move California forward, we need a leader who understands our problems, has a vision for the future, with the experience and drive to get us there.
As a City Councilmember and County Attorney, I’ve brought people together to get things done. I led efforts to make our long-term water supply more reliable, fostered economic development and pushed for greater investment in roads and renewable energy.
In the Assembly, I’ll work every day on solving the problems that affect Napa County, our neighborhoods and our lives to restore the California Dream.
I will work to restore full funding to our public schools, from preschool to higher education, and support local agriculture, preserving valuable water and other natural resources – protecting the environment for our future. And I will champion job creation to invest in the economy of the future.
Only if we all work together on the issues that really matter can we succeed in making the changes necessary to improve our quality of life in Napa County – and fix California.
I’m proud to have the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party.
I’d be honored to have your vote.
For more, visit www.DanWolk.org.
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Dustin Call
No ballot statement, but he is a 28-year-old Davis resident who works as an aide to Assemblymember Curt Hagman, a Republican from Chino Hills. He attends UC Davis part-time as a senior political science major.
On his Facebook page he wrote: “I believe in a principled yet pragmatic approach to the challenges Californians are facing and in actually getting things done, not just making noise.”
Thanks for this. Am guessing one of the candidates has the proverbial snowball’s chance. This pretty much confirms my previous inclination. Remember, the ‘top two’, regardless of party, will advance to the “finals”.
Why does Dan’s mention Napa county but not Yolo?
“Only if we all work together on the issues that really matter can we succeed in making the changes necessary to improve our quality of life in Napa County – and fix California.”
I’m guessing Dan filed different statements in different counties and mentions the county name in each one. That’s pretty common. David must have gotten the Napa one sent to him.
I see. I suppose all is fair in love and war and politics, but it rubs me the wrong way to say “I’ll work every day on solving the problems that affect Napa County” to one set of voters, “I’ll work every day on solving the problems that affect Yolo County” to another set of voters, and “I’ll work every day on solving the problems that affect Lake County” to another set of voters. It’s such unabashed pandering, changing his priorities depending on who he’s talking to.
Well, there are at least 8 working hours in each day… so if he spends 2 hours working on Lake Co issues, 2 hours on Napa issues, 2 hours on Yolo issues…. maybe that is his intent.
Precisely
Cryptic response.
It’s interesting that we have had a female representing us in the Assembly for the last 24 years, but every candidate running for this office this year is male.
At the same time, in Davis, it looks to me like the two candidates best positioned to win seats on the City Council are the two women, while the three males are all underdogs to one degree or another. I would think that for one of the males to win a seat, one of the two women will have to stumble.
random patterns.
disagree with you on the city council election, think the two women are considerably weaker than you think. munn and davis are better positioned, or perhaps that’s my bias talking.
Arg! I hesitate to challenge your estimates on this because you seem to have one of the better political radars… but, based on my chats with friends and neighbors in town, I am sensing some incumbent anger that would tend to make it more difficult for both women and would favor the men.
The good news for me is that three of the candidates work well for me. It is only that fourth, and one of the women, that are problematic.
“I am sensing some incumbent anger that would tend to make it more difficult for both women and would favor the men.”
I hear that, too. However, I think the vast majority of voters have paid no attention yet to the City Council race and so anyone you or I speak with who has “incumbent anger” at this point is probably not representative of most voters in our City.
Where I think most voters start is with the question: Do I know who that person is?
On pure name recognition I would guess that Sheila Allen has the highest “yes” to that first question. After Sheila, I would guess the others fall in this order: Swanson; Munn; Davis; and Parrella. (Others have suggested to me that Parrella, who grew up in Davis and has UCD and family connections is better known than I think. My guess, though, is that Robb’s work on bicycle advocacy makes him better known than Daniel.)
The second question for most voters is: Do I have a generally positive feeling about that person?
Just being well-known does not guarantee election. People who have unpopular views or who have taken unpopular votes or whose personality does not come across well in public and so on very much harms their chances to win.
Perhaps a lot of Davis people have negative views of Sheila and Rochelle. But I tend to doubt that. I think the folks who dislike them are issue-oriented (which is a minority) and dislike them for a specific issue or two. I don’t think either of them is disliked on a personality basis or an overall negative feeling.
As time moves forward, more people (mostly indirectly) will focus on the race. And as a result, more will form positive or negative views (indirectly) based on issues. (Note: these images will be indirect to all those who are influenced by their friends, colleagues, members of their clubs or churches, etc. That is, they won’t listen to the candidates or read up on the issues. But people they generally trust may do that, and the opinions of the ones they trust will help some voters make up their minds.)
Yet, even as the race becomes more issue-oriented, very few are likely to vote for someone who they feel they do not know. That is why it pays off to raise money and use it to send out campaign literature. It’s mostly important as a way to make voters feel “that is someone I know” and maybe like.
So, as I see things, the two who are best known are Sheila and Rochelle. And while John is probably third best known, I think having the Republican brand associated with his name is a negative for many Davis voters. For one of the men to move up into the top two, he has to try to make his name as well known as the women are. And he has to be well-liked. And it would help him if (somehow) the female candidates are viewed negatively. However, if one candidate runs a negative campaign–say Munn goes after Rochelle for being a part of the Council which put Davis in dire fiscal straits–it’s not unlikely that he will be seen as an attacker, and the negativity will hurt him far more.
No one understands all of this better than Dan Wolk. His entire time on the Davis City Council he has tried very hard to not upset any of the powerful interests in the Democratic Party. Also, Dan is a very nice and polite guy. Most people generally and genuinely like him, and they like to vote for someone they like. At the very same time, Dan seems to believe that he needs to have Bill Dodd seen in a much more negative light. But it would harm Dan if he personally attacked Dodd. So instead, he has had Will Arnold attack Dodd. That way Dan can still come across as nice.
What Davis, Munn and Parrella probably need is an attack dog, who will go after Allen and Swanson. But in a city like ours, the attack dog needs to be seen as somewhat remote from the person he is working for. If the spouse or close friend of a candidate attacks another candidate–I recall that happening many times in the past–the attacker is hurt more by the attack than the attackee.