By Vanguard Staff
YOLO COUNTY, Calif. — The Yolo County Democratic Socialists of America has released its first comprehensive voter guide for the Nov. 3 general election, recommending approval of Davis’ Measure W housing proposal, supporting three candidates for the Davis school board and declining to recommend either candidate in the contested Fourth Congressional District race.
The 24-page Yolo County DSA voter guide, adopted by the organization’s general membership Oct. 28, covers federal and statewide offices, county supervisorial races, municipal elections, school boards and ballot propositions.
In an accompanying press release, the organization said members of its Electoral and Legislative Committee examined candidate statements, campaign websites, financial disclosures, public service records, candidate forums and media coverage before developing the guide.
The organization said its objective was to provide voters with information about candidates, the responsibilities of elected offices and the potential effects of ballot measures on working people in Yolo County.
The guide distinguishes between formal endorsements, recommendations and what it calls anti-recommendations.
Under the organization’s criteria, an endorsement indicates that a candidate or ballot position aligns with its democratic socialist principles and political platform. A recommendation reflects a judgment that a candidate or position could advance working-class interests, even without full agreement on policy.
An anti-recommendation identifies a candidate the organization believes would be particularly harmful to workers, the environment or broader community interests.
Among the guide’s most significant local positions is its recommendation that Davis voters approve Measure W, which would authorize the Willowgrove housing development in northeast Davis.
The proposed development includes approximately 1,250 homes, including 250 deed-restricted affordable units.
Yolo DSA cited the project’s affordable housing commitments, its plans to provide affordable housing early in the development process and its provisions for residents with developmental disabilities.
The guide also notes that approximately 23% of the proposed homes would fall into a category the organization describes as market-rate affordable housing.
Although the organization acknowledged questions about the development’s campaign messaging, it concluded that Willowgrove addresses several concerns that have contributed to the rejection of previous Davis housing proposals.
The guide states that the project would expand Davis’ affordable housing supply beyond the city’s minimum development requirements.
Yolo DSA also recommends candidates in all three contested Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education races.
In Trustee Area 1, the organization recommends Colleen Zern over Dorte Jensen, citing Zern’s experience as an attorney, university instructor and volunteer in Davis schools.
The guide highlights Zern’s emphasis on transparency, accountability and collaboration in district governance.
It criticizes Jensen’s positions on transgender student inclusion and school-based mental health services, arguing that her approach conflicts with the organization’s priorities for public education.
In Trustee Area 3, Yolo DSA recommends Kurt Wendlenner over incumbent Joe DiNunzio.
The organization cites Wendlenner’s emphasis on data-driven decision-making, transparency and examining why some Davis families enroll their children outside the district.
It also highlights his interest in addressing compensation disparities between teachers and administrators and ensuring that technology supports rather than replaces educators.
In Trustee Area 4, the organization recommends incumbent Elizabeth Moon over challenger Beth Bourne.
The guide points to Moon’s experience as a teacher and her focus on fiscal stability, teacher recruitment, student mental health services and workforce housing for district employees.
It criticizes Bourne’s public positions on transgender students and her conduct at school board meetings, arguing that her candidacy conflicts with the organization’s approach to student inclusion.
The guide makes no recommendation in either Davis City Council race.
In District 1, Judy Ennis is running unopposed. Yolo DSA acknowledges her work on housing affordability and community services but says it would continue advocating for stronger affordable housing policies.
In District 4, incumbent Gloria Partida is also unopposed. The organization recognizes her work on LGBTQ inclusion, disability issues and diversifying city commissions.
At the county level, Yolo DSA issued an anti-recommendation against Dotty Pritchard in the District 3 Board of Supervisors race against Woodland City Councilmember Mayra Vega.
The organization criticizes Pritchard’s positions on criminal justice and county budgeting, expressing concern that proposed spending reductions could affect public employees and services.
The guide also raises questions about Vega’s record, stopping short of an affirmative recommendation for her candidacy.
In West Sacramento, the organization issued anti-recommendations against City Council candidates Dave Jans in District 3 and Kathy Bailey in District 4.
Its opposition to Jans centers on his support for school resource officers, while its concerns about Bailey include her Republican affiliation and what the organization describes as limited detail about her policy priorities.
In Winters, the guide recommends against incumbent Councilmember Richard Casavecchia but does not make affirmative endorsements among the remaining candidates.
For Woodland, the organization makes no recommendation in the contested District 1 City Council race between George Washington and Jesse Ortiz or in the uncontested District 3 race involving incumbent Tania Garcia-Cadena.
At the congressional level, Yolo DSA makes no recommendation in the Fourth Congressional District contest between incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson and challenger Eric Jones.
The guide criticizes aspects of Thompson’s congressional voting record while raising concerns about independent campaign spending benefiting Jones.
In the Sixth Congressional District, the organization issued an anti-recommendation against incumbent Rep. Kevin Kiley, citing his votes on federal spending, immigration enforcement and social programs.
It makes no recommendation in the Eighth Congressional District race.
Among statewide offices, Yolo DSA recommends Jane Kim for insurance commissioner over state Sen. Ben Allen.
The organization cites Kim’s support for stronger insurance industry regulation and a proposed public disaster insurance program.
It also issued an anti-recommendation against Sonja Shaw in the race for state superintendent of public instruction, citing her positions on transgender student protections.
The organization declined to recommend candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general and several other statewide offices.
The guide takes positions on nearly every statewide proposition, with formal endorsements reserved for Proposition 3 and Proposition 40.
Yolo DSA supports Proposition 3, which would extend higher income tax rates on wealthy Californians to maintain funding for education and health care.
It also endorses Proposition 40, a proposed one-time tax on billionaires intended to provide additional funding for health care programs affected by federal funding reductions.
The organization recommends yes votes on Propositions 1, 2, 4 and 5, involving affordable housing financing, state budget reserves, public campaign financing and recall election procedures.
It makes no recommendation on Proposition 37, a proposal to provide financing assistance to certain homebuyers.
Yolo DSA recommends voting against Propositions 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45.
Its opposition to Proposition 44 is particularly notable because the measure addresses spending requirements for nonprofit community health clinics.
The guide argues that although financial accountability and employee compensation are legitimate concerns, the proposed spending threshold could undermine the ability of community clinics to maintain services.
It specifically identifies CommuniCare+OLE, a major provider of health care services in Yolo County, as an institution that could be affected.
The organization also opposes Proposition 45, which would change environmental review requirements for a broad range of housing and infrastructure projects.
While acknowledging that the California Environmental Quality Act can delay needed housing and infrastructure, the guide argues that the proposition would weaken environmental protections without adequately distinguishing between different types of development.
The guide also addresses several local ballot measures outside Davis.
It recommends approval of Measure X, which would increase the transient occupancy tax on short-term lodging in unincorporated Yolo County from 8% to 12%.
The organization supports Measure B, a $29.9 million school bond in the Winters Joint Unified School District, and Measure H, a $1.1 billion bond proposal for the Los Rios Community College District.
In Woodland, Yolo DSA recommends rejecting Measure Y, a proposed one-cent sales tax increase, arguing that the tax would place a disproportionate burden on lower-income households.
It also recommends rejecting Measure Z, which concerns the city’s urban limit line and utility extension policies.
The voter guide represents an effort by the local democratic socialist organization to establish a broader electoral presence beyond individual candidate endorsements.
Rather than limiting its positions to candidates who identify as socialists, the organization evaluates races and ballot measures according to their potential effects on workers, public services, housing affordability and economic inequality.
The guide also demonstrates areas where the organization’s priorities overlap with candidates and campaigns outside the democratic socialist movement, particularly on affordable housing and public education.
Yolo DSA said it intends to repeat the process ahead of the 2028 primary election.
The complete guide is available through the organization’s 2026 general election voter guide.
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