Christy Holstege, Palm Springs City Councilmember launched her campaign to represent Assembly District 47 Sunday with a long list opportunites that highlight the local Democrats’ political support months before the June primary.
She also presented her campaign platform with a focus to address climate change at state level, expand access to equitable healthcare care education, and promote California as a haven of reproductive rights amid uncertainty about national abortion laws.
Holstege, who was first elected as a city councillor in 2017, and became the city’s first female, openly bisexual, mayor by rotating into that position last year, announced her intention of running for the state Assembly in July 2021.
California’s redistricting process made the lines of the previously-known district, Assembly District 42, slightly different.
The Palm Springs Assembly District 47 district has been redrawn still extendsnorth to Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree and westward to Yucaipa & Banning, but also adds Cathedral City & Desert Hot Springs to the Coachella Valley.
After the redistricting process was completed Assemblymember Chad Mayes is the incumbent in this district Announcement He said he would not run for re-election in this cycle of the Assembly, leaving the field open in the newly drawn district. No other candidates have yet publicly announced their plans to run for the district.
Holstege has received endorsements from elected officials as well as statewide organizations since her announcement last year. Eleni Kounalakis and the California Federation of Teachers have also endorsed Holstege. Around 40 elected officials, some of them current senators and members of the assembly, have supported her campaign.
Sunday’s campaign event demonstrated the support Holstege is receiving from local Democrats. Many elected officials were there to support her candidacy. Representative Raul Ruiz (D-La Quinta) was the keynote speaker and praised Holstege for standing up for those who are marginalized.
Ruiz stated that she has brought hundreds of affordable housing to Palm Springs and secured $10 million in affordable housing funds. She also helped ban Styrofoam and other harmful products in Palm Springs.
One thing that I’m proudest of is that she didn’t give in to the misinformed zealots and protesters when the pandemic struck, he said. They were unable to stop her, and she and the city council enacted COVID-19, one of the most effective and timely precautions in the country.
Ruiz also encouraged the crowd to make double contributions to Holsteges campaign. The campaign has already raised more than $200,000 since its inception, with donations from the LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund, and prominent local Philanthropist Harold Matzner.
Holstege stated that her campaign would be focused on fighting for basic infrastructure and access in the region, including the creation of a four year state university in Coachella Valley.
Holstege stated that we are the most remote region from a four year university than any other state. CSU Palm Desert, a four year university, is needed to provide education and employment opportunities for our students.
Holstege also pointed out that the Coachella Valley, which saw record-breaking heat last summer, is “on top of climate change.” She highlighted Palm Springs’ 16% drop in greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 to 2020, which she attributed to the “frontlines of climate change,” with record-breaking heat last summer. Creation Desert Community Energy is a good example of a local policy to address the issue.
Holstege also argued that the political collapse of the district Mayes was first elected to as a Republican and then became an independent in 2018 had shifted in recent decades with President Joe Biden winning it by 7 points in 2020’s presidential election (although this is not an exhaustive list). Analyse The Public Policy Institute of California rates this district as an essentially toss-up with a slight lean towards Republicans.
Holstege stated that this is no longer a purple area, but a blue one.
Samuel Garrett-Pate, Equality California’s managing director of external relations, stressed the importance of the district in the state’s legislative races this coming year.
Garrett-Pate stated, “We need champions in Sacramento like her, who will stand up for our progressive values, fight to our values of inclusion, equality, and justice for all.” “This district needs to be flipped, and Christie is the perfect candidate to do it.
June 7th will be the primary election for California’s legislative and statewide elections.
Tom Coulter covers politics. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tomcoulter_.
This article first appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun. Holstege launches Assembly campaign, with extensive Democratic support
