California Senate District 18

I support Proposition 39. Requiring a government-issued ID to vote in person—and the last four digits of that ID for mail ballots—helps ensure every valid vote is counted and only eligible citizens vote. California already asks for identifying information at registration; this simply applies the same common-sense standard at the ballot box that most states already use. The measure also requires the state to issue free voter ID cards on request, so cost is not a barrier. Mistrust in election integrity discourages participation. When voters believe the process is secure, more qualified citizens actually turn out. Prop 39 restores that confidence while protecting the value of every lawful vote. I will support it.

The Senate’s job is to be the state’s fiscal steward and a check on the Assembly. Too many bills arrive as expensive, poorly vetted ideas. Senators should slow that process, demand real numbers, and refuse to send the Governor anything that moves California farther from a balanced budget. I will not support new taxes or tax increases until Sacramento first confronts the waste, fraud, and failed programs already on the books. Working families in our district cannot keep paying more while the state papers over structural deficits with borrowing and one-time “solutions.” Every dollar should be treated as the public’s money, not the Legislature’s. A senator’s role is to insist on living within our means, protect reserves, and pass only legislation that advances long-term fiscal health—not short-term political spending.

America has been blessed more than any other nation in modern times. Scripture records an everlasting covenant: those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse her will be cursed. One reason for America’s blessing is that we have consistently been Israel’s strongest friend. Fulfilling Bible prophecy, Israel has blessed the whole world. The Jewish people gave us the greatest book in the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ was a Jew. The first church was Jewish. The Christian faith itself originated with the Jewish people. Israel is the only democracy in the region. If Israel laid down her arms, there would be no more Israel. If her enemies laid down their weapons, there would be peace in the Middle East. It is imperative that America remain a steadfast friend and supporter of Israel.

I support the steps President Trump has taken to restore control of our border. A nation that cannot secure its border cannot protect its people from terrorists, fentanyl and other drugs, human trafficking, or weapons of mass destruction. Border security is also the foundation of a fair, compassionate, and sustainable legal immigration system. It is not fair for anyone to cheat, cut the line, or push others aside to enter illegally. That is not the American way. Legal immigration honors those who wait, follow the law, and contribute. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a nation that judges people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Character includes respect for the law. Secure the border first. Then we can have an immigration policy that is both compassionate and honest.

I respect every person’s dignity, but I do not agree with the 2024 constitutional amendment that redefined marriage as a fundamental right regardless of sex. Marriage was created by God and defined as the lifelong union of one man and one woman. Anything else may be a union of another kind, but it is not marriage. Only the union of one man and one woman has the God-given potential to produce another human life. As Scripture says, the two become one flesh. The Founders of America, the authors of the Declaration of Independence, and the Framers of the U.S. Constitution never envisioned marriage as anything other than the union of one man and one woman. Government can change legal language. It cannot change the created meaning of marriage.

I agree that many issues belong with the states and the people. The Supreme Court’s decision returning abortion policy to the states corrected a federal overreach. But the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is not a state preference. It is a human right. The Declaration of Independence names Life first for a reason. Abortion directly abridges the right to life of an unborn child. Every level of government—federal and state—has a duty to recognize and protect that right. I will work to protect mothers and children, support women in crisis, and advance laws that treat innocent human life as something to be defended, not discarded.

I strongly support the Supreme Court’s decision affirming a parent’s right to know about their child’s gender issues at school. Parents—not the government, and not the schools—are responsible for their children’s upbringing. Schools have no business hiding names, pronouns, counseling, or social transition from the parents God and the law entrusted with those children. Our nation’s Founders would have it no other way. Parental authority comes before the state. My opponent, Senator Steve Padilla, was a principal co-author of AB 1955, the California law that blocked schools from being required to tell parents when their child is changing gender identity at school. That is the opposite of parental rights. I will defend parents, not hide children from them.