The Peninsula’s three Democratic Assemblyman — Rich Gordon, Kevin Mullin and Phil Ting — are heavy favorites against their Republican opponents in the Nov. 4 general election.
Phil Ting is seeking a second term representing the 19th district, which encompasses the western half of San Francisco, part of South San Francisco, and all of Daly City and Colma. Like Gordon and Mullin, Ting operates in a region where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1.
Ting, 45, counts the environment and open government among his top legislative priorities. The San Francisco-based lawmaker said one of the highlights of his first term was a 2013 bill to create a tax incentive for urban property owners to turn vacant land into small farms.
But Ting’s main concern is boosting education funding, a goal he’ll continue to pursue as a member of the Assembly budget subcommittee on education finance.
“We need to continue to invest and reinvest in education,” he said.
Ting’s challenger is first-time candidate Rene Pineda, 64, a systems engineer for Wells Fargo. The Philippines native belongs to the Mormon church and serves as bishop of the Tagalog ward in Daly City, helping members of his congregation with their problems.
That role informs his traditional family values, he said, and has yielded valuable insight into the needs of 19th district residents.
“I have a lot of experience working with the community,” Pineda said, “and I know what their challenges are.”
The South San Francisco resident wants to lower taxes, arguing California is losing jobs because of its high rates. He wants to decrease tuition for college students and create incentives for businesses to train and hire more of California’s college graduates.
Mullin, 44, is making his first re-election bid in the 22nd district. The district runs from South San Francisco to Redwood City and includes Pacifica and the northern San Mateo County coast.
Out of the nine bills Mullin had signed into law this year, he points to legislation allowing San Mateo County jurisdictions to participate in a pilot project to conduct the 2015 and 2017 elections entirely by mail.
“The goal here,” Mullin said, “is to save money and increase turnout and voter engagement.”
The South San Francisco resident also wants to help bring about long-term stability in the state budget, and he plans to take another shot at legislation cracking down on antibiotics in farm animals. His bill to that effect died in committee earlier this year, but Gov. Jerry Brown recently signaled a desire for the Legislature to tackle the problem.
Mullin’s opponent is 52-year-old Mark Gilham, a Redwood City resident who owns a video and audio production company. The Republican is taking another shot at Mullin after a lopsided loss in the 2012 election.
Gilham wants to slash California’s corporate tax rate, eliminate most public employee pensions, and build reservoirs and canals to tackle the state’s water crisis. He’s also concerned about the arrival of the Ebola virus in the United States. Airports in California and beyond need to screen every foreign traveler, he said.
“If we can’t do that,” he said, “we’re inviting disaster.”
Gordon, 66, represents the 24th district covering southern San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County along with Half Moon Bay and the rural southern coast. He is seeking a third term.
The resident of unincorporated Menlo Park had 17 bills signed this year by Gov. Jerry Brown, a number that is tied for the highest among all state legislators, according to Gordon’s office. That slate included legislation bolstering California’s locally grown food movement by allowing schools, community groups and individuals with small gardens to market their produce directly to the public.
Gordon attributes much of his productivity to the fact that he has built strong relationships with colleagues, including some in the Republican Party.
“I work in areas that are pretty common-sense, I get things done and I produce results,” Gordon said.
Taking on Gordon is 30-year-old first-time candidate Diane Gabl, a Palo Alto attorney. If elected, Gabl said, she would focus on eliminating government waste and pursuing further pension reform.
“I think fiscal responsibility is by far the most important issue facing the state,” she said.
Contact Aaron Kinney at 650-348-4357. Follow him at Twitter.com/kinneytimes.
