During election season, for candidates from all ends of the political spectrum, voters are inundated with propaganda and advertisements—everything from paper mail, TV ads, text messages, and email blasts. Most of these communications are too brief to provide detailed or insightful information about a candidate. Even though I’m not yet of voting age, I try to keep up with issues and candidates on the ballot during elections and make informed opinions for myself. I have several criteria for judging candidates and weighing their qualifications: two of them are if their policies are based in fact, statistics, and science and if they have personal integrity. Following an assessment of candidates vying to become the next California State Senator for the 40th District, I believe Joseph Rocha has fulfilled my key criteria. Thus, I endorse him for this position.

Rocha, a Democrat, is a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a prosecuting attorney while in the service. Rocha was raised in Riverside but graduated from San Diego City College and the University of San Diego following his service in the military. Rocha’s history suggests that he fights to protect the rights of marginalized groups, as evidenced by his involvement in the repeal of the federal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which banned openly gay citizens from serving in the military. Rocha testified to Congress about his experience as a gay man in the military to support repealing the policy, which would thereby allow gay citizens to serve openly in the armed forces. Rocha’s willingness to risk public scorn to stand up for the rights of others demonstrates a level of integrity that is important for elected officials to have. Rocha has also stated throughout his campaign that he will fight for the rights of other disenfranchised populations, including women’s reproductive rights and the personal freedom to make one’s own health decisions.

Rocha’s opponent is Brian Jones, a Republican who currently holds the position of State Senator in California’s 38th District. Jones’ political career includes having been a member of the Santee City Council and a member of the California State Assembly. Jones attended Grossmont College and graduated from San Diego State University. Jones has voted against several gun reform measures including AB 1594, which would establish a standard of conduct for the firearm industry, and SB 61, meant to limit the sale of semiautomatic rifles. Rocha, on the other hand, has advocated for strengthening gun control, especially with regards to closing legal loopholes on ‘ghost guns,’ which are untraceable, privately made firearms. He also has talked about the need for required background checks for all gun owners to reduce the threat of gun violence in communities and schools. Rocha cites his service in the military as the basis for learning about responsible gun ownership. Here again, he is able to leverage his personal experiences to support larger community needs.  

In a statement issued by his office in response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Jones stated he is pro-life and only supports abortion in cases involving rape, incest, or the life of the mother. Jones does not support the current ballot initiative Proposition 1, which would safeguard the right to abortion and the right to contraceptives. He also fought against legislation requiring public universities to provide access to  the abortion pill at student health clinics in public universities. Conversely, Rocha has stated he will vote “yes” on Proposition 1 in order to protect the access to abortion and contraceptives. 

Furthermore, Jones said he does not believe in the science behind climate change, claiming that global warming is not a man-made problem. Rocha, on the other hand, understands the consequences of climate change and is fully supportive of efforts to combat it, which include the Zero-Emission Vehicle program, a policy enacted to stop the sale of gas-powered cars in California by 2035. In a Q&A with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Rocha asserted that “climate change is settled science,” showing his reliance on scientific evidence to make important decisions.

A topic that Rocha and Jones have shared concerns about is the growing homeless crisis statewide. However, their strategies to address homelessness differ in approach.  Homelessness has increased 10% in San Diego in the past year. In response, Jones is sponsoring a bill that will be introduced in December that bans homeless encampments near schools or preschools. Jones argues the homeless can be compassionately relocated but does not offer a clear plan or strategy for housing these displaced people. Rocha is focused on addressing the legislation that discourages building more affordable housing. In addition, he is very focused on enhancing the support services for veterans, particularly those with traumatic brain injuries or other mental health problems that could increase their risk of homelessness.   

Overall, Rocha has laid out plans to address key issues if he is elected to office. His solutions are evidence-based while also being deeply rooted in morality and a desire to protect the rights and freedoms of California citizens. For these reasons, I believe Joseph Rocha is the best candidate for California State Senator of the 40th District.