California Senate District 35 election: Chambers vs. Richardson voter guide

Two Democrats are running in the November election to succeed California state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) in Senate District 35.

Michelle Chambers and Laura Richardson emerged as the top two of eight candidates who ran in March’s all-party primary. Both experienced in public office, they have seen past allegations of misconduct resurface during their general election campaigns.

Who are the candidates?

Chambers, a community justice advocate, was elected to the Compton City Council in 2019, and prides herself on her record of improving street lighting, cultivating job growth and helping small businesses in the city.

She stepped down in 2022 to work as an external affairs manager for the California Department of Justice. She has also served as a congressional aide to then-U.S. Reps. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) and Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles).

She is the sister of Michael K. Williams, who starred in the HBO series “The Wire” and died in 2021.

Accused of bullying and racism during her time on the City Council, Chambers denies the allegations.

Richardson, a businesswoman and housing advocate, is hoping to hold her first public office in more than a decade after her political career came to a controversial halt in 2013.

She was elected to the Long Beach City Council in 2000, and won a California Assembly seat six years later. Richardson vacated her Assembly seat after winning a special election for the U.S. House in 2007, and served two and a half terms in Washington.

In 2012, the House Ethics Committee disciplined her on allegations of improperly pressuring her congressional staff to work on her campaign, using taxpayer-funded resources for personal and political activities, and obstructing the investigation into her activities. Richardson was reprimanded and agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. Three months later, she lost her reelection bid.

Where is the district?

The district is in south Los Angeles County, including all or portions of Carson, Compton, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Westmont, Long Beach and Gardena.

Crime

California Democrats in general are divided on approaches to combating crime, and particularly on the hotly debated Proposition 36, a November ballot measure that would impose stiffer penalties on certain retail thefts and drug crimes.

Chambers said she did not support the proposition, though she understood the “frustration of local businesses.” Concerned that such tough-on-crime measures could heighten mass incarceration, she said she supported providing services and treatment to those in need instead.

Richardson, in contrast, said she does support Proposition 36.

“We need to hold people accountable if they commit a crime that’s detrimental to the community,” she said.

The deficit and minimum wage

As California faces a historic deficit, both Chambers and Richardson said they were uneasy with cutting services and would consider raising taxes on the ultra-rich.

Chambers said she didn’t think it would be beneficial to make cuts, particularly to health and human services programs. She added that she’d look into finding ways to “create more efficiency” to avoid slashing essential services.

Richardson said she’d consider a tax initiative that would “help to more equalize how we all pay.” She also said she’d work to creatively reduce spending to avoid cutting services.

The Democratic rivals both support Proposition 32, which would raise the state minimum wage to $18 per hour starting in January for employers with more than 25 workers, and to $17 per hour for employers with fewer workers.

Housing and homelessness

Chambers said the state needs to provide more funding to build affordable housing units. She would also support various homelessness prevention programs, such as rental assistance, down payment assistance and building pathways to home ownership.

She emphasized that the approach to “handling this crisis” should not entail punitive measures.

“It should not be a crime to be unhoused,” Chambers said.

Richardson applauded initiatives such as Inside Safe, which temporarily shelters people while they transition into permanent housing.

She advocates for affordable-housing programs such as increasing funding for first-time homebuyers, and supports boosting treatment for people with mental health issues or substance addiction.