During the course of my Senate campaign, I did my best to visit communities throughout this big, beautiful state and get to know the people who have brought such drive, talent, ingenuity, and perseverance to every field of endeavor. I made a particular point of traveling to regions like the Central Valley, Central Coast, Imperial Valley, and the far north of the state that I was less familiar with from my years representing Los Angeles or growing up in the Bay Area.
From meeting farmworkers in Salinas to sitting down with college students in Merced, visiting border towns to coastal communities, I met some of the most hardworking people across our Golden State. I traveled to these areas to listen, and not to preach about what I could or could not do. Instead, and mindful of how much I had to learn about the unique issues facing different communities, I asked the same simple question: “If I’m lucky enough to get this job, what can I do to help?”
That perspective – to ask people what you can do to serve them – is what guided my conversations with Californians – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike. It is also what first drove me into this line of work to begin with, and what keeps me wanting to serve, despite today’s bitterly partisan environment.
It’s this focus on service that led me to visit and meet with Californians in the Central Valley community of Madera. Since the Madera Community Hospital closed over a year ago, community access to vital health care services has been deeply impacted. Families experiencing a medical emergency have to travel long distances for treatment, and women in labor cannot be assured of getting to a hospital on time.
This fall, I visited the facility to get a firsthand look at the work ahead. We have to ensure that we get the resources and support to bring this facility fully back online and meet all of the needs of this community. In order to do so, we will need to make sure rural hospitals are receiving much better reimbursement rates so that small community hospitals can attract the healthcare talent they need and residents don’t get left behind.
In many of the state’s agricultural communities, I also met with farmers to discuss the common challenges of putting food on tables all across America. I’m enormously proud of what this industry does, and grateful that we are the agricultural leader of the world. I was deeply impressed by the multi-generational nature of the enterprise for many farmers, the difficulty of competing with other states and countries with lower standards, and the growing scarcity of our state’s most precious resource – water.
In all of these conversations, I did not ask if someone was a Republican or a Democrat before reaching out my hand. I ran to be a Senator for all Californians. We are facing too many challenges that demand immediate and bipartisan action in Washington, like with healthcare access. Too many hospitals in rural communities are at risk of closing their doors, sending people long distances when in need of emergency care or labor and delivery. These problems can’t wait, and they know no party.
In the Senate, I will partner with anyone who shares a commitment to building more affordable housing, tackling homelessness, supporting our rural hospitals, cutting bureaucratic red tape for small businesses, creating more good-paying jobs, and bringing down rising costs—whether it’s for groceries, gas, healthcare, or child care.
But addressing the affordability crisis is not enough. Every Californian deserves access to clean drinking water, clean air, safe neighborhoods, and a good-paying job that they can raise a family on. And as we face the increased risk of wildfires, drought, and natural disasters, we must also work to increase our resilience to climate change, and to solve the insurance crisis that is leaving too many Californians without coverage.
As I prepare to serve as your next United States Senator — I do so with immense gratitude. Whether you voted for me or not. Whether you live in the heart of the Central Valley, the Imperial Valley, the spectacular far north or the bustling streets of one of our big cities, I am committed to delivering for every Californian and ready to get to work.
