Meet The Candidate: Marisol Rubio

SAN RAMON, CA — Ballots for the March 5 primary are being mailed out, and voters may be confronted with many names or offices they don't know about. Patch reached out to all the candidates running for major legislative seats that represent the Tri-Valley. Below, read about Marisol Rubio, a Democratic candidate running to represent California Senate District 9, which includes Danville, San Ramon, and most of eastern Contra Costa County.

If you would like to submit a candidate profile, see here, or email michael.wittner@patch.com. Answers are not edited.

Marisol Rubio

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.marisolforca.com

What city or town do you live in?

San Ramon

What office are you seeking?

California State Senate

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

District 9

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat

Now let's work on your biography, beginning with your education.

B.A., University of California, Berkeley – Molecular and Cell Biology, Neurobiology Emphasis; Recipient of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Women’s Leadership Award A.A., Diablo Valley College – German, French, Italian; Graduated with Honors (4.0 GPA)

What is your occupation?

Home Health Care Provider

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Alexandria Rubio, age 28, she is a childhood brain cancer survivor studying Psychology and Spanish at UC, Davis.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Yes, twice. In 2020, as Director, then Vice President of the Dublin San Ramon Services (water) District and, in 2022, as a Councilmember for the City of San Ramon.

How old will you be as of Election Day?

50 for the primary. 51 for the general.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

California is facing a range of issues that are holding back our best and brightest from living to their fullest potential and destroying the planet for our youth due to growing income inequality, health care costs, cost of living, and student debt, and a rapidly evolving climate crisis that is forcing many to live below poverty level and in a deteriorating environment. I am running to advocate for working families and our youth on these issues and more. I will bring integrity and accountability back to this senate seat and provide a voice for all in my district, especially those who are powerless and unheard. That is why I am the only candidate running a grassroot, clean money campaign and that is why I am endorsed by leading environmental groups including that’s why I’m endorsed by Sustainable Rossmoor, 350 Bay Area, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Evolve California, and the California Environmental Voters. Our community deserves a leader who matches their values and understands the struggles of working families and marginalized communities.

As a single mother of a childhood brain cancer survivor living with lifelong disabilities and chronic illness, as an educator, former original research mentor and Vice President and Director of the Dublin San Ramon Services (water) District, and current San Ramon City Councilmember, I have experienced firsthand the impact that bad policies can have on issues such as housing, education, health care, public safety, and the environment. I have served in many community leadership roles to advance initiatives that I deeply care about including serving on the Sierra Club California and the San Francisco Bay Chapter Executive Committee, Director of Government Relations for the San Francisco Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Founding Advisory Board Member of FemTruth Youth – a nonprofit that advocates for women’s reproductive health and education – and The Natalie Project – a protections advocacy fund for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I have dedicated my life and career to helping others earn the opportunity to succeed. In Sacramento, I will put my lived, volunteer, and elected experience, as well as my science, education, and public health background to develop policies proven to work for our district, and together, make a stronger California for all.

What do you think are the top three issues for voters in this election, and how do you plan to address them?

1) Affordable Housing: We must further incentivize and work collaboratively with cities across California to invest in more truly affordable, inclusionary housing for the unhoused and for our workforce including teachers, frontline workers, and essential workers who kept us afloat during the pandemic. Helping the unhoused find permanent housing and employment through housing first initiatives and transitional housing with wraparound services that include job training, mental health and rehabilitative services, and nutritional support are essential to their long-term success. We must make sure that the state is helping to fund these efforts by supporting initiatives that drive revenues towards these efforts.

2) Investing in Infrastructure: Several California cities are facing severely aging infrastructure and, with that said, it is an opportune time to invest in establishing a green infrastructure and economy. While cities can look into bonds that will not sunset, the state can help offset these costs through additional grants stemming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and from the Inflation Reduction Act. We must also help workers in the fossil fuel industry transition to green jobs, which I have already been doing for the past several years as Co-Chair of a Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council Labor-Climate Task Force in collaboration with several Bay Area environmental groups and the UC, Berkeley Labor Center to lay the foundation for Just Transition. Workers in these industries will inevitably need apprenticeship programs and well-paying union jobs to be made available and I have been at the forefront of laying this foundation.

3) Education and Health Care: Addressing the social determinants of poverty and crime begins by making sure that pre-k through college and health care services, including mental health services, are affordable, accessible, and timely. It is important that all children, regardless of their zip code and family’s resources, have a strong educational foundation in preschool. We also want to make sure that the pursuit of higher education does not lead low-income or nontraditional students into lifelong debt and, therein, create transgenerational poverty. We must ensure that single parents have access to free before and after school programs, regardless of their child’s health status, so that they can be gainfully employed and ascertain higher education in order to be better able to financially support their families. Going to college should open doors, not shut them. Our seniors and people with disabilities must have access to safe, reliable transportation, access to timely, affordable health care, and the support of healthcare case managers to help them oversee their care and enable them to live independently. There are many ways that we can close the gap on socioeconomic and health outcomes and, as someone who has a background in public health and has lived through all of these challenges, I know exactly how to address these problems efficiently and effectively. That is why I am endorsed by the largest teacher’s association the California Teachers Association, San Lorenzo and Hayward Education Associations, California Faculty Association, California Service Employees Association, National Union of Healthcare Workers, Health Care for All – California, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 57.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Many things, including who funds our campaigns, who has historically and unwaveringly supported women's reproductive rights and LGBTQIA+ rights, as well as who has unambiguously fought for a cleaner, more resilient environment. My opponent takes money from: 1) Petroleum companies ensuring that we never get off our reliance on Big Oil. That is why my opponent failed to vote on over 12 key environmental bills in 2023 alone, including SB 253, the Climate Corporate Leadership and Accountability Act, SB 261 Climate Financial Risk Disclosure, and AB 631 - Oil and gas: enforcement: penalties. Conversely, I am a proven climate champion and will make sure your children and grandchildren have a healthy, safe, and habitable planet to live on and will make sure that the refineries in Martinez are held accountable for the pollution they are creating and for the health hazards they are posing to nearby frontline communities.

2) Private financial institutions making sure we never make public banking a broader initiative. That is why he opposed bills such as AB 857 (2019) which would allow local governments to sponsor public banks and provide low-cost financing for affordable housing development.

3) Insurance companies, hospitals, and medical and pharmaceutical companies which will stall our efforts towards quality, affordable, and accessible health care and controlling drug prices.

4) Big Ag and loggers which contribute to our increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

5) Charter school money, which means our public schools will continue to have to compete for public funds in an unfair, unaccountable, and nontransparent dual system.

6) Developer money, which means he will ignore the individual needs of cities who are struggling to meet our state mandates in lieu of currying favor with his donors. Moreover, he owns a construction company (Grayson Construction) that profits from mass developments. I am in favor of more housing but am specifically focused on creating more affordable inclusionary workforce housing, as well as getting our unhoused housed. I do NOT accept money from any of these entities because I am 100% fully committed to serving people first. Unlike my opponent, as your State Senator, I will be a 100% Pro-choice Senator every day and every year and have demonstrated my commitment to women’s reproductive health, education, and advocacy as a Founding Advisory Board Member for FemTruth Youth. Alternatively, my opponent was the only Democrat in 2022 to earn a D grade with NARAL and the title of “Hostile to reproductive freedom.” He did not vote on critical bills, such as SCA 10 to enshrine in our California constitution the right to an abortion, which became Prop 1 in 2022 and passed by over 70% in our district. He has failed to vote on several other abortion bills, including most recently AB 576 (2023) which provides Medi-Cal reimbursement for an abortion. He will tell you that he has had a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood, but that was only in three select years and the rest of the years he scored between 66% and 80%. His lack of support for women’s rights includes not voting in favor of bills that protect women from harassment or discrimination in the workplace such as SB 820 (2018) which prohibits non-disclosure agreements in sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination, SB 142 (2019) employee lactation accommodation, AB 569 (2017) which prohibits firing employees for having an abortion, or SB 973 (2020) which requires employers to file an annual equal pay report. As a current SEIU 2015 Contra Costa County Labor Council Delegate, I will consistently support workers’ rights by raising the minimum wage and by showing up to vote. Unlike my opponent whom the California Labor Federation scored at 55% and 65% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, I will vote in favor of bills such as AB 616 (2021) that authorize “card check” for farm workers unions, AB 51 (2019) which prohibits forced employment arbitration agreements, and SB 1102 (2020) which requires employers to provide H-2A employees with a written notice of their rights. He will say he is a housing champion, but his voting record says otherwise. Having experienced housing and employment insecurity as a single parent and caregiver, I will incentivize cities to build more inclusionary affordable housing aimed at keeping those most at risk housed, implement strong tenant protections, and ensure that the unhoused have wraparound services – including psychological, health care, nutritional, and job training services - to help them cope with trauma and possible addiction and successfully integrate back into society and the workforce. Unlike my opponent, I will vote in favor of bills such as SB 679 (2022) which addresses homelessness and the low-income housing crisis by creating the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to centralize efforts to increase funding, preservation, development, and updated zoning across the region and AB 2501 (2020) which protects homeowners and renters from foreclosure and eviction due to COVID-related circumstances. As the only candidate who does not take money from developers or financial institutions, I will continue to be a champion for truly affordable housing and public banking. Lastly, a politician’s top priority is to be honest and transparent with their constituents, which is something my opponent has struggled to do, as evidenced through his contributions, series of missed votes on critical issues such as women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, public safety, and the environment. That is why he has consistently received a failing grade from Courage California and in 2022 received a “D” legislative scorecard from NARAL (now Reproductive Freedom for All) and was named, “Hostile to Reproductive Freedom”, and a 24% from the California Environmental Justice Alliance, a 30% from Sierra Club, and 37% from the California Environmental Voters (formerly CLCV). In 2023 alone, he missed 150 missed distinct votes. Lastly, the community needs to know his politics including accepting contributions from entities linked to Lennar who, ultimately, won the contract to develop the Concord Naval Weapons Station when he was Mayor of Concord running for Assembly. He had to, ultimately, refund this money. Conversely, I am a champion on all the fronts where he falls short. You have an opportunity to elect a candidate that is honest, transparent, and has integrity and that has the personal, academic, volunteer, professional, and elected experience to represent all of our residents effectively. A candidate who is running a clean money campaign that does not accept foreign, fossil fuel, insurance, or developer money and the only Latino/e elected in Contra Costa County supervisorial districts 2 and 4. We have an opportunity to make history in this seat and to make sure that your State Senator prioritizes the interests of our district over that of special interests.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

This is an open seat.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

• Dedicate more resources towards our housing affordability crisis, creating more homes that working families can afford.

• Ensure that California has the most comprehensive reproductive health care laws in the country.

• Secure more investments to address public safety, including help for at-risk youth, gun violence prevention, and efforts to disrupt vehicle break-ins and retail theft.

• Champion laws that help EVERY Californian attain access to quality, affordable, and timely health care, including mental health care.

• Expand programs that help us all age with dignity and independence. • Prioritize pre-K through college education and services that help the unhoused rebuild their lives.

• Tackle the homelessness crisis from every direction, connecting people experiencing homelessness with the wraparound services and housing they need to rebuild their lives.

• Increase public transportation ridership by expanding and creating a more integrated transportation system that is readily accessible to all, including those with disabilities, hiring more staff, and improving the safety, reliability, and cleanliness of our public transportation.

• Act with urgency to address our climate crisis.

• Protect our cherished open spaces and allocate resources to revitalize our downtowns, transit, and safe streets for all.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Throughout my life, I’ve faced challenges with perseverance and resilience. Inspired by my mother, a first-generation immigrant and single parent of three girls who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and taught in a high-need school district for 30 years, I dedicated my life to serving my community. When I became a mother, my daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer at just 13 months old. I became an advocate for my child when medical and educational institutions were unresponsive to her needs. Because of my persistence and courage to go against doctor’s and educators’ “better” judgment of pursuing hospice care and vocational training rather than a college degree, my daughter is now a long-term survivor and, despite her learning disabilities, is a double major college student at UC, Davis. Determined to provide my daughter with a better life, I earned a degree from the University of California, Berkeley in Molecular and Cell Biology, with an emphasis in Neurobiology.

Using the lessons learned throughout my life, I concentrated on improving the lives of the most vulnerable in our society. As a staunch defender of women’s reproductive and disability rights, I am a Founding Advisory Board Member for FemTruth Youth™ - a nonprofit based in Danville that advocates for women’s reproductive health and education - and The Natalie Project - an advocacy fund to protect individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My commitment to protect our environment is unwavering. As an Executive Committee member for Sierra Club California and the San Francisco Bay Chapter, I am a Founding Co-Chair of a CC Labor-Climate Task Force where I led several Bay Area environmental groups and the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council in developing policies to help workers transition from fossil fuel jobs to green jobs. As Director and Vice President of the Dublin San Ramon Services water District, I contributed to my district receiving a District of Distinction Award by the Special District Leadership Foundation for our commitment to good governance and to ethical and sound operating practices and I led initiatives to help us transition to a green infrastructure and to educate the public about how they can help reduce PFA’s in our water system and conserve water during a three-year drought.

Currently, I am a San Ramon City Councilwoman where I was the first Latine, low socioeconomic person with disabilities on the council and the first councilmember to bring about an Ad Hoc Climate Action Council and just last week, successfully passed the formation of a Climate Action Plan (CAP) Task Force that will help inform and update our CAP, as well as help charter a prospective Sustainability Committee in our city. In this capacity, I have also successfully advocated for disability and senior rights and increased access to our city programs and services and for more inclusionary affordable workforce housing, including housing for teachers and frontline and essential workers who kept us afloat during the pandemic.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Representative John Lewis once shared three simple words with me when I told him why I became involved in politics and the frustration I was experiencing with the establishment in making a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable within our communities. He firmly gripped both of my hands and said, "Never give up.” Coming from someone who marched alongside Dr. King, I was humbled and recommitted myself to unwaveringly continue my fight for justice and equity, especially for our youth, people with disabilities, and seniors who deserve to have housing, food, employment, and retirement security, as well as a healthy environment.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

You will not have a more tenacious and dedicated representative in Sacramento, because my reasons for stepping into politics are driven by decades of hardship that have compelled me to want to make a difference in my community, because I know that, given my broad and intersectional personal, academic, volunteer, professional, and elected experience, I will make positive change in our district and I will strive to change politics as usual in Sacramento. As part of my open-door policy, please feel free to reach out to me at teammarisol@marisolforca.com or call me at (925) 587-3477. You can learn more about my campaign, sign up to volunteer, or donate at www.marisolforca.com. Thank you for taking time to learn more about me. I am here to represent you and hope to earn your vote by March 5th.