After six years, Nancy Skinner’s California State Assembly term will expire, leaving at least six candidates lined up to take her place.
Skinner will leave behind a number of accomplishments in issues ranging from higher education to environmental conservation to public safety. With term limits barring her from seeking two more years in the Assembly in 2014, five Democrats and one Republican have already stepped forward.
Skinner was first elected to the state Assembly in 2008 and in 2012 became the Assembly member representing District 15, which stretches along Interstate 80 from Hercules to Oakland and encompasses cities throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
During her term, Skinner was heavily involved with the Middle Class Scholarship program, which will reduce tuition for middle-income students at UC and CSU schools by up to 40 percent beginning in the 2014-15 academic year. Additionally, Skinner said after Proposition 30 passed in 2012, she was proud to be able to give funding to universities.
“I know that we’ll be able to continue to increase the funding to our public schools,” she said.
In an effort to help the environment, Skinner has also authored legislation to increase solar energy use and improve home and business energy efficiency.
In 1984, Skinner, who attended UC Berkeley as both an undergraduate and a graduate student, was elected to Berkeley City Council, becoming the first and only student to serve on it.
“She has a great history of doing legislative projects related to sustainability,” said ASUC Executive Vice President Nolan Pack.
Although six have declared their intent to run for Skinner’s seat, candidates still have until next March to file to run for state Assembly.
Sam Kang, general counsel for the Greenlining Institute, where he writes legislation regarding racial justice, hopes to create a business model for California that would create jobs and provide cleaner energy. He said his previous experience has prepared him for Sacramento.
“Every day is like going to war,” Kang said. “You want someone who has the actual experience from day one.”
Likewise, Andy Katz, a UC Berkeley alumnus and director at the East Bay Municipal Utility District, hopes to bring in his knowledge of environmental sustainability to focus on renewable energy, among other issues.
Creating jobs is also a priority for Elizabeth Echols, who has worked extensively on this issue as former regional administrator for the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama.
If elected, Tony Thurmond, a former member of Richmond City Council and the West Contra Costa Unified School District School Board, intends to increase funding for public universities and introduce legislation that would improve the system of collecting truancy data in California public schools.
Peggy Moore, a former political director for Obama’s campaign, said she wants to focus on health care reform in the district and issues in the LGBT community.
Rich Kinney, a San Pablo City Council member and the only Republican candidate for District 15 at this time, hopes running for Assembly will help create more of a political balance in California.
According to Skinner, 64 percent of voters in District 15 are registered as Democrats and only 8 percent as Republicans.
“I’m a speck of red in a sea of blue,” Kinney said.
At the June 2014 primary election, the electorate will choose two candidates to move on to run in the fall general election.
Skinner has not endorsed any candidates yet, but she said she might like to see another woman in the Assembly.
“When looking at the other races up and down the state for open seats, I see very few women,” Skinner said. “The U.S. as a whole is pitiful with gender representation.”
But the end of her third and final term in the Assembly is by no means the end of Skinner’s political career. She plans to run for the District 9 state Senate seat in 2016.
Tara Hurley covers city news. Contact her at [email protected].