California Assembly District 13 race: Q&A with Carlos Villapudua
Carlos Villapudua is running for reelection to California Assembly District 13.
Who is Carlos Villapudua
Age: 53
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Occupation: State Assembly member, 13th District
Experience on community and/or municipal agencies: State Assembly member, 2020-Present Committees Serving on: Agriculture Water, Parks & Wildlife Human Services Rules, San Joaquin County Supervisor 2008-2016
Below is an edited version of a questionnaire completed by candidates.
Why are you running for this office?
To continue the work I have done for the people of the 13th state Assembly District. I have secured $5 million in funding for local food insecurity, $2 million for the Stockton Police Department and over $900K for local parks for our families to enjoy. I have also authored or co-authored and passed legislation making things easier for local small businesses, and legislation assisting the victims of human trafficking. I want to continue to work on issues vital to our region, such as Vocational Education/CTE, Homelessness, Housing and Transportation.
Do you consider yourself politically conservative, moderate or liberal? And why?
I am proud to call myself a moderate. In Sacramento I am a member of the Moderate Caucus, along with being a member of the Problem Solvers Group, a group of bi-partisan legislators focused on solving problems, not partisanship.
Why do you consider yourself the best candidate?
I grew up in San Joaquin County and it will always be my home. The work I do, not only in Sacramento, but that is done out of my District Office, the constituent casework that personally touches and helps so many people but is never seen our touted publicly. My heart is on fire for the people I represent, and they are first and foremost in my thoughts when it comes time to vote on legislation in Sacramento.
What are the top five issues in this race?
- Dealing with the crunch of inflation so many people are feeling, including the pain of high gas prices,
- Homelessness (and getting concrete progress on the issue locally, it won’t happen overnight, but we continue to see improvement),
- Housing, the easing of the commute so many have to face
- Assisting small businesses to ensure that they remain the job creating engine for our community that they currently are.
Are you a supporter of Gov. Gavin Newsom? Why or why not?
Like most, I don’t agree with him on everything, but I am proud to have an excellent working relationship with our Governor.
The state is still recovering from the Covid-19 shutdown. What can or should be done to trace the state’s economy?
We need to continue to assist and support small business. I was proud to author and pass legislation that helped local family farmers and small businesses reduce their overhead, along with co-authoring legislation to help local restaurants and eateries. COVID-19 was hard on everyone.
Stockton still does not have a state university and the city struggles with literacy. What can you do to improve the state of education here?
I helped bring $56 million to Stockton for our local CSU Stanislaus-Stockton Center. It is one of my goals to ensure that Stockton has it’s very own CSU. I have fought to bring more vocational education funding to Stockton, and both myself and my staff have handed out thousands of free backpacks to students and families in need. We need to improve education by being hands on, give our kids, and our families, the tools they need to succeed.
Unemployment is down in California but people feel inflation through the rising prices of gas and consumables. Is there a role for the state and more importantly an assembly representative to address this?
There absolutely is a role. As mentioned earlier, as a member of the Problem Solvers Group, we introduced a plan to lower the price of gas and still backfill transportation projects, so the wear and tear on your vehicle wasn’t added to your inflationary worries. And I’m proud of the fact that I voted for suspending the gas tax for a year. I am committed to ensuring, especially during tough economic times, that we make things easier for the people we represent.
Final statement
It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Assembly member for these past two years. We have been able to accomplish a lot for Stockton, and the 13th Assembly District, but there is still so much more work to do, on the issues that affect you on a daily basis. The trust and faith you place in me is not something I take lightly, and I would be honored to have your vote.