CANDIDATES. HOW IS YOUR FIRST YEAR IN CONGRESS BEEN FOR YOU? IT’S BEEN, I THINK, A REALLY GOOD FIRST YEAR FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRYING TO REPRESENT OUR DISTRICT AND TO DELIVER FOR OUR DISTRICT. KEVIN KILEY IS HOPING TO KEEP HIS SEAT IN CONGRESS AFTER A HECTIC YEAR IN THE HOUSE. THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN DC IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE WORLD, MY FIRST PRIORITY IS ALWAYS SERVING OUR AREA. IN HIS FIRST YEAR, KILEY SAYS HE’S PROUD OF HIS CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND RESOURCES HE’S BROUGHT TO THE STATE’S LARGEST DISTRICT. GEOGRAPHICALLY. THEY’VE ALSO SUBMITTED A TOP PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE OF FEDERAL FUNDING, SECURING, FOR EXAMPLE, FUNDING FOR VERY MUCH NEEDED TRAFFIC AND ROAD PROJECTS. THAT’S A TOP PRIORITY OF MINE IS TRYING TO ALLEVIATE THE GROWING TRAFFIC WE HAVE IN THIS REGION, AS WELL AS FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT THE CONGRESS KILEY HAS BEEN SERVING IN HAS BEEN CONSIDERED ONE OF THE LEAST PRODUCTIVE IN MODERN HISTORY. THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE HAS BEEN HAMSTRUNG BY POLITICS FROM THE REMOVAL OF SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY, THE HOLDUP OF A POTENTIAL BORDER DEAL, AND THE REPORTED INFLUENCE OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO WONDER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO QUESTION THE DYSFUNCTION IN THE HOUSE? I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE RIGHT TO LOOK AT CONGRESS AND TO BE FRUSTRATED. AND THERE’S WAY TOO MUCH GRIDLOCK. THERE’S WAY TOO LITTLE WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER. I’M TRYING, ON THE ONE HAND, TO NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON, TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS HERE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO TRY TO SET A DIFFERENT TONE, TO TRY TO SET A DIFFERENT MODEL FOR THE WAY THINGS CAN BE DONE CONSTRUCTIVELY. KILEY NOTED. HE’S WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS, INCLUDING ON FENTANYL EFFORTS TO TACKLE THE DEBT CRISIS, AND A BILL TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS AND THEIR SOURCES ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING. KILEY WOULD SUPPORT THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, RULING IN FAVOR OF MAKING IT EASIER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO CLEAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, HE SAYS, ADDRESSING THE BORDER CRISIS AND ADDRESSING RISING COSTS CONTINUE TO BE TOP PRIORITIES FOR HIM. IF I HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE TO REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT FOR ANOTHER TERME IS TO CONTINUE TO ALONG THOSE LINES OF BRINGING COSTS, INFLATION UNDER CONTROL, AS WELL AS PROPELLING, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. I THINK WE’VE TAKEN SOME GOOD FIRST STEPS IN THIS LAST YEAR, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO IN ORDER TO GIVE AMERICANS CONFIDENCE THAT THE ECONOMY IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. KILEY IS ALSO WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE ON A BIPARTISAN BALLOT EFFORT IN CALIFORNIA TO REPEAL THE CONTROVERSIAL LAW KNOWN AS PROP 47, WHICH LOOSENED THE STATE’S DRUG AND THEFT LAWS A DECADE AGO. HE ALSO HAS HIS OWN LEGISLATION IN THE WORKS. WHAT CAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO IN THIS SPACE, ESPECIALLY ON RETAIL THEFT? I AM SPONSORING TWO BILLS THAT SPECIFICALLY DEAL WITH RETAIL THEFT THAT TRY TO CREATE MORE, GREATER COORDINATION WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GET AT AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THESE REALLY LARGER SCALE ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT OPERATIONS. PROP 47 DEFINITELY NEEDS A MAJOR OVERHAUL. THE STANCE ON RETAIL THEFT IN PROP 47 IS ONE OF A FEW AREAS KEVIN KILEY AND HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT, JESSICA MORSE HAVE IN COMMON. PROP 47 REALLY BOILS DOWN TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT CRIME SHOULD BE PUNISHED, AND I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE A DETERRENT FOR THESE CRIMES. I THINK THIS DEBATE GETS A LOT EASIER IF WE ALSO SIMPLY HAVE THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOW CRIMES GET PUNISHED, THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. MORSE IS A FIFTH GENERATION CALIFORNIAN WHOSE ANCESTORS SETTLED IN THE AREA. SHE’S HOPING TO REPRESENT. I WANT TO GIVE BACK. WE HAVE REAL CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMMUNITY, EVERYTHING FROM WILDFIRES OR HOUSING, THE COST OF LIVING FOR SENIORS, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE AREN’T STUCK AT THE 65 TO 80 INTERCHANGE EVERY DAY. THESE ARE REAL CHALLENGES THAT AREN’T PARTIZAN, AND THEY DESERVE REAL SOLUTIONS. AND SO I WANT TO BE A PROBLEM SOLVER FOR THIS COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN MY WHOLE CAREER. IN LIFE. MORSE HAS SPENT HER LIFE THROWING HERSELF INTO CHALLENGES, FROM SPENDING TIME IN IRAQ WHILE WORKING IN NATIONAL SECURITY, HIKING 500 MILES OF THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL TO CONFRONTING WILDFIRES AS AN APPOINTEE TO STATE AND FEDERAL GROUPS TASKED WITH PREVENTING AND ADDRESSING THE CATASTROPHES. HER LATEST CHALLENGE TRYING TO UNSEAT KILEY IN CONGRESS. S KEVIN KILEY DID NOT MEET WITH US WHEN WE WENT AND MET WITH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT LEADERS TO PRESENT FIRE SOLUTIONS TO CONGRESS. WHAT ULTIMATELY PUSHED YOU TO RUN? IS IT KEVIN KILEY’S ACTIONS, OR IS IT WAS IT WAS IT JUST YOU FELT LIKE MAYBE A DEMOCRAT NEEDS TO BE IN THIS SEAT? I THINK KEVIN KILEY HAS BEEN SQUANDERING HIS TIME IN CONGRESS. AND SO I AM STANDING UP TO HIM BECAUSE HE IS NOT SOMEBODY WHO’S STANDING UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY OR OUR COUNTRY. THE PRESIDENT ELECTION, THERE’S JUST NOT A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM FOR EITHER. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN OR PRESIDENT TRUMP. DO YOU WORRY THAT IN A DISTRICT WHERE THE. MARGIN OF ERROR IN TERMS OF VOTER REGISTRATION BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS IS SO THIN, DO YOU WORRY THAT A JOE BIDEN ON THE BALLOT HAMSTRINGS YOU IN ANY WAY? I’M HOPING TO CREATE MY OWN MOMENTUM HERE. OUR COMMUNITY IS DEMANDING CHANGE AND OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES REPRESENTATION. IF ELECTED, MORSE SAYS SHE’D PUSH FOR RESOURCES TO INVEST IN UPPER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT TO CREATE AND GENERATE MORE WATER ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, SHE SAYS. FEDERAL DOLLARS SHOULD BE INVESTED IN PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE THE HOMELESS WITH SHELTER AND RESOURCES THAT EVENTUALLY LANDS THEM INTO PERMANENT HOMES. SHE ALSO ADVOCATES FOR AN ADJUSTED TO SOCIAL SECURITY THAT WOULD HELP SENIORS AFFORD HOUSING. AS A DEMOCRAT ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, SHE WORRIES A VOTE FOR KEVIN KILEY COULD MEAN A VOTE FOR AN EVENTUAL NATIONAL ABORTION BAN. I WANT TO ACTUALLY INVEST IN AND BE THE ADVOCATE THAT. OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, I AM NOT GOING TO BE A POLITICAL BOMB THROWER LIKE KEVIN KILEY. I WILL BE A PROBLEM SOLVER BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MY FAMILY HERE RAISED ME TO DO IN SACRAMENTO, ASHLEY ZAVALA KCRA THREE NEWS. WELL, KILEY AND MORSE ARE NOT THE ONLY CANDIDATES RUNNING IN THE PRIMARY. ROBERT SMITH IS ALSO RUNNING AS A NO PARTY PREFERENCE CANDIDATE, ACCORDING TO FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMIS