In the race for California's Assembly District 29, Speaker Robert Rivas is being challenged by Teamster Truck Driver James Paine, also known as J.W. District 29 spans across four counties: San Benito County, parts of Santa Cruz County, namely Watsonville and Corralitos, South Monterey County, extending into Salinas and Pajaro and parts of Southern Santa Clara County. Paine is a Republican and longtime Hollister local who bills himself as the candidate to help "everyday Californians."He's employed at a trucking company in San Jose, and for over a decade, he's been working as Santa Clause during the Christmas season, namely at the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf. "You cannot be someone is just going to complain about things; you need to be able to get involved," he said. Paine says he is not seeking a career in politics and that he intends to continue working as a truck driver. "I'm still going to stay as a truck driver. I'm just lucky being a teamster, I can take time off...and then go back to work and will retired as a truck driver. And the reason I put it that way, leave and come back, as I believe that's how our founding fathers in the United States — got off the plow, went and helped in politics, and then went back to their work," he said. Paine says a big part of his platform is homelessness. "My platform is very simple. I believe the first one is we need to work with our homeless," he said. "I'm adopted. My real mom was homeless in San Jose, and when she was homeless in San Jose, she had issues with some alcohol problems. And it was never fixed. It was just continue falling in the trap of staying at home until the church got her some help." He also tells KSBW he wants to focus on education, believing schools have gotten 'too political,' and is critical of the state legislature's 'wasteful spending.'Paine wants to see more funding put towards infrastructure. "Let me tell you, I drive. Just yesterday I drove 200 miles from San Jose all the way to King City and then all around in one day. Those roads are bumpy. We need to start fixing that. I believe that we need to go back to our taxes when we. Our fuel tax needs to go," he said. Incumbent Robert Rivas is a registered Democrat who was first elected to the assembly in 2018 and won the speakership last summer. Previously, Rivas served two terms as a San Benito County Supervisor. The Speaker did not make himself available for an interview, but in a statement, he said in part, "I'm seeking re-election to keep our community's needs, and our collective voice, strong in the State Capitol." And he underscored that he is a lifelong resident of the district and comes from a farm-working family. Last year, Rivas authored and passed four assembly bills, two of which address the Pajar River Levee, which breached last March, flooding thousands living in Pajaro, a primarily migrant, farmworker town. Those bills include AB 876, which expedited upgrades to the Pajaro River Levee System to provide 100-year flood protection. He also passed AB 588, which made it easier to appoint a Watsonville board member to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency. He also secured $40 million in federal flood relief aid for Pajaro and Planada residents.Notably, he's also authored and passed a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 farmworker relief package and helped pass the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which allowed Hazel Hawkins Memorial to secure a $10 million loan.But as speaker, he's also been grappling with the state's ballooning budget deficit, recently estimated to be $73 billion by the state's Legislative Analyst Office. When questioned by a reporter at KCRA, KSBW's sister station in Sacramento, Rivas did not rule out the possibility of raising taxes to deal with the problem. "I'm not ready to comment on it...It's just very early on," Rivas said.
HOLLISTER, Calif. —
In the race for California's Assembly District 29, Speaker Robert Rivas is being challenged by Teamster Truck Driver James Paine, also known as J.W.
District 29 spans across four counties: San Benito County, parts of Santa Cruz County, namely Watsonville and Corralitos, South Monterey County, extending into Salinas and Pajaro and parts of Southern Santa Clara County.
Paine is a Republican and longtime Hollister local who bills himself as the candidate to help "everyday Californians."
He's employed at a trucking company in San Jose, and for over a decade, he's been working as Santa Clause during the Christmas season, namely at the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf.
"You cannot be someone is just going to complain about things; you need to be able to get involved," he said.
Paine says he is not seeking a career in politics and that he intends to continue working as a truck driver.
"I'm still going to stay as a truck driver. I'm just lucky being a teamster, I can take time off...and then go back to work and will retired as a truck driver. And the reason I put it that way, leave and come back, as I believe that's how our founding fathers in the United States — got off the plow, went and helped in politics, and then went back to their work," he said.
Paine says a big part of his platform is homelessness.
"My platform is very simple. I believe the first one is we need to work with our homeless," he said.
"I'm adopted. My real mom was homeless in San Jose, and when she was homeless in San Jose, she had issues with some alcohol problems. And it was never fixed. It was just continue falling in the trap of staying at home until the church got her some help."
He also tells KSBW he wants to focus on education, believing schools have gotten 'too political,' and is critical of the state legislature's 'wasteful spending.'
Paine wants to see more funding put towards infrastructure.
"Let me tell you, I drive. Just yesterday I drove 200 miles from San Jose all the way to King City and then all around in one day. Those roads are bumpy. We need to start fixing that. I believe that we need to go back to our taxes when we. Our fuel tax needs to go," he said.
Incumbent Robert Rivas is a registered Democrat who was first elected to the assembly in 2018 and won the speakership last summer.
Previously, Rivas served two terms as a San Benito County Supervisor.
The Speaker did not make himself available for an interview, but in a statement, he said in part, "I'm seeking re-election to keep our community's needs, and our collective voice, strong in the State Capitol." And he underscored that he is a lifelong resident of the district and comes from a farm-working family.
Last year, Rivas authored and passed four assembly bills, two of which address the Pajar River Levee, which breached last March, flooding thousands living in Pajaro, a primarily migrant, farmworker town.
Those bills include AB 876, which expedited upgrades to the Pajaro River Levee System to provide 100-year flood protection. He also passed AB 588, which made it easier to appoint a Watsonville board member to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency.
He also secured $40 million in federal flood relief aid for Pajaro and Planada residents.
Notably, he's also authored and passed a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 farmworker relief package and helped pass the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which allowed Hazel Hawkins Memorial to secure a $10 million loan.
But as speaker, he's also been grappling with the state's ballooning budget deficit, recently estimated to be $73 billion by the state's Legislative Analyst Office.
When questioned by a reporter at KCRA, KSBW's sister station in Sacramento, Rivas did not rule out the possibility of raising taxes to deal with the problem.
"I'm not ready to comment on it...It's just very early on," Rivas said.
