Congressional District 3 candidates face off
ROCKLIN - A congressional seat is up for grabs. The battle for the brand-new District 3, between conservative California Assemblymember Kevin Kiley and military veteran and surgeon Dr. Kermit Jones, is at the center of a possible political shift in Washington.
"I have an opponent who thinks what we need is more of the same...whereas, I think we need a new direction," said Assemblymember Kiley.
"For him, this may be another thing to run for but for me -- it's actually something I want to do and put people before politics," said Jones.
California's redistricting expanded Republican Representative Tom McClintock's former district. The newly minted third Congressional District now includes 10 California counties. Though the area is historically red, the newly drawn lines include an influx of Democratic-leaning Bay Area transplants. Both candidates hope to capitalize on the potential votes.
"It gives us an opportunity to compete for their vote and make it so anyone who runs and reps the district has to have ideas that work for a lot of people," said Jones.
"We're looking to bring some balance to our government," said Kiley.
Laura: Roughly 20 percent of your district is neither Republican nor Democrat. How do you plan on swaying those votes in your favor?
Kiley: The important question to ask is why is it people are moving to our area?... The reason is we've been able to maintain a high quality of life we support law enforcement public schools small business. I'm going to be an independent voice for our district.
"That 19 percent are people fed up with both parties. The American people deserve better. Our federal fire insurance plan, a women's right to reproductive health, Medicare, social security," said Jones.
Kiley and Jones have set their sites on Washington to represent the district as a whole. A win for either could determine which party controls Congress.
"What's happening right now is the hardships people are dealing with -- they're not partisan in nature. The out-of-control inflation, gas prices, groceries prices, the rise in crime, we're seeing the crisis at our border, I'm looking forward to Washington D.C. to be an agent for the change everyone is looking for," said Kiley.
"Many of the things that we talk about on the trail are things that affect people regardless of what they call themselves. This being more of a pink district gives us an opportunity to run on things people care about," said Jones.