California Black Media

The Next Four Years: Debt and Rent are Among Top Issues for Young California Voters

As America elects a new President this week — and a slate of new elected officials at the local and state level — the voices of young voters in California are resounding as political campaigns and policy makers order their priorities and shape their messages to include their perspectives and respond to their concerns.

Published

3 months ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

But what are those issues on the minds of the next generation of California’s electorate in 2024?

Power California, an organization that informs and empowers young voters, and Latino Decisions, a political research company, set out to answer this question in their Rising Electorate Survey, whose findings were released earlier this fall.

The survey polled 1,754 young Californians ages 18-30 on the issues they cared about the most. While many of the findings showed a growing stress and uncertainty surrounding rent control, housing, better wages and special interest groups being too involved in government, nearly half of the young Californians surveyed believed things will get better in the future.

“For us, there are several things we know and several things that we can expect in the next four years, including that young Californians, Gen Zs, and aging millennials will become the largest political voting bloc here in California,” said Saa’un Bell, Senior Associate Director of Power California.”

Among responders to the survey, 35% were Latino or Hispanic, 25% Black, 20% Asian American and Pacific Islander, 16% were White, non-Hispanic. There were about 4% identifying with some other racial groups, which includes those who identify as Indigenous. In terms of geography, 28% of the participants surveyed came from Los Angeles County, followed by 16% from the Bay Area, 16% from the Central Valley. And the remainder of the sample, which was roughly 40%, came from other parts of the state.

Economic pressures were one of the areas covered in the survey. One in 4 young Californians have thought about leaving the state, taken on a second job or postponed bills. One in 5 is supporting friends and family or had to choose between rent and paying their bills. For young Black and Latino Californians, the impacts of economic insecurity were more significant. Young Black and Latino Californians are more likely to have a second job or report postponing bills and 1 in 5 young Black Californians have moved back home with family.

Kaja Wilson, a youth member of Power California living in Fresno, spoke during a digital webinar organized by the organization. She shared her perspective on the priorities of young voters in the state.

“Young people are still having a hard time seeing ourselves reach milestones like home ownership, savings, investments, and personal development, all the while we deal with the burden of debt, including student loans.”

The survey also found strong support for rent control laws and addressing climate change. Reproductive rights and gun control are also salient issues for young Californians, and they are active participants in several movements for social justice.

“There are many narratives that young people, young voters, are apathetic, pessimistic, and cynical. Those narratives are out of context – and not true,” said Bell.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Former Assemblymember Chris Holden

While in office, Holden championed efforts to improve education outcomes for students and advocated for social and racial justice. Legislation he wrote or sponsored also focused on, innovation in transportation, protecting developmental disability service providers and improving public health, more broadly.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 6, 2025

Oakland Post

Hon. Chris Holden. File photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

In 2012, Assemblymember Chris Holden was first elected to the California State Assembly representing the 41^st District in the San Gabriel Valley.

He was re-elected to that position for the following four terms.

Holden, a graduate of San Diego State University, lives in Pasadena with his wife, Melanie, and children Nicholas, Alexander, Austin, Mariah and Noah. Holden is the son of former State Senator and LA City Councilmember Nate Holden.

Before he closed out his final year of service in the Assembly, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Holden. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and his goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

A project I’ve been working on for well over 36 years — the light rail system — made its way into Pasadena from downtown LA. Now it’s making its way through the San Gabriel Valley to Pomona.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Having an opportunity to represent a multi-ethnic and diverse district is exciting, but to be able to bring a voice for a lived African American experience from the San Gabriel Valley is very important.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

I still am frustrated that we aren’t seeing the kind of progress on affordable housing to allow underrepresented communities to be able to afford to live in the community that they grew up in.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

There has been a lot of movement around reparations through community engagement. Dr. Shirley Weber put forth the bill to establish a reparations task force and that task force met for a number of years. Two members of our caucus served on it, Sen. Steven Bradford and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer. A thousand-page report and a hundred recommendations or more came out of that. And now we’re in the process of finding ways to implement some of those recommendations. It’s going to be a longer process, but I’m hopeful because California, once again, is on the front end of taking on a really challenging issue.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Always be mindful how quickly the winds can change. We’ve gone from 10 years of having budget surpluses to this year having a $45 billion deficit.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Inequality.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Well, I won’t be in the legislature in 2025, but I love public policy. I’d like to find myself in a position where I’m continuing to have an influence on how public policy is shaped and formed. I’m just looking forward to being a vital voice going into next year in a different role. It will also be an opportunity to lay a foundation to take another run, possibly for a seat on the LA County Board of Supervisors in 2028.