Assemblymember Kate Sanchez is vying for reelection in the 71st Assembly district — and she’s facing software engineer Gary Kephart in the south county race.
Sanchez, a Republican from Rancho Santa Margarita, was first elected to the legislature in 2022. In Sacramento, she’s a member of various committees, including Appropriations, where she serves as the vice chair.
A Democrat from Ladera Ranch, Kephart is a native of Southern California, according to his campaign bio. He’s an alumnus of UC Irvine and has worked in various fields, from a busboy at Disneyland to an engineer at Rockwell International.
Kephart, in a video on his campaign website, said he’s concerned about the “working homeless” in the community — people who have multiple jobs but can’t afford housing so may be living in their car or staying on someone’s couch, for example.
“It’s crucial to understand that homelessness is a spectrum,” he said. “At one end, we have those facing severe challenges; and at the other, those who are just one paycheck away from stability.”
“The longer people remain homeless, the more likely they are to slide from one end of the spectrum to the other, facing increasing difficulties and barriers to getting back on their feet,” he added.
He would advocate for a “housing first” approach if elected, meaning, he supports efforts to get people housed initially and then pivot to addressing job training, mental health or drug treatment needs. This plan, he said, would give people in the community more stability.
Sanchez, in a questionnaire posed by The Orange County Register, said she wants to see more efforts by the state to address substance abuse, which in turn could alleviate the homelessness crisis.
“The state needs to get tougher on drug dealers and get hard substances off of our streets,” Sanchez said, touting her efforts to pass a bill this year in the legislature that would have ended certain protections for undocumented immigrants who deal fentanyl. The bill was unsuccessful.
Sanchez also pointed to how much California has spent to address homelessness, including allocating money to local governments and nonprofits.
“Not only was the problem not addressed, it got worse. Our homeless population increased by tens of thousands of people,” she said. “Sacramento must track each dollar spent and demand accountability and transparency from the entities it provides large grants to.”
In the 71st Assembly District, which encompasses Orange and Riverside counties, Republicans hold a large voter registration advantage. According to the latest data from the secretary of state, 40.87% of registered voters are Republicans, 30.63% are Democrats and 20.42% are no party preference.
