Sarah Rascon
DemocraticQ1 California is rich in natural resources (i.e. oil, with California being the 7th largest oil producing state in the nation) and, as of June 2025, conserves 26.1% of its lands and 21.9% of its coastal waters. Given California’s resources, what policies would you pursue or continue, if any, in regard to land management and use?
“California’s dual identity as a top oil-producing state and conservation leader means pursuing two goals at once: winding down extraction responsibly while accelerating protection of the land we have left.
I strongly support accelerating 30x30, with dedicated, ongoing funding for land acquisition and stewardship developed in partnership with Tribal nations, land trusts, and frontline communities - not just remote wilderness, but urban parks and working lands too. I support a managed, predictable phasedown of oil and gas, with mandatory setbacks near homes and schools, and remediation of idle wells funded by industry fees, not taxpayers, led by union labor.
For clean energy, I’d prioritize siting solar, wind, and storage on already-disturbed land - rooftops, parking lots, former industrial sites - before opening protected public lands, paired with streamlined permitting tied to strong environmental and labor standards. Land-use investment should flow first to frontline communities that have carried the burden of pollution, through cleanup, tree canopy expansion, and green space. Finally, land use should support housing stability by expanding community land trusts to keep land off speculative markets.”
Q2 California is one of the leading states with the most data centers which are important facilities for processing and storing data. However they also have several environmental and health impacts, such as significant water usage and noise pollution, which can lead to decrease in net economic gains. What policies, if any, do you support in managing existing data centers or establishing additional data centers?
“Data centers are driving up energy demand, straining water resources, and pushing up electricity costs for everyday Californians, all while companies keep their power and water use hidden from the public. I supported AB 1577, the Data Center Energy Accountability Act, because ratepayers deserve transparency into exactly how much energy and water these facilities consume.
Beyond transparency, I believe no new data center should move forward without meeting strict, enforceable conditions: it must bring new clean energy online rather than draw from an already-strained grid; rely on recycled or non-potable water and prove it won’t compete with local drinking water supplies; undergo full environmental review with early community input; and deliver real community benefits such as local hiring, union jobs, and energy bill relief for surrounding neighborhoods.
Location matters too. These facilities shouldn’t be sited in ways that worsen air quality, strain local infrastructure, or burden already-overburdened communities. If a project can’t meet these standards, it shouldn’t be approved. Data centers shouldn’t expand at the expense of ratepayers and the communities around them.”
Q3 In 2025, approximately 33% of students in K-12 schools across California met or exceeded science standards, and teacher shortages have resulted in districts hiring teachers with substandard credentials in math and science. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you follow to increase science proficiency and access to quality education across the state and why?
“Only a third of California students meeting science standards reflects a workforce crisis as much as a curriculum one. Districts are hiring under-credentialed teachers in math and science because we haven’t made the profession sustainable. I’ll fight to increase per-pupil funding to the average of the ten highest-funded states, reduce class sizes, and raise teacher pay and benefits so districts can recruit and retain qualified STEM educators instead of relying on emergency permits.
I support expanding teacher residency and apprenticeship pipelines, particularly in math and science, with loan forgiveness and mentorship for new educators in high-need districts. I’d also invest in ongoing professional development so teachers already in classrooms can strengthen science instruction rather than leaving the field.
Beyond staffing, I support the Community Schools model - wraparound health, mental health, and family support services - paired with expanded STEM and career-technical education programs that connect students to real pathways in the green economy and beyond. Evidence shows smaller class sizes and stable, well-supported teachers drive proficiency gains. This has to be the foundation.”
Q4 Healthcare is an important resource to Californians, with publicly supported programs such as Medi-Cal providing coverage covering roughly half of all Californians including 14.5 million low-income residents. According to the Center on Healthcare from West Health-Gallup, California has an overall healthcare grade of “C” over the categories of cost, quality, and access, with gaps in rural health coverage, environmental health threats, workforce shortages, and affordability challenges. What policies, if any, do you support to address the healthcare of Californians and why?
“Only a third of California students meeting science standards reflects a workforce crisis as much as a curriculum one. Districts are hiring under-credentialed teachers in math and science because we haven’t made the profession sustainable. I’ll fight to increase per-pupil funding to the average of the ten highest-funded states, reduce class sizes, and raise teacher pay and benefits so districts can recruit and retain qualified STEM educators instead of relying on emergency permits.
I support expanding teacher residency and apprenticeship pipelines, particularly in math and science, with loan forgiveness and mentorship for new educators in high-need districts. I’d also invest in ongoing professional development so teachers already in classrooms can strengthen science instruction rather than leaving the field.
Beyond staffing, I support the Community Schools model - wraparound health, mental health, and family support services - paired with expanded STEM and career-technical education programs that connect students to real pathways in the green economy and beyond. Evidence shows smaller class sizes and stable, well-supported teachers drive proficiency gains. This has to be the foundation.”
“A ““C”” grade across cost, quality, and access tells me California’s healthcare system works reasonably well for some residents but leaves too many others behind, especially in rural areas and low-income communities. I believe the solution has to address both the near-term gaps and the long-term structure.
I am a proud supporter of CalCare, California’s single payer healthcare proposal, because a system where everyone is covered under one standard of care removes the gaps in cost and access that show up so clearly in Medi-Cal’s patchwork of coverage today. Since Medi-Cal covers close to half of all Californians, I will fight to protect and expand its funding, oppose any budget that treats it as an easy cut, and push back against federal reimbursement cuts by backfilling state dollars where needed.
On workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas, I support scholarships, loan forgiveness, and paid clinical placements for nurses and other health workers who commit to practicing in high need communities.
On environmental health threats, since pollution and toxic exposure drive so much of California’s chronic disease burden, I support fully funded toxic cleanups and stronger enforcement in frontline communities, since environmental policy is health policy.”
Q5 Infectious disease outbreaks in California, like measles and foodborne illnesses, are on the rise and have had significant impacts on the state’s health, agriculture, and produce economy. In some counties in California, vaccination rates are low, making communities potentially vulnerable to measles outbreaks. Furthermore, California is responsible for over a third of the US’s fresh produce, which is a common source of foodborne illness. What policies, if any, do you support for implementing preventative measures and mitigating strategies against outbreaks?
“Rising measles cases and foodborne illness outbreaks show what happens when public health infrastructure and trust erode at the same time. Both problems demand the same core fix. California needs to invest in public health, not just react to crises.
On vaccination, I support strong, well-funded public health outreach and education campaigns in low vaccination counties, delivered through trusted community messengers like local clinics, schools and faith organizations rather than mandates alone. I also support fully funding county public health departments so they can do real- time disease surveillance and respond quickly when outbreaks emerge, since delayed detection is often what turns a local case into a county wide outbreak.
On food safety, given that California grows over a third of the nation’s fresh produce, I support strengthening state inspection and traceability systems for farms and packing facilities, funded in part by industry fees, so contamination can be traced and contained quickly. Farmworkers should also have real protections and paid sick leave, since workers coming to work sick because they cannot afford not to is itself a public health risk. Prevention is cheaper than crisis response, and California’s economy and health depend on getting ahead of both threats.”
Q6 Distrust in science has been on the rise among the general public and policymakers, which has been associated with changes in federal funding for scientific research. In order to bridge this gap, how do you think scientists and policymakers can work together to strengthen their communication?
“Distrust in science grows when people only hear from researchers after a crisis, not throughout the process. I believe scientists and policymakers need standing, ongoing relationships, not just emergency briefings during outbreaks or disasters.
As State Senator, I would support embedding scientists and public health experts directly into legislative committee work, not just as occasional witnesses, so policy is shaped by evidence from the start. I also support state funded science communication and public education campaigns delivered by trusted local messengers, including community clinics, schools, and faith organizations, since trust often depends on the messenger as much as the message.
Given deep federal cuts to NIH, NSF, and other research funding, I support California stepping in to backfill critical research dollars, particularly for public health and disaster research that cannot afford to wait. Protecting the researchers, postdocs, and academic workers who do this work is part of protecting the research itself.
Ultimately, rebuilding trust requires transparency. Policymakers should explain the evidence behind decisions plainly and consistently, and scientists should be present in community conversations year-round, not only when something goes wrong.”
Q13 The Los Angeles Metro system serves millions of riders every month, with increases in ridership associated with the expansion of Metro stations. Access to public transportation is associated with less air and noise pollution, fewer harmful chemicals, and overall healthier communities. Yet, the Metro still faces public safety concerns, and expansion projects have encountered delays and cost increases while risking community displacement. What policies, if any, do you support regarding Los Angeles public transit infrastructure? Describe evidence that has informed these policies.
“Metro’s ridership growth shows that when service expands, people use it. That should guide how we invest, but expansion has to be paired with safety, affordability, and anti-displacement protections, not treated separately from them.
As a board member of CicLAvia, I have seen firsthand what happens when streets are opened up for people instead of cars. Our open streets events consistently show that when Angelenos feel safe walking, biking, and moving through public space, they show up by the thousands, and that same principle applies to transit. Reliability and a sense of safety are what actually build ridership, not just new stations.
On safety, I support an array and alternative approaches that include safety presence, like transit ambassadors, mental health response teams, and better lit, better maintained stations, rather than relying on criminalization. Research and rider surveys, along with what I have observed through CicLAvia’s community engagement, show that visible presence and reliability build trust more than policing alone.
On expansion, delays and cost overruns are often the result of fragmented funding and permitting. I support dedicated, long term operating funding for Metro so projects are not repeatedly stalled or descoped, along with stronger project labor agreements to keep construction on track with good union jobs.
On displacement, the data is clear that new stations raise nearby rents. I support community perseveration, first right of refusal and prioritizing existing neighbors. Building affordable and social housing near transit before or alongside station openings, expanding community land trusts and tenant protections in station areas, and prioritizing public land for affordable development so residents can benefit from the transit investment in their own neighborhoods, rather than being pushed out by it.”