Santa Rosa, California —

At first glance, the Sonoma County Democratic Party No. 36 Crab bait It was like a political carnival that had been going on for nearly 40 years.

For $70, Sonoma County residents could “bump elbows with their elected officials” while eating North Coast cuisine featuring Dungeness crab, salad and pasta served with local red and white wine. However, behind the friendly chat at the Decapod Dinner on February 23, discord within the Democratic Party smoldered.

The intraparty fight involves who will replace Rep. Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), who is retiring from his North Coast seat two years earlier than most expected. The shocking announcement in November was Mr. Wood does not seek re-election. He sent a candidate to his final term after 10 years in the state Legislature. Working hard to promote the campaign There are only a few months left to raise money and support before Tuesday's primary election.

Three potential candidates quickly emerged: California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks, Healdsburg City Council member and nonprofit executive Ariel Kelly, and former Santa Rosa mayor and current City Council member Chris Rogers.

Disagreement among local Democratic leaders over who should represent them Congressional District 2 In a left-leaning, geographically diverse region that stretches from Santa Rosa to the Oregon border, the race has morphed into one of the most expensive and divisive races in local history.

The Democratic trio are vying for the top two spots in the March 5 primary, along with the only Republican in the district believed to have enough Republican votes to send him to the November general election. Probability is high. The majority of voters in the district are registered Democrats, so there is a good chance that a Democratic candidate who makes it through the primary will win in November.

The area spans five counties, including parts of Sonoma and all of Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties, and takes about seven hours to drive from top to bottom. It hosts 307,000 voters across the region, many of whom are working class. Many residents struggle with a lack of affordable housing, well-paying jobs, and limited health care access. The region faces increasing environmental threats, including deadly wildfires that are exacerbated by climate change.

The intense competition between candidates to win voters' support was evident at the Kani event.

While “Vote for Chris Rogers” buttons and “ARIEL” stickers competed, Mr. Hicks sponsored a prominent table at the front of the hall, sitting across from Mr. Wood and House Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister).

Much of the political turmoil revolves around Hicks, a 44-year-old who moved to the area from Los Angeles just a few years ago, with considerable money and influence. He has the support of outgoing Rep. Wood, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. LaFonza Butler, veterans groups and a long list of influential statewide labor organizations, among others.

Hicks has proven to be a strong candidate. He is a Texas native and Afghanistan War veteran who served as president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor before being elected Democratic Party Chairman in 2019. His reputation as a skilled strategist and calm leader in the labor movement helped him gain an edge in the labor campaign. The party attempted to correct course in the wake of an internal sexual misconduct scandal.

His campaign message focuses on protecting jobs in the district, creating more affordable housing options and expanding access to health care in areas with few clinics. He also emphasizes environmental conservation, an issue that resonates in a region with towering redwoods and vast tracts of state and national parkland.

“I’m running because I have a long track record of delivering real results for real people,” Hicks said.

His opponents describe him in a different light.

Skeptics have accused Mr. Hicks of carpet-walking from Los Angeles to Humboldt County with his ambitions to run for office, and have given him a long list of donations from Southern California and Sacramento to the people he wants to represent. They criticize this as proof that there is a lack of connection with the government.

He has also faced criticism for holding an influential position as party chairman during the parliamentary election campaign. Hicks suspended his pay and benefits for the duration of his campaign and said he promised he would resign if elected.

Hicks said he fell in love with the North Coast while running for party chairman and in 2021, he and his wife bought a home in Arcata, Humboldt County. He said his campaign was “funded by individuals and workers and the unions that represent them,” and many of the coalition backing his candidacy argued that the Democratic Party should not be criticized. ing.

Hicks faces a strong opponent in Kelly, 41, a former mayor of Healdsburg. Kelly's supporters include local government officials and organizations across the state committed to electing more women to public office and expanding access to safe abortion services.

The political action committee supporting Mr. Kerry — funded primarily by Mr. Kerry's sister — has at least put a lot of money into it. Donated $200,000 to PAC — is running a sponsored ad accusing Hicks of covering up sexual harassment within the Democratic Party, an allegation that Hicks and his supporters angrily deny. Hicks' campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to local TV stations warning them against continuing to run ads that Hicks claims are “patently false.”

Mr. Hicks criticized Mr. Kelly's investments in the oil industry and questioned his relationship with a local developer who recently made a donation. $50,000 to political action committee.

“Some candidates and their supporters have concluded that they can no longer talk about their record or run on the basis of their record, and have decided to lie about my record. It’s unfortunate,” Hicks said.

Kelly said she has not communicated with the PAC or her sisters about their strategy and agrees that negative campaigning is not helpful. She said her father died last year, leaving her with a trust that holds investments in “many industries” and that she plans to divest from the oil and gas industry.

She said the attack is “totally baseless” and calls for the need for paid family leave for rural families, ensuring access to reproductive health care, improving housing affordability and reducing homelessness. They argued it was a distraction from the real issues facing voters in the district.

“I'm just focused on talking about my accomplishments because it's such a strong record of contributing to this community, whether it's homelessness, wildfire prevention, housing or health care access,” she said.

Mr. Rogers, 36, who is also running a fierce campaign, expressed many of the same concerns about Mr. Hicks' fundraising strategy, but called on his opponents to stop “throwing mud.”

Mr. Rogers, who grew up in Sonoma County, spent 10 years working as an aide to Congress and state legislators in the district before starting his career in local politics. As mayor of Santa Rosa, he has guided the region through emergency after emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic, droughts, floods, and devastating wildfires during his time on the city council. argues that he is the most qualified person to represent the district.

Rogers has the support of Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), for whom he served on the legislative staff, as well as a long list of city and county officials, local fire departments and environmental groups. . He said he is focused on mitigating climate change, protecting local health care facilities from closures and addressing the significant narrowing of access to homeowners insurance in Northern California communities.

“I have that experience. It's not just about understanding the perspective, but how to translate the needs of the district into legislative action,” Rogers said.

Yurok Tribe Vice Chair Frankie Myers, 43, is also running as a Democrat and hopes to become the second Native American elected to the California State Legislature. Myers has received support from tribal communities across the state.

He tried to defuse the spat with messages about rising tribal issues and the importance of environmental management and universal health care, but with limited success.

“I'm learning that running for state legislature is a privilege. There are many barriers for people from low-income and historically disadvantaged communities,” he said. “In the history of this state, there has only been one lone Native American elected to the state Legislature. And now that we're running a campaign, we're starting to realize some of the reasons why. I am.”

A fifth Democrat, Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams, does not raise money and is effectively using his campaign to encourage candidates to focus on local issues. A sixth Democratic candidate, Cynthia Click, has withdrawn from the race, but her name will appear on the ballot.

Michael Greer, who is running as a Republican for Congress, is focusing on the bread-and-butter issues familiar to many California families: public safety, the growing number of people experiencing homelessness, rising housing costs and concerns unique to the North Coast. The focus of the campaign is on the issue. Similar to what other candidates have raised.

“Can we, as one vote, as a Republican, change our vote on all of these things?” Greer said of his potential influence in the Democratic-led Congress. “No. But you can make it loud enough to sound country.”

Mr. Wood said many of the candidates used overly broad rhetoric to describe the district's issues, and he is used to his progress in addressing specific policy areas during his decade in Sacramento. Said it doesn't seem like it. The real challenge, he said, is to fine-tune these policies to build on past successes.

“This is a very difficult district,” Wood said. “So we need to take the time to learn that and really commit to respecting that in order to solve some of the problems we face.”

Mr Wood was quick to endorse Mr Hicks' candidacy for the council seat, saying he believed the party chairman would be a “mainstay” for the district.

“I respect anyone who wants to run here, but I think he's the best candidate given the depth and breadth of his experience, what he's accomplished and his life experience,” Wood said. Told.

But Wood said he was surprised and disappointed by the negative campaign.

“This is not what we are used to on the north coast,” he said. “I don't like it, and I don't think voters like it very much either.”