Four candidates seeking to replace Sen. Maria Elena Durazo in California’s 26th Senate District took questions from Eastside residents Wednesday evening, where concerns about immigration, public health and the environment took center stage.
Durazo is nearing the end of her term and is running for the LA County Board of Supervisors seat currently held by Hilda Solis, who is termed out.
The forum, hosted by Proyecto Pastoral, brought together Juan Camacho, Wendy Carrillo, Sara Hernandez and Sarah Rascón — four of eight candidates running for the seat — to outline how they would represent Boyle Heights and East LA. Organizers said they initially invited only candidates with active campaigns but later extended invitations to others. “We were open to everyone,” said Enrique Velázquez, with Proyecto Pastoral.
About 60 people attended the forum, many raising concerns about affordable housing, healthcare, and environmental issues tied to the Exide Technologies plant nearby.
Among them was Martha Martinez, 70, who has lived in Boyle Heights for nearly three decades and says housing affordability tops her list.
“My children pay extremely high rent,” Martinez said. She hopes that eventually they will be able to afford homes in the neighborhood as well.
Joseph Villela, 43, joined the forum to hear what the candidates had to say about the changes in the district.
“I want to hear what their priorities are,” Villela said. “How are they prioritizing Boyle Heights?”
Meet the participants
- Camacho immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was 2 and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. He serves as President of Equality California Institute, where he leads programs to protect LGBTQ+ civil rights and support youth leadership.
- Carrillo immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador when she was 5 and grew up in Boyle Heights and City Terrace. She previously served the Eastside as State Assemblymember for the 52nd district.
- Hernandez currently serves on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees and is a housing, immigration and environmental attorney. She began her career as an LAUSD middle school teacher and lives in Eagle Rock.
- Rascón grew up in El Sereno and her background is in sustainability and environmental justice. Recently, she served as the Director of County and Regional Affairs for Mayor Karen Bass.
Across the board, candidates pointed to their work supporting health resources across the Eastside and emphasized their commitments to protecting immigrant communities from federal enforcement and redirecting state funding to keep immigrant families housed.
On public health and social services
On public health, Rascón pointed to the work she’s done to bring social services and mental health resources to Eastside families as a county liaison for the mayor’s office, including Prop 1, which invested $65 million for mental health services in LA County.
“Our undocumented immigrant communities should never fear going to the doctor,” Rascón said.
Hernandez said she will redirect Prop 1 funding to support early intervention and community nonprofits.
Camacho stressed funding for mental health, community clinics, and schools and emphasized the need to get in front of issues like housing affordability to promote healthier communities.
Carrillo pointed to the work she did as an assemblymember to secure $50 million in state funding to revitalize General Hospital in Boyle Heights.
“My promise is to keep fighting for resources in the budget,” Carrillo said.
On protecting immigrant communities
All four candidates said they would push back against federal immigration enforcement.
Rascón said she spent the summer patrolling her neighborhood for federal agents.
Carrillo criticized the state’s recent move to share immigrant driver’s DMV data with the Department of Homeland Security.
Hernandez proposed expanding “safe zone” doctrines in the district beyond schools and healthcare facilities and taxing private ICE detention facilities.
Camacho emphasized keeping the federal government accountable.
“I will ask that the attorney general keep going after federal agents terrorizing our communities and that we keep suing the Trump administration when they keep taking away our rights,” he said.
To address the massive state and federal cuts to the state’s Medi-Cal program, which will cause some immigrant populations to lose health coverage, Rascón, Hernandez and Camacho said they’d adopt progressive taxation to fill the gap in funding left behind by the cuts.
The candidates were asked how they would address a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to end certain federal housing assistance for families with mixed immigration status.
All candidates said they would redirect state funding to supplement the funding lost by HUD to protect housing for mixed-status families and renters.
Carrillo said she would work on legislation to protect tenants from displacement, like eliminating the Ellis Act, which allows landlords to legally back out of their rental business and evict tenants.
On environmental justice
Environmental justice was another key focus. Rascón and Hernandez emphasized reducing pollution and expanding green space, while Camacho said he would focus on community listening.
Carrillo pointed to past investments in park cleanups, LA River restoration and remediation of neighborhoods impacted by the Exide battery plant contamination.
Upcoming candidate forum
Rascón, Hernandez, Camacho and Carrillo will participate in a candidate forum hosted by the Maravilla Community Advisory Committee.
When: Saturday, May 2, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Where: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Hall, 4018 E. Hammel St.
