Sarah Rascón is running for State Senate in California’s 26th District, which includes parts of Northeast, East and Central LA. Rascón, whose campaign website emphasizes environmental and social justice, housing affordability, small businesses and workforce development, faces four other candidates in the primary election June 2.
Rascón said she was raised by her immigrant grandmother after her parents’ divorce. According to Rascón, her life was shaped by children’s court and social workers from a young age, and her early exposure to government services motivated her to run for office.
“It was time to stop complaining about [our government] and do something about it,” Rascón said.
Rascón said her upbringing in El Sereno influenced her interest in government and policy,
“From a young age I questioned, ‘Why does our infrastructure look different?’ ‘Why does my community feel different?’” Rascón said. “Public service is very personal to me, and I knew, even as a young person, that it was government’s invisible … hand that has a say over how our communities look. It was very important [for me] to figure out this system that affects us, whether we like it or not.”
Rascón said her career path demonstrates her dedication to Northeast LA (NELA). She said she interned on Capitol Hill and worked for Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, a nonprofit that helps with voter registration. After those experiences, Rascón said she joined a state assembly campaign, worked for assembly member Jimmy Gomez — whom she helped to elect — and later in mayor Karen Bass’ office. Rascón currently works for the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority, an environmental agency where she focuses on revitalizing the LA River.
“I love being in the community and being able to help people, and that’s where it all started,” Rascón said. “Now, … I’m going to do the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my career, all for … a constituency greater than myself.”
Danielle Cendekas, a campaign consultant for Rascón’s campaign, said she joined because of Rascón’s care for NELA.
“[I’ve] known Sarah Rascón for a very long time,” Cendekas said. “She grew up in El Sereno, she attended local schools, she came back and worked for assembly member Jimmy Gomez.”
According to Cendekas, Rascón has been dedicated to bringing resources to her community.
“[She’s committed to] doing everything from improving the LA River and making that an enjoyable experience for families, to preserving acres of natural landscape,” Cendekas said.
According to Rascón, her time spent working for assembly member Gomez in Sacramento gave her a greater understanding of what candidates should be offering.
“I wasn’t satisfied with our options,” Rascón said. “As someone who’s worked in Sacramento, a status quo Democrat isn’t good enough for me. I wanted to see someone who is going to be a community candidate and who is here to serve others, not themselves, in their political career.”
Another candidate running for the 26th District State Senate seat and the first drag queen elected to public office in the U.S. is Maebe Pudlo.
Pudlo said they are hoping to win the district on an anti-ICE, pro-Palestine, and pro-human rights campaign.
“The seat is currently held by Maria Elena Durazo, who is somebody that I … would have never challenged … because I was satisfied with her representation,” Pudlo said. “But when I saw that she was not seeking re-election, I thought … this is actually a great place where I can try to legislate for progressive politics.”
Pudlo said they feel like a party outsider, despite identifying as a Democrat.
“I think that it is incredibly democratic to challenge even within party lines, just because there is no singular idea of what a Democrat is,” Pudlo said.
Rascón said she is disappointed in Democrats in Sacramento, who have yet to pass statewide rent control or universal health care despite controlling the state legislature.
“[Real change] takes some bold progressive stances that our legislators as a majority haven’t been willing to take,” Rascón said. “Yes, we’re sending a Democrat [to Sacramento], but what kind of Democrat are you going to be? [Will you be] for the greater good or for just … the interests that are lobbying you?”
According to Rascón, her duties on the campaign trail are comprised of three major components — organizing with community members, seeking endorsements and fundraising.
“As a community candidate, it’s a lot of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing, and I’m really proud to [say] that we have over 500 individual donors, which speaks to the type of campaign we’re running,” Rascón said.
According to Cendekas, state senate races can be difficult because voters do not always understand the importance of state government.
“California is not only the biggest state, it’s one of the most consequential economies on the entire planet,” Cendekas said. “When you think of all of the laws and policies that get set, these state senate seats are really important.”
Rascón said state government is out of sight and out of mind for a lot of voters.
“People, more often than not, don’t know who their state electeds are,” Rascón said. “Because of that, you have a lot of special interest in the capital that can run amok and influence policy and the way policymakers vote.”
Cendekas said Rascón’s ability to relate to the constituents of California’s 26th District is one of her greatest assets.
“I think folks are looking for problem solvers, and [Rascón’s] somebody who’s worked in government, she’s worked in nonprofit spaces,” Cendekas said. “She’s the type of person rooted in values that we need right now. [She] understands what it’s like to struggle and [is able to] help people navigate that. That’s what she’s done her entire career, and what she’ll continue to do in her future as well.”
Contact Quinn Sumerlin at sumerlin@oxy.edu
