Bike the Vote

At CalBike, we work not just to improve what policy makers decide about transportation, but to improve who those very policymakers are. Because the California Bicycle Coalition is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, we can legally engage with electoral politics, and we face a busy election season in 2020.

In all but one of the selected key primary races where CalBike made an endorsement, one or more of the candidates we endorsed got enough votes to make it onto the ballot in November. This is a huge win! We couldn’t have done it without our supporters, who turned out in numbers and biked the vote!

It’s vital that we elect officials who share with our 80,000 supporters across the state our agenda of advocating for equitable, inclusive, and prosperous communities where bicycling helps to enable all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives. We hope you will continue to support these candidates through the general election.

Note: The election results in the table below are preliminary as of March 6, 2020.

Office/Issue	CalBike Endorsement(s) and Results	About the candidate	Election Results
Los Angeles City Council District 4	Sarah Kate Levy and Nithya Raman	Both candidates have a deep commitment to bicycling. Either one is a far better choice than the incumbent.	Raman will move on to the general election against the anti-bike incumbent.
Assembly District 42 Yucaipa	DeniAntionette Mazingo	Ardent leader of some of our state’s most marginalized groups who understands that lowering carbon emissions and reducing our footprint is also a social justice and transportation issue.	Mazingo ran a good race with a progressive platform and came in a close third, but won’t be on the ballot in November.
Assembly District 78 San Diego	Chris Ward	As a San Diego City Council Member, he has shown a deep commitment to bicycling and understands the progress still needed to help cycling trips reduce vehicle miles traveled, while at the same time providing a solution to the escalating climate crisis.	Ward handily won his primary with close to 60% of the vote.
Senate District 11 San Francisco	Scott Wiener	A successful, and cutting-edge Senator who authored SB 127, CalBike’s Complete Streets bill.	Wiener, the incumbent, got more than 55% of the vote in the primary for his district.
Senate District 17 Santa Cruz	John Laird	Renowned state climate leader who strongly believes solving our climate crisis involves an intersectional approach around housing, public transit, and social equity – in addition to being a long-time supporter of increasing biking infrastrucure to offset emissions.	Laird came in first in the primary and will head into the general election in a strong position.
Senate District 23 Redlands	Abigail Medina	San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Member with a strong environmental justice vision that includes improved public transportation, bike paths, and pedestrian walkways.	Medina got the most votes in a 4-way race and will be on the ballot in what is likely to be a tight race against her next closest competitor in November.
Senate District 37 Irvine	Dave Min	Strong environmentalist who believes that climate change is the defining crisis of our time, with significantly expanded low-stress bikeway networks and Complete Streets at the top of the list of solutions.	Min got the votes to advance from the primary to the general election in November. He will run against the incumbent.
Assembly District 17 San Francisco	David Chiu	A steadfast leader for active transportation and its connections to fair, affordable, and equitable housing issues.	Chiu ran unopposed in his primary and is a sure bet to win reelection in November.
Assembly District 19 San Francisco	Phil Ting	Consistent champion for the active transportation community in San Francisco and statewide.	Ting won almost 80% of the votes in the primary and seems poised to be reelected in November.
Assembly District 25 San Jose	Alex Lee & Anna Song	Both candidates show great potential for expanding active transportation in San Jose and across the state by significantly increasing the amount to the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP).	Lee edged out Song for the second-most votes in a fractured field of nine candidates. We’re excited to see him advance to the general where he is favored to win.
Assembly District 30 Monterey	Robert Rivas	A recent champion for biking and walking advocates who authored AB 1266, which allows bicyclists to travel straight through a right- or left-hand turn only lane.	Rivas handily won his primary and advances to the general election in a strong position.
Assembly District 37 Santa Barbara	Elsa Granados, Cathy Murillo, & Steve Bennett	All three candidates show great potential for expanding safe and equitable biking across California. Each candidate brings a unique perspective and background, but this triple endorsement is warranted given the caliber of experience and passion in AD 37.	Bennett, a longtime member of the Channel Islands Bicycle Club, will advance to the November ballot, where he will face the sole Republican in the race.
Assembly District 41 Pasadena	Chris Holden	A committed leader to sustainable transportation who has always supported the expansion of biking in building sustainable communities in the assembly.	Holden won two-thirds of the votes in the primary and advances to the general election in a strong position.
Assembly District 43 Glendale	Laura Friedman	A strong and tireless champion for biking and walking in the legislature, she has authored several bike-related bills and has a long history of doing the same in southern California.	Friedman came in first with a wide lead, which should give her momentum for November.
Assembly District 50 Santa Monica	Richard Bloom	Consistent bike champion for several years in the assembly, who also understands the intersections of bikes with equity and inclusion.	Bloom won his primary with a wide lead.
Assembly District 68 Irvine	Melissa Fox	Irvine City Council Member who understands the need for expansion of safe biking and walking in order to combat climate change, our housing crisis, and in general healthy and equitable communities.	Fox got the second-highest number of primary votes, which will put her on the November ballot in what may be turning into a swing district for progressive legislators.
Assembly District 76 Escondido	Tasha Boerner Horvath	A newcomer to the Assembly who bikes around her own district and has proven to be leader on our agenda in Sacramento as well.	Horvath got the most primary votes and now heads to the general election.
Senate District 13 San Mateo	Josh Becker	A strong candidate who sees an aggressive expansion of e-bikes as an important transportation tool to foster sustainable communities.	Becker got the highest number of votes in his multi-candidate primary and will be on the ballot against a Republican challenger in November.
Senate District 15 San Jose	Dave Cortese & Ann Ravel	Both candidates show the most potential for those who bike and walk in California, and for those who suffer the most from vehicle pollution. The candidates agree that the state’s greenhouse gas reduction targets should be applied to state transportation investments.	Ravel and Cortese were the top two vote-getters and will face each other in the general election. It’s a win-win choice for SD 15.
Senate District 29 Yorba Linda	Josh Newman	Former Senator who is ready to further the work by ensuring SB 1 continues to fund active transportation, fights climate change, and improves livability and public health in at-risk communities	Newman got a big enough share of the vote to advance to the general election.
Senate District 21 Palmdale	Kipp Mueller	A strong leader of worker’s rights, who understands the importance of biking and walking, as alternatives to cars, to solve our climate crisis.	Mueller got the second-highest share of votes in the primary and will advance to the November ballot.