Congresswoman Linda Sánchez is campaigning to represent the new 41st Congressional District, created with the approval of Proposition 50, which temporarily redesigns districts in California, since she says she has a lot left to do.
The cities covered by the new District 41 are in Los Angeles County, Downey, Whittier, Norwalk, Lakewood, Bellflower, Santa Fe Springs, Bell Gardens, Pico Rivera, South Whittier, East Whittier, La Mirada, Lengthy Seashore; and in Orange County, La Habra, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and portions of Seal Seashore.
“The actual district I represent is 38. What happened was that with the redistricting they took my district and divided it in two: half of the cities became part of the new district 38, and the other half, the new district 41.”
In interview with The Opinionsaid District 41 is the home where he has lived for the past 15 years.
“I didn’t move; the boundaries just changed around me. Therefore, District 41 encompasses my home, my congressional office, my campaign office, and some cities I had previously represented in previous versions of my district, since districts change every ten years.”
These are, he said, communities that he has lived in, that he understands, that he has represented and for which he works hard.
“That is the reason I decided to run in the 41st district. If it had not passed, I would have run in the 38th district, which is the district I currently occupy.”
Congresswoman Sánchez said that she wants to continue in Congress, because she has much left to accomplish, such as helping her city prosper and achieve the goals they have set.
He added that now more than ever, with Trump in office, fighters are needed who know what they are doing and how to get things done in Washington, D.C.
- Are there those who say that he decided to compete for the new district because the one he currently represents, Supervisor Hilda Solís, is looking for him?
“She called me before Proposition 50 was approved and told me that she would not run against me if I ran in District 38.”
The congresswoman said that running for the new district was very emotional, because the 38th District she represents suffered a 50% change; so half is brand new.
“Losing those communities that I’ve worked so hard for, that I’ve shared so much time with, and that have helped achieve certain goals, it’s bittersweet to have to tell them: I’m going to run in this other district and I’m not going to represent you anymore.”
- You’ve been in Congress since 2003, what do you have to offer that’s different than what you’ve done in the last 20 years?
‘I have a proven track record of success. When we were debating the Much Less Pricey Care Act, an initiative I introduced that prohibited health insurance companies from charging women a higher rate than men for the same amount of health care was included, simply because of their gender.
“Today, millions of women do not pay more for their health insurance than men just because they are women.
“When I represented the city of Lakewood — which is where I lived before moving to Whittier — local officials were trying to locate land to build a dog park.
‘They identified a parcel, owned by Southern California Edison, a company that was not willing to allow the land to be used for a dog park. However, since I was in contact with the CEO of Southern California Edison, I called him and made the request. And so, thanks to that phone call, the city of Lakewood has a beautiful dog park.
“Another example: for ten years, the city of Norwalk had been trying to acquire land to create a green zone, but it was owned by the federal government, and needed to be decontaminated.
“I picked up the phone and called the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, whom I know well. The city got 15 acres of land to expand its park. That’s precisely what experience, relationships and networking can do here in Washington, DC.”
He added that it is essential to know which person to contact and maintain a good relationship.
“A newly arrived congressman does not have those types of relationships. For my part, I have experience, networks of contacts and solid relationships.”
He noted that at the beginning of each year, he meets with the administrators and mayors of his cities and asks them: What are the priority needs? What objectives have you set out to achieve?
“From there, we analyze what actions I can take at the federal level to help make those priorities a reality.”
He commented that he recently managed to bring $12 million back to the district for a wide range of projects: from housing and access to drinking water, creating training academies for firefighters and police officers, and acquiring new communications equipment for police departments.
“Each year, I attract millions of dollars in funding to help my cities achieve the goals they have set for me.”
- What do you think of the voices that say new blood is needed in Congress?
“I’m the only person in this race who has visited a detention center. I’ve seen how immigrants live. I’m trying to hold the administration accountable for the conditions in those centers. We’ve gotten families objective representation; and we’ve put them in touch with their consuls.
“We fight Trump every day. I joined a resolution to try to impeach Christy Nome, and there was enough support among members and pressure to get her removed.
“Our job is to play defense and try to prevent the worst actions of this administration from happening. And once we regain the majority in the midterm elections, then the question will be: how do we repair everything that Donald Trump has destroyed?”
- How are you campaigning? Do you have time to come and knock on doors?
“I spend three weeks a month in Washington DC debating bills and voting. But one week a month we have work periods in the district, times when I come back, go out into the community, talk to constituents, and make myself accessible and visible.”
He said he knows the impact tariffs are having on small businesses, and has been fighting them in Washington, D.C.
“We sued the president and won a victory: the Supreme Court struck down his use of emergency powers to unilaterally impose tariffs.”
So he said there’s a lot he does when he’s in the district.
“I work practically from morning until late at night, going around the community and talking to people.
Top priorities
If he wins the election, he said that one of his main priorities will be to continue working extensively in the field of immigration and on the United States Citizenship Act, which incorporates more immigration judges in order to resolve cases more quickly and expedite their processing.
It also prohibits ICE agents from wearing masks and requires them to properly identify themselves; and carry out raids near hospitals, schools, churches or any other place considered shining.
It will also focus on the prices of basic basket products that have become more expensive; and housing affordability.
For this reason, he said he has co-written a bill called the “HOPE Act,” whose purpose is to encourage the acquisition of home ownership.
“This law prevents private equity firms from making cash purchase offers for homes with the sole intention of disproportionately inflating rental prices.
- What is your message for Latinos?
“It’s simple; my parents are immigrants from Mexico. I grew up in a family of seven children. My parents firmly believed that education was the key to success in this country, and that everyone had a chance to achieve the American dream; however, the American dream is becoming increasingly difficult for people to achieve, and that is due to the bad policies of this administration.
“I have worked hard on behalf of the constituents I represent, because I am just like them. I come from families exactly like yours. I know the difficulties related to immigration, economic struggles, racism and discrimination that occur, because my family and I have experienced them firsthand.
“So, what they will find in me is someone who will continue to fight for them, trying to make economic opportunities available to them, bringing jobs back to the district, making sure that people have access to affordable health care
He highlighted that he has worked very hard in Congress and held leadership positions at all levels.
“I am Chief Deputy Whip because the party leadership trusts in my leadership ability. I lead the BOLD PAC, which is the political arm of the Hispanic Caucus; and thanks to the work I have done, we have the largest number of Hispanics in history serving simultaneously in the United States Congress and Senate: 43 members. It is the highest number ever recorded.”
Congresswoman Sánchez has received endorsements from the California Democratic Party, the Federation of Labor, Planned Parenthood, Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schift.
Congresswoman Sánchez’s main opponent is former SouthGate Democratic Assemblyman Héctor de la Torre, but Democrats Shonique Williams and Republican Mitch Clemmons are also competing for the position.
Héctor de la Torre launches for the new 41st Congressional district
Do you know what Proposition 50 means for California?
