By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer

While on the final stretch of their campaign trail, the two candidates running for the 79th Assembly District seat, LaShae Sharp-Collins and Colin Parent, met with community members Monday night to promote their vision for the future of the district.

The 79th Assembly District represents roughly a million residents, and encompasses parts of Southeastern San Diego, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and National City, La Presa, Bonita, and Chula Vista.

For the last twelve years, members of the Weber family have held on to this seat. Dr. Shirley N. Weber, led the seat from 2012 to 2021 before getting appointed Secretary of State, followed behind by her daughter, Dr. Akilah Weber, who is now running for state senate. Throughout this time, the two Black women established legislative representation within a district known for its racial and socioeconomic diversity.

In this race, Sharp-Collins, has the endorsement of her predecessors, and groups like the California Black Legislative Caucus. Meanwhile, her opponent Parent has racked up an edge in campaign fundraising and has the endorsements of groups like the San Diego Police Officers Association and San Diego and Imperial Beach Labor Council.

Held at the New Seasons Church in Spring Valley and moderated by the League of Women’s Voters San Diego, the candidates took questions relating to their qualifications and policy positions on areas such as housing, transportation, homelessness, healthcare, education, infrastructure and more.

With longstanding careers in public service, both candidates hold career paths that have stakes in issues specific to education, transportation, and affordable housing.

“How will you ensure that issues facing Spring Valley and La Presa will be included in your priorities and not just focusing on issues where you have spent most of your career?” the LWV moderator asked.

Parent has served as a La Mesa Councilmember for the last nine years and is the Executive Director of Circulate San Diego, a nonprofit that focuses on public transit, walkable neighborhoods, and affordable homes. He also previously worked as a commercial litigator and attorney, served in the housing and development sector for former Governor Jerry Brown and as the Director of Policy at the San Diego Housing Commission.

“What an elected official needs to do to represent such a diversely populated area is to be extremely accessible and do a really good job of hiring people to go out and listen and make sure that I am brought into the community,” said Parent.

Meanwhile Sharp-Collins works at the San Diego County Office of Education’s Community as a  Engagement Specialist, and serves on the boards of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the San Diego NAACP, the San Diego Urban League, the Educational Enrichment System, and the Association of African American Educators. She also worked as the 79th Assembly District director for nine years when Shirley Weber held the seat.

“I bring to you nine years of experience of being the district director for our current Secretary State, Dr. Shirley Weber. As the district director, this has afforded me the opportunity to be able to already know and understand the ins and outs of this particular office,” said Sharp-Collins.

Sharp-Collin’s ties to the Weber’s and her experience as director, she says, bolsters her understanding of the concerns of housing, homelessness, reproductive freedom, and environmental and social justice within her district.

Affordable Housing, Road Repair, and Education

When asked what their plans are when it comes to protecting existing low to middle income affordable housing, both candidates agreed that more housing needs to be built, but varied on approach and vision.

Parent leaned on his policy background, stating that while housing development is needed, “we need to make sure that when we are building those homes, that we are not displacing existing residents and existing affordability.”

Sharp-Collins shared that the state needs to focus on expanding affordable housing programs, and take advantage of the amount of public land— such as working with school district properties—to build affordable housing on.

“We have alot of state property that is currently available for us to utilize to address housing and to address homelessness for us to build upon,” said Sharp-Collins.

One of Parents top priorities for District 79 is fixing the roads. If elected to this seat, he pledges to introduce a bill to hold local governments accountable when spending State funds allocated for street repair.

When asked about their thoughts on the completion of SR-125 and the freeway expansion, Sharp-Collins is in full support, saying it will ease traffic congestion and air quality issues in Spring Valley. Meanwhile, Parent says he is supportive of it, but does not believe it will fully solve the problem it intends to.

“Expanding highways is definitely not always the only solution. And in fact, when we do that, it often limits our ability to make investments in other kinds of transportation priorities,” said Parent.

In terms of pushing education equality, Sharp-Collins says that she wants to improve California grants, particularly expanding the middle class scholarship fund, and providing further resources from the state to help students with costs related to college, such as housing and books. Parent believes public universities, such as his alma mater UCSD “needs to take better account of the cost of [their] education”, adding that the debt that students are being put through is not sustainable and prohibits broad access to education.

“Please describe specific life experiences that enable you to have a depth of understanding regarding the needs of the current 79th assembly district residents represent?” one question from the audience asked.

Sharp-Collins leans on her communal roots for this.Born and raised in Southeast San Diego, she says she understands the implications of living in this district based on her own lived experiences.

“I understand the struggles of purchasing a home, the struggles of paying rent,” said Sharp-Collins. “I understand what it’s like to walk outside my door and have to look over my shoulder because I’m a woman of color .”

 Since January she has raised $263,861 for her campaign, a culmination of over 250 donors with professions ranging from, unemployed, educators, homemakers, retirees, professors and physicians. Key PAC donations she has received come from education, reproductive health, nursing, construction and trade councils, and civil rights organizations

Parent also shared a similar sentiment about his upbringing in the district and how he is a renter, and a regular transit rider.

“This district probably has the highest concentration of transit riders in the region, and I know the challenges of the bus not coming out of time, or feeling unsafe on the trolley. And these are some things that I’ve got some personal experience with, and also some experience as a policy maker and advocate to help address those things.”

Parent has raised $503,294 in campaign contributions since the start of this year, and maintains donors that range from attorneys, accountants, retirees, real estate, and consultants. Key PAC funding has come from groups with interests tied to banking, housing, labor unions, Native American tribes, and construction.

There are thirty four days until residents in district 79 will vote on their next assembly member. To learn more about each candidates stance on policies and proposals for office head to the campaign websites of: https://www.lashaeforassembly.com and https://colinparent.org