photo credit: Ballotpedia
Candidates for California’s 2nd Senate District: Damon Connolly, Tief Gibbs, and Aaron Smith.

 Continuing our coverage of the upcoming June primary election, KRCB's Shandra Back spoke with the candidates in the race for the District 2 seat in the California Senate.

That seat has been held by Healdsburg’s Mike McGuire since 2014, when he was first elected to the California State Senate.

McGuire is now running for Congress, opening the seat for three contenders.

Here’s what Democrat Damon Connolly, assembly member for District 12, tells KRCB News.

KRCB: When asked why he's running for the district two seat in the California Senate, Damon Connolly says he wants to bring his experience focusing on issues like wildlife prevention, affordable home insurance, and addressing utility rate reform to the seat.

Connolly: I've also been privileged to represent our communities for a number of years at the local level and really ran for the state legislature to be the local voice for our communities and making sure that we to our strong values around environmental protection, protecting workers, and giving people the opportunity to have access to a great education in California, as well as keeping our fiscal house in order.

KRCB: Connelly says his prior experience representing Marin and Southern Sonoma County in the state's lower house will help him hit the ground running.

Connolly: I'm running for a state senate, which is a seven-county district going up the north coast. To make sure that in these dangerous times with all the challenges we're facing, including from the federal government, that we have someone who has the proven track record and experience to get the job done from day one.

KRCB: Connolly says he's used to taking on big fights and getting things done. 

Connolly: What I am known for is the ability to represent a broad range of communities. This Senate district has some of the shall we say wealthiest areas but also poorest. It's a range of rural, suburban, and some urban communities. It's a third by the California Coast.

And above all, people know that I'm willing to listen and really truly represent the district. 

KRCB: Next to appear on the ballot is Republican Tief Gibbs, a small business co-owner and a longtime conservative activist from Novato. Gibbs says her background as a business owner, community volunteer, and former president of the Novato Republican women influences why she is running. 

Gibbs: I'm a wife, I'm a mother, and I'm a citizen of Novato and of Marin County, and it's just really important to me to run for this position. I think California is in big trouble. I have been a vocal conservative in my town. 

KRCB: She says that she's motivated by what she sees as rising costs, housing challenges, and a decline in quality of life. 

Gibbs: We've had the same people in office for years and years and years, and what we're seeing is the degradation of California.

 We're seeing horrible public safety. We're seeing people who are not being prosecuted for breaking the law. We're seeing out of control housing costs. The public safety is just horrible and it's just really important to me to try to be one of the people that makes a change in our state. 

KRCB: Gibbs says she wants people to know that she sticks to her values and won't shy away from challenges.

Gibbs: I want my children, my two adult children to be able to stay in California. I want them to be able to live here. I want them to be able to buy a house.

I want them to be able to get married. I want them to be able to send their kids to school. It's extremely important for me to leave a legacy of a better California for my kids so that they really feel like they can stay here, live here, and live their American dream here rather than having to leave because it's unaffordable and crime infested and they can't do anything because of regulation. 

KRCB: Next on the ballot is Republican Aaron Smith, a Santa Rosa school trustee and dad. Smith serves on the Mark West Union School District Board and says he focuses on practical classroom level issues. 

He says his experience as a parent shapes how he approaches public service and says his main focuses would be on financial literacy education, reducing taxes and fees, and bringing jobs back. He says the reason he's running is a bit surprising. 

Smith: This is irony of the largest type. I dislike government to an extent you wouldn't believe and here I am trying to get into government mainly because I want to reduce government.

I'm not too happy about things like property taxes, 10-cent tax I have to pay every time I get a bag the grocery store. All these things ram down my throat driving up my cost of living and I want to see those things eliminated if I possibly can. 

KRCB: Smith says one of his biggest priorities is making sure students leave school with practical financial skills.

Smith: When they exit 8th grade, I'd love for them to be able to do a 1040, not the easy but the regular 1040. I'd love for them to be able to change a tire. I'd love for them to understand what compound interest is. So for years after that, they don't get roped into insane student loans and basically become a slave for 20 or 30 years paying this back. I want them to have a good understanding of what it's going to be like when they get out there in the world and I don't want them to get crushed.

KRCB: He says he wants people to know that he is a strong believer in personal responsibility and that he strives to keep government only to the extent necessary. 

Smith: The downside is, it gets bigger and bigger as time goes on and it's been getting bigger and bigger since California became a state since the federal government came into existence and I want to see that ratcheted back quite a bit to bring freedom back to our country and our state.

All registered Sonoma County voters should have received their ballot in the mail and can drop off their completed ballot and one of Sonoma County's 23 official drop boxes until June 2nd.