Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Wendy Carrillo
Current job title: Health Advocate / Former Assemblymember
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Assemblymember
City where you reside: Los Angeles
Campaign website or social media: wendycarrillo.com
Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
California’s budget must be balanced responsibly, but we cannot cut our way out of a deficit at the expense of working families. I believe it requires a balanced approach—strategic spending discipline paired with fair, sustainable revenue.
As an Assemblymember, I chaired the Budget Subcommittee on State Government, where I made tough decisions to fund essential services while holding departments accountable. That experience matters in moments like this.
First, we must protect core investments—healthcare, housing, public safety, and education—because cuts in these areas only deepen long-term costs, from homelessness to emergency response. At the same time, we should conduct targeted reductions by eliminating inefficiencies, duplicative programs, and unspent or misallocated funds.
Second, we must stabilize revenue by ensuring the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share and by closing loopholes that allow profitable entities to avoid contributing to the system they benefit from. We should also strengthen enforcement to reduce tax evasion.
Finally, we need long-term fiscal planning that reduces volatility, including strengthening reserve strategies and diversifying revenue sources so we are better prepared for economic downturns.
Balancing the budget is about priorities. I will always prioritize protecting working families while ensuring government is efficient, accountable, and sustainable.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Cuts that take basic care and dignity away from our most vulnerable residents are a non-starter.
That includes In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), children’s health programs, Medi-Cal, food banks, diaper banks, and universal school meals. These are not optional line items—they are lifelines. IHSS keeps seniors and people with disabilities safely in their homes and out of far more costly institutional care. Medi-Cal is a shared federal-state program, meaning cuts don’t just hurt patients—they forfeit federal funding and destabilize our healthcare system.
Food insecurity is a reality for too many families, and for many children, school meals are the only dependable source of nutrition. A child who is hungry cannot focus, cannot thrive, and cannot learn.
We also cannot fall behind on making our schools climate-ready. As extreme heat becomes more common, cooling classrooms and greening school campuses is about health, safety, and the ability of students to learn. Children cannot focus in unsafe, overheated environments.
As a former Budget Subcommittee Chair, I’ve made tough decisions. But a responsible budget reflects our values. We should target waste and inefficiency—not the programs that keep people healthy, housed, and able to succeed.
Protecting these investments is not just compassionate—it’s fiscally responsible.
What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
California families are facing a cost-of-living crisis that touches every part of daily life. The three most pressing issues are healthcare access, affordable housing, and overall affordability.
First, healthcare. Costs are rising, coverage is under threat, and too many families are struggling to get the care they need. With repeated attempts to weaken the Affordable Care Act, Californians are losing confidence in a system driven by profit instead of care. That’s why support for single-payer is growing—and why California must lead with solutions that expand access and bring down costs. We must protect and strengthen Medi-Cal, grow our healthcare workforce, and invest in community-based providers delivering culturally competent care.
Second, affordable housing. There is a clear difference between building housing and building affordable housing. Much of the new construction in Los Angeles is market-rate or luxury, and too many of those units sit empty while families struggle to stay in their homes. We are also losing historic community spaces like Taix French Restaurant in Echo Park, where residents have raised concerns about developments that do not reflect community needs. We must prioritize truly affordable and workforce housing, protect tenants, and ensure development benefits the people who already live here.
Third, the broader affordability crisis—families are being squeezed by the rising cost of food, utilities, childcare, and transportation. We must protect and expand the programs families rely on every day—like universal school meals, childcare, and workforce development—while creating pathways to good-paying jobs.
As a former Assemblymember, I’ve delivered results in all three areas. In the State Senate, I will continue fighting for practical solutions that lower costs, protect families, and ensure California remains a place where working people can afford to live and thrive.
What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I would champion a comprehensive affordability agenda that lowers costs where families feel it most—starting with housing.
That means prioritizing the production of truly affordable housing, not just market-rate development. I support repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and the Ellis Act. Costa-Hawkins limits the ability of cities to enact strong rent control by exempting newer buildings and allowing rents to reset to market rate after tenants move out. As long as it remains in place, California cannot implement meaningful statewide rent stabilization or rent caps. The Ellis Act has been used to evict tenants by allowing units to be removed from the rental market, often to convert them into higher-profit uses.
At the same time, California must restore a stable, ongoing funding source for affordable housing. For decades, redevelopment funding allowed local governments to reinvest property tax growth back into their communities, with at least 20 percent dedicated to affordable housing. When redevelopment agencies were eliminated in 2011 during the budget crisis, California lost one of its most reliable sources of affordable housing funding—and it has never been fully replaced. We need to reestablish a permanent funding mechanism so communities can build and preserve housing at the scale this crisis demands.
I would also focus on lowering everyday costs—expanding access to childcare, protecting universal school meals, and strengthening pathways to good-paying jobs.
Some of these changes would have an immediate impact, while others will take time—but families cannot afford to wait.
There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The state has a responsibility to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all residents—regardless of immigration status—especially when federal actions undermine constitutional protections.
There is more the state can and must do. In 2021, I authored the Vision Act, which would have ended cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, except in cases involving serious crimes, and stopped the dual punishment of non-citizens who had already served their time. It failed in the Senate by just three votes. A narrower version that followed was later vetoed by the Governor. We were ahead of our time—and we knew what was coming.
We must also strengthen protections in sensitive spaces like polling locations, schools, and healthcare facilities so people are not intimidated or prevented from accessing basic rights and services.
The state has no business doing the work of the federal government—especially when that federal government is greenlighting the targeting and detention of working people and children without due process. These actions raise serious constitutional and human rights concerns.
I do not support increased coordination with federal immigration enforcement. The role of the state is to uphold the Constitution, protect civil liberties, and ensure local resources are used to keep communities safe—not to carry out the terrorizing of our communities.
Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Healthcare costs are rising because too many decisions in our system are driven by profit—not patients. To lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs, we need to take on the root causes.
As families face medical debt and even bankruptcy due to the cost of care, there is growing public interest in a single-payer model (often referred to as Medicare for All) as a way to reduce costs and guarantee coverage. California should continue exploring solutions that bring down costs, increase transparency, and ensure people can access care without financial hardship.
In the immediate term, we must protect and strengthen Medi-Cal, cap out-of-pocket costs for families, and increase oversight of premium hikes so insurers are held accountable. We should also expand the state’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices and use bulk purchasing to lower costs on essential medications.
We must invest in community-based, mission-driven healthcare providers that deliver preventive and culturally competent care. When people have access to early and consistent care, we reduce expensive emergency visits and improve long-term outcomes.
Finally, growing and diversifying the healthcare workforce will increase access and reduce wait times, especially in underserved communities.
Californians deserve a system that lowers costs, improves access, and puts people first.
Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I believe healthcare is a human right, and access to care should not depend on immigration status. When people are excluded from coverage, they delay care until it becomes an emergency—driving up costs for everyone and straining an already fragile healthcare system.
I support expanding coverage through Medi-Cal so more low-income residents, including those who are not citizens, can access preventive and primary care. As an Assemblymember, I co-authored and supported the expansion of Medi-Cal to undocumented seniors, helping make California the first state in the nation to extend coverage to residents age 50 and over, regardless of immigration status.
Funding must be stable and sustainable. While serving in the Legislature, I supported the Managed Care Organization (MCO) tax—a fee on health plans that helps fund Medi-Cal and allows California to draw down additional federal matching dollars.
This is a proven model of how we can leverage industry contributions to expand coverage and lower costs.
We should continue building on that approach by increasing accountability, reducing waste, and requiring large healthcare corporations and insurers to reinvest in the system—through insurer taxes, stronger oversight, and transparency in how healthcare dollars are spent.
We must also strengthen community-based clinics that serve uninsured populations and deliver culturally competent care.
Failing to expand access does not save money—it shifts costs and leaves families without care.
As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Preventing homelessness starts with keeping people housed. That means focusing on both affordability and stability.
For renters, we must strengthen protections by repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and the Ellis Act so communities can enact meaningful rent stabilization and prevent displacement. We should also expand rental assistance, right-to-counsel programs, and protections against unjust evictions so families are not pushed into homelessness in the first place.
We also have to be honest: we cannot criminalize our way out of homelessness. There are different realities within this crisis—individuals who are chronically homeless and need mental health and supportive services, families living paycheck to paycheck on the verge of losing their homes, and tenants being displaced when landlords use the Ellis Act to remove rent-stabilized units from the market. Each requires a tailored response grounded in prevention, care, and housing stability.
California has become a state where too many families can no longer afford to live. Corporations are buying up residential housing, paying cash, and turning entire neighborhoods into renter markets. That is not a housing strategy—it’s greed. We must pursue bold solutions like social housing to create permanently affordable homes and ensure housing is treated as a public good.
For homeowners, especially first-time buyers, we need targeted assistance—down payment support, access to low-interest loans, and protections against predatory lending.
To expedite projects, we should streamline approvals for affordable housing, reduce delays, and invest in infrastructure—without weakening environmental or labor standards.
Preventing homelessness requires urgency and smart policy that keeps people housed and builds housing people can actually afford.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Californians deserve protection from price gouging, but they also deserve policies that actually lower costs while advancing our climate goals.
I did not support the Governor’s approach because it was rushed and risked making an already fragile energy market more volatile—driving up costs for families without delivering a clear path to lowering emissions. When refineries that represent a significant share of California’s capacity signal potential shutdowns, that has real consequences for supply and prices at the pump. The California Energy Commission’s decision to pause penalties reflects that reality. The Governor appoints all five members of the Commission, and both his office and the CEC have since reversed course—highlighting the need for more thoughtful, stable policymaking.
California operates in a unique position. We produce some of the cleanest gasoline in the world, but we are also largely isolated from the national fuel supply. As global instability grows—including conflict in the Middle East—we must be thoughtful about increasing dependence on imported crude and foreign supply chains.
In the Legislature, I worked to create a fund for displaced refinery workers because California cannot move toward a cleaner economy without a real plan to support workers and communities through that transition—especially during a housing and affordability crisis.
We need a balanced, responsible transition. California should continue to lead on climate by investing in clean energy and reducing emissions, while ensuring energy remains reliable and affordable. Climate progress and affordability must go hand in hand.
In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Accountability and treatment must go hand in hand. If we want safer communities, we have to invest in solutions that address the root causes of addiction and mental health challenges.
Voters approved Proposition 36 because they want accountability, but also outcomes. Treatment must be available, accessible, and effective—otherwise we are simply recycling people through the system without addressing the root causes.
I led efforts to secure $50 million for Los Angeles General Hospital to seismically retrofit and modernize the historic facility, expanding mental health beds and creating the capacity needed to get people off the streets and into treatment. I also served on the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, where I worked to ensure behavioral health is treated with the same urgency as overall healthcare access.
We must continue investing in community-based treatment, mental health services, and diversion programs that connect people to care instead of defaulting to incarceration. That includes expanding treatment beds and supporting culturally competent providers.
Equally important is accountability. Funding must come with clear metrics, regular reporting, and independent oversight to ensure programs are reducing recidivism and improving long-term outcomes.
Public safety and public health must go hand in hand—and that requires sustained investment in treatment that works.
What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The state has a responsibility to ensure that all residents—regardless of who they are—can access safe, medically appropriate care without fear or discrimination. That includes protecting access to gender-affirming care for LGBTQ+ Californians.
As an Assemblymember, I authored AB 665 in collaboration with the Children’s Partnership to strengthen access to outpatient mental health services for young people—particularly those facing trauma, homelessness, or family instability. It ensures adolescents, including those questioning their identity, can access mental health counselors in safe, appropriate settings, while also creating opportunities for parent engagement. Importantly, AB 665 is about parity. Under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 543 (2008) established these protections for adolescents with private insurance. AB 665 ensures young people on Medi-Cal have the same access to care.
I also authored AB 2119 (2022), a priority for Equality California and Planned Parenthood, to strengthen protections for patients and providers seeking gender-affirming care and ensure California remains a safe place to access care. While it was vetoed by the Governor, the need for those protections remains.
The state must continue to set clear standards that protect patients and providers, ensure coverage, and hold systems accountable for delivering equitable care. No one should be denied healthcare because of who they are.
California must also lead nationally by protecting patients and providers as other states move to restrict care.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Social media is a powerful tool—but it is not neutral. It can connect people to community and support, but it can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem when left unchecked.
Research reflects that complexity. Studies, including work by Born This Way Foundation, show young people use online spaces to find connection and identity, especially LGBTQ+ youth, while also facing real mental health challenges. At the same time, many report that social media negatively affects their well-being. And while this conversation often focuses on young people, adults are also increasingly falling victim to misinformation, manipulation, and harmful content online.
Tech companies have introduced safety tools, but these measures are inconsistent and often secondary to keeping users engaged.
As artificial intelligence becomes more common, new risks are emerging. Young people—and adults—may interact with AI platforms without fully understanding they are not speaking to a real person. These tools can provide misleading or harmful responses, which is especially dangerous for people who may be vulnerable.
The state has a responsibility to step in when people are being harmed. That means setting clear guardrails: requiring AI platforms to disclose they are not human, strengthening protections for minors, limiting harmful content, and holding companies accountable when their products cause harm.
We must also invest in digital literacy and expand access to mental health services so people can navigate these platforms safely. Technology should support our well-being—not put it at risk.
Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work and live, and California should lead—but leadership means ensuring innovation strengthens people, not replaces them.
AI should be a tool to support human work, not eliminate it. It can help an artist create more efficiently, but it should not replace the artist. It can help manage an office, but it should not replace the office manager. The goal must be to enhance productivity and creativity—not displace workers or devalue human skill.
AI also doesn’t pay taxes, shop in our local businesses, support local economies, pay rent, or send kids to our public schools. It relies on massive infrastructure—data centers that consume significant amounts of energy and water, resources already under strain in California. Regulation must address not just how AI is used, but its broader economic and environmental impact.
We are already seeing the impact in the entertainment industry. AI-generated actors and content are not real, and they risk diluting creative work while undermining jobs in an industry already losing production out of state.
Many tech companies are beginning to develop safeguards like content labeling, internal review processes, and tools to detect misuse. That progress matters, but it cannot replace clear, enforceable standards.
That’s why we need clear priorities: protect workers with human oversight, invest in workforce training, and set rules for responsible innovation—including accountability, privacy protections, and environmental standards.
California can lead in AI by supporting innovation while ensuring it strengthens our workforce, our economy, and our communities.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
While violent crime may be declining, people’s sense of safety is shaped by what they experience every day—and right now, too many families do not feel safe in their own communities.
That feeling comes from multiple factors. It includes visible homelessness and encampments in public spaces, but also something more fundamental: whether help shows up when it’s needed. When someone is witnessing or experiencing a crime, they should trust that first responders will arrive. When someone is having a heart attack, help should come quickly.
Delays in emergency response erode public confidence and leave people feeling vulnerable.
Across many of our neighborhoods, we are experiencing the reality of ICE operations creating fear and instability. When people are detained in public spaces, families become afraid to go to work, send their children to school, or seek help when they need it. That fear does not make communities safer.
My role as a legislator is to strengthen both systems—public safety and public health. That means ensuring first responders and emergency systems—including unarmed response—are properly staffed, resourced, and accountable so response times meet the urgency families expect.
I believe public safety starts with keeping families healthy and housed. When people are healthy, they prosper and thrive. When people are sick or struggling, life can become unstable—often leading to crisis if support is not there. That’s why we must expand mental health services, substance use treatment, and supportive housing.
From East Los Angeles to the Northeast, from Downtown Los Angeles to Koreatown, families across Senate District 26 deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, parks, and on their way to school.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I can carry a tune. If you invite me to karaoke, I will show up, sign up, and rock out to a song or two. I may not always remember where I put my keys—and yes, I’ve used my phone’s flashlight to look for my phone, only to realize it’s in my hand—but for some reason, I know all the lyrics to ’90s classics like “Shoop,” “Jump Around,” “Insane in the Brain,” and “Zombie.” I can also croon to a good country song, especially George Strait, and belt out “Crazy” by Aerosmith—my favorite band of all time—and plenty of songs in Spanish, from Selena to Ramón Ayala.
I guess I can relate to that Saturday Night Live character who says, “Don’t make me sing!”—because I will… and I know my cue. Haha.