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: Clarissa Cervantes
Current job title: Riverside Councilmember and Senior Strategist
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Riverside City Councilmember
City where you reside: Riverside
Campaign website or social media: ClarissaCervantes.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.)
We have to work to bring in more revenue to the state while also carefully assessing what funding needs we have across the state. Allowing our small business economy to grow, investing in the green economy and future, and lowering the cost of living will strengthen our state’s economy, bringing in additional streams of revenue.
In addition, putting people and our communities at the center of every budgetary decision will centralize our focus to the most important priorities and allow carefully assessed spending reductions. My approach is to tackle the budget from both ends: bringing in more revenue while also making fiscally responsible cuts that are necessary for our state to thrive.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
At a time when California’s most vulnerable are facing constant attacks from the national government, I think California needs to preserve the strength of its social safety net.
Preserving affordable housing, healthcare, and public education are three areas that I believe are fundamental to protecting when discussing budget cuts. Our communities must have their basic needs met in order to stay healthy and strong, therefore, I am a strong supporter of ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing and healthcare, and quality public education.
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.)
1. Expand access to affordable housing and home-ownership for working people and families. We need to make it easier to build more housing, encourage the construction of more diverse housing, and make it easier and faster to increase affordable housing opportunities. This is a top issue of concern for residents and people throughout the district and state.
2. The Inland Empire continues to teeter in the ranks of 1st or 2nd for worst air pollution in the nation. We must continue to advance policies to combat climate change to ensure we can protect people, communities, public health, and our neighborhoods.
3. Supporting oppressed, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. When our most vulnerable communities, especially our immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities, are being terrorized by the Trump administration. I believe it is incumbent upon us to stand up to protect and help those being targeted.
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.)
One of the biggest and most direct ways to improve the cost of living would be to expand affordable housing. Since housing is the most costly expense that the typical family has, we must address the housing crisis with urgency by working with cities across Assembly District 58 to identify housing locations that they are prepared to partner on and quickly build.
I will continue to fight for affordable housing projects and expand access to affordable housing at the state level as I have done on the Riverside Council. We must meet the basic needs of our communities, and it starts with having safe and secured housing.
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.)
As a state legislator, it would be my duty to protect our communities from the overreaching federal government’s attacks on our immigrant populations. I will continue to protect our immigrant communities that make up the backbone of our district. I proudly co-authored a Safe Communities resolution that was brought to the Riverside City Council to protect our residents and communities from federal immigration agents wearing masks. The language was crafted in partnership with CHIRLA, the Riverside Police Department, and other immigrant rights organizations. The resolution also included language for the city to document any civil rights violations, enforce and uphold state law, rolling out a “Know Your Rights” public education campaign, and other critical items to protect residents regardless of their citizenship status.
As a daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, I was proud to champion this effort and will always stand to protect immigrant workers and communities. I will continue to prioritize policies that serve to fund and support immigrant workers having access to healthcare, pathways to citizenship, and access to higher education.
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.)
I fully support creating a single-payer healthcare system that is funded by California. I will fight to ensure that we can get this fully across the finish line in the coming years, and also work to address disparities in our healthcare system. We need to ensure that people of color and marginalized communities are able to receive care without having high mortality rates.
I am committed to ensuring that our communities have access to affordable and high-quality healthcare. Nobody should have to sacrifice their health or the care they need because of their income.
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.)
Yes, I believe that every Californian should have access to healthcare, regardless of immigration status. When everyone is able to access the care they need, it benefits our entire community. Our workforce is stronger, our families thrive, and our kids stay healthy in our schools.
Currently, Medi-Cal is available to all eligible Californians, and in the state legislature, I will fight to continue funding levels to ensure that every single Californian has access to healthcare, no matter their immigration status.
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.)
We must continue to expand affordable housing, address the root causes of homelessness, and actively work to get our community members off the streets with the right resources and support the need to create long-term solutions.
I intend to continue the work I’ve done at the local level by working directly with developers and housing experts to get different types of housing models across the finish line. Social housing must be incorporated into the future of California if we are ever going to solve the housing crisis. By building more housing from apartments, condos, townhomes, single-family homes, ADUs, etc. we can change the market availability and affordability. We must also ensure that large corporations cannot buy up all the new housing stock, we need policy and protections in place to ensure these homes can go to working people and families.
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.)
We have to focus on getting costs down for Californians, holding oil companies accountable, and ensuring that we meet California’s climate goals. The Inland Empire has faced the very real challenges of climate change and pollution, so it has been one of my top priorities to ensure we can protect people, communities, public health, and our neighborhoods.
We can do this by holding oil companies accountable and fighting back against the corporate profits they put ahead of the state’s interests. Our people and our future generations are counting on us to take the steps to address rising costs while also thinking about long-term solutions that will protect our environment.
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.)
It’s crucial that public safety and investment in care work together. As a City Councilmember, I’ve seen that when we invest in prevention and care, such as affordable housing, youth programs, and mental health services, we reduce the need for crisis-driven law enforcement responses. We can support the work of first responders while also making strong investments in housing, education, job training, and mental health treatment. A balanced approach means using public safety resources responsibly, ensuring transparency, and focusing on making services accessible so every Californian in every neighborhood has the opportunity to thrive.
Regarding Proposition 36, I believe that we need to see investments in current or new behavioral and mental healthcare facilities, substance abuse and recovery centers, sober living spaces, and implement measures for transparency on how funding is being properly allocated to help those suffering who accept help. We have to get serious about addressing the needs of the public by responding with real implementation plans that equally have a compassionate approach.
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.)
I believe that medical decisions, like gender-affirming care for our LGBTQ+ community members, should remain between the individual, their doctors, and in some cases, additional supportive family members. As a member and proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, I will always fight to protect our community and our rights to make private medical decisions that politicians should not have a role in.
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.)
While I believe in implementing commonsense guidelines and protections for our youth when it comes to social media, I am uncertain at this time of supporting full bans. As a parent to a teenager, I believe it is critical that we protect our youth from mental health triggers, bullying, predators, and other potential dangers that exist with social media use and the current lack of AI regulation. I think part of the solution would be to create guidance and safety regulations around age restrictions, content, AI, and other areas that activate real protective measures, not blanket bans.
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.)
While artificial intelligence carries a lot of potential for innovation and efficiency, we have to think deeply about the long-term impacts on our communities, especially as we consider our workforce and climate. It is critical that while we break through new discoveries in technology, we ensure that workers are protected and given a seat at the table when it impacts them.
I am a strong believer that AI should never be used to harm or displace workers. Rather, it should be used to serve and help people where it is most needed. I’ll support laws that protect worker and patient privacy, prevent discrimination in automated decision-making, and ensure new technologies create good union jobs instead of eliminating them.
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.)
I believe it is important that we continue to fund and advocate for non-carceral solutions that aim to prevent crime, including expanded social safety net programs, behavioral health interventions, and community policing. We must also make the case to the public about how these programs will actually help keep us safe and prevent crime from occurring in the first place.
While crime is certainly a serious issue we must address as legislators, we need to focus on evidence-based crime prevention and anti-recidivism programs instead of resorting to mass incarceration that significantly harms and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown residents and communities in our state.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I am a community artist and mixed-media muralist. I am proud to have been part of several community-led mural projects in the Inland Empire that have helped beautify open spaces, bring new murals to small businesses storefronts, and helped facilitate art projects that highlight our community’s cultural diversity and powerful stories of resilience. As a Riverside Councilmember, I championed the city’s pilot Artist-In-Residency project that has employed six artists to work across the seven Wards to install community-led murals and art projects.
I proudly had four pieces displayed at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in 2024 as part of a local exhibition titled “Hecho En Park Avenue.” To have my art featured inside the only Chicano Art Museum in the world was truly a dream come true for me as a Chicana artist.