Congressman DeSaulnier endorses Bonilla in special election to fill his vacant State Senate seat
Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla announced on Tuesday that her special election campaign for State Senate has received the endorsement of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, whose election to Congress in November triggered the special election to fill his seat.
“Throughout her service to our community – as a teacher, Mayor, County Supervisor, and State Assemblymember – Susan has shown an unmatched ability to bring people together, create common-sense solutions, tackle the toughest issues, and deliver results,” said DeSaulnier. “Susan Bonilla is the best candidate to represent us in the State Senate. Our communities and the state will benefit greatly from her leadership.”
DeSaulnier held the 7th State Senate seat since 2008.
“I’m deeply honored to have Congressman DeSaulnier’s support,” Bonilla said. “He is an outstanding public servant who has set a high standard and has already become a dynamic new member of Congress. In the Senate, I will look to his example and continue his fight to improve our transportation system and protect our environment, while always putting middle-class and working families first.
His endorsement continues the growing list of endorsements that have gone to Bonilla over the course of recent weeks, including former U.S. Representative and Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, California Department of Forestry Firefighters, Dublin Mayor David Haubert, and Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. Since announcing for State Senate in November, Bonilla has earned the support of:
CALFIRE Local 2881
Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs Association
Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney’s Association
Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County
United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, Local 1230
Concord Police Association
Livermore Police Officer’s Association
Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Trades Local 16
Ironworkers Local 378
Probation Peace Officers Association of Contra Costa County
Congresswoman and Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher (ret.)
Assemblymember Jim Frazier
Assemblymember Tony Thurmond
Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez
Assemblymember Richard Bloom
Assemblymember Roger Hernandez
Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez
Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston
Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer
Antioch Mayor Wade Harper
Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson
Antioch Councilmember Tony Tiscareno
Clayton Councilmember Julie Pierce
Concord Mayor Tim Grayson
Concord Treasurer Thomas Wentling
Concord Councilmember Dan Helix
Concord Councilmember Laura Hoffmeister
Danville Mayor Robert Storer
Danville Councilmember Newell Arnerich
Dublin Mayor David Haubert
Dublin Councilmember Abe Gupta
Pittsburg Mayor Sal Evola
Pittsburg Councilmember Pete Longmire
Pittsburg Councilmember Ben Johnson
Pittsburg Councilmember Nancy Parent
Ambrose Parks Board Chair Mae Cendaña Torlakson
Ambrose Parks Board Member Judy Dawson
Ambrose Parks Board Member Eva Garcia
Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla is a former high school teacher, mayor and county supervisor, who has worked to strengthen neighborhood schools and protect public safety services, while successfully working to balance the state budget.
Prior to her election to the State Assembly in 2010, Bonilla served as a Contra Costa County Supervisor and as the Mayor of Concord – the largest community in the State Senate District. While serving her local community, Bonilla built and expanded job-training programs and job creation efforts that successfully helped residents get back to work during the recession.
In the State Assembly, she has consistently worked to invest in public education, strengthen neighborhood schools, and improve access to college and job-training programs for local students. Bonilla balanced budgets by not spending what we don’t have – remaining committed to reducing our debt burden – while protecting vital services like education and public safety from drastic budget cuts.
Susan Bonilla has shown steadfast leadership in protecting early childhood education programs – saving transitional kindergarten, which gives young learners the foundations they need for success. Bonilla was the author of legislation that: expanded health care access for women, created the highest safety standards for California industrial sites while protecting manufacturing jobs, and provided more tools for law enforcement to keep our communities safe.
In her most recent term in office, Bonilla led legislative efforts to streamline education funding, giving local schools more control, make college more affordable, improve academic standards, modernize school curriculums, and secure $1 billion for training and technology to prepare students to succeed in a job market that demands problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Prior to serving in public office, Susan was an English teacher in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. She has a B.A. in English from Azusa Pacific University and teaching credentials from CSU Los Angeles. Susan resides in Concord with her husband, John. They have four daughters and three grandchildren.
State Senate District 7 includes the cities of Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Oakley, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin, as well as many other communities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
To learn more, please visit www.susanbonilla.com.
