Sonora, CA — A group of local residents met with Senate candidate Alexandra Duarte at a coffee shop in Sonora, one of several stops in District Four this week.
Duarte, a Republican, is facing Democrat Jaron Brandon in the November election. She has been traveling the district making “Lower Cost” stops, highlighting the escalating costs of living and doing business in the state.
Duarte, who resides in the Modesto area, stated afterwards, “I’m running for Senate because California has become completely unaffordable. As a mom, it breaks my heart. I am so grateful to everyone who took time to come to my cost of living town hall in Sonora and share their stories of how sky-high gas, grocery, and insurance costs are hurting their families. In Sacramento, I will work every day to bring down costs.”
Among concerns expressed by the Sonora group on Monday were fire protection, fire insurance (specifically struggles with the California Fair Plan), unfunded mandates, cost of living, a lack of representation in Sacramento, and a lack of understanding of what it means to live and work in rural places like Tuolumne County by some elected officials around the state.
Duarte stressed the importance of connecting with other lawmakers on common ground by emphasizing the importance of protecting families and children. In addition to Sonora, the Duarte team is visiting areas like San Andreas, Jackson, and Mariposa, as part of the “Lower Cost” stops, along with several communities in the Central Valley.
