Voter Guide: Where do SLO County candidates for Congress stand on issues?

The primary election is less than a week away, and six candidates are competing for two seats to represent San Luis Obispo County in the United States House of Representatives.

The northern portion of the county, from Atascadero, Cayucos and above, is in District 19 with parts of Santa Cruz, Monterey and Santa Clara counties. The southern part of the county is in District 24 with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

In District 19, software engineer Sean Dougherty and small business owner Jason Anderson are challenging Democrat incumbent Jimmy Panetta. Dougherty, a Santa Cruz resident, is a member of the Green Party. Anderson, a Republican, owns Ace Auto Care in Atascadero.

In District 24, public school teacher Helena Pasquarella and campaign data analyst Thomas Cole are challenging Democrat incumbent Salud Carbajal.

Pasquarella, a Democrat, is the director at the Ojai-based grassroots organization U.S. Department of Peace. Cole, a Republican from Montecito, founded the election data research company 805 Analytics.

The top two vote-getters for each race will progress to the November general election, when voters will select their official representative.

The Tribune sent the candidates a survey asking about a variety of issues — from how to support working parents to how to address the fentanyl crisis. Some responses have been edited for length, clarity and accuracy.

Here’s what the candidates said:

District 19: Jimmy Panetta, Sean Dougherty and Jason Anderson

Note: Anderson did not respond to multiple Tribune requests to participate in the survey.

Who are your top 3 campaign contributors?

Dougherty: “Green Party of the United States ($600), Santa Cruz for Bernie ($500) and individual residents of the district ($500 each)“

Panetta: “I am proud that my top donors are individual supporters, and I am honored by the large number of small donors to my campaign. I have one donor who sends a check for $5 every year. I am humbled by that type of grassroots support and am proud of the network of people who support my service to my constituents in the 19th Congressional District.”

What is the most important issue facing your district today?

Dougherty: “The No. 1 problem is cost of living, particularly housing. There are many reasons for our high rates of inflation, but one of the main factors is corporate greed. A recent Guardian article reported that 53% of inflation last year was due to corporate profits, not a rise in input costs. I would support the creation of a windfall profit tax that would penalize such profiteering. To address the housing crisis, I would support the creation of a social housing program in which rent is scaled to a person’s income (for example 30% of income). I would fund this by cutting our military budget by 50%. Rather than being complicit in genocide and destruction, we should spend our money on care and services at home.”

Panetta: “California’s 19th Congressional District is one of the most desirable places in the country to live, but unfortunately lacks an adequate supply of affordable housing. As the federal representative for this place that I always have called home, I am working to secure federal funding and pass federal legislation to help ensure that others can make their home here. In my limited time in Congress, I have secured millions in federal funding for projects and programs to assist my constituents with housing and homelessness, including from community development block grants, HUD-VASH, continuum of care, Section 8, emergency solutions grants, project based vouchers, McKinney-Vento Act funding and more. I have authored, supported, and passed federal legislation to incentivize more affordable housing, including bills that would increase tax credits for the development of more low-income and middle-income housing, create a first-time home buyer’s tax credit, provide tax credits for renters, increase the capital gains exception on home sales and expand the use of project-based vouchers so more people can access affordable housing.”

Do you support the development of offshore wind energy in your district?

Dougherty: “The science is clear: We need to stop all fossil fuel extraction in the US by 2030. To that end, I support investment in publicly owned renewable energy infrastructure, including solar and wind power. We need an energy infrastructure that responds to the needs of our communities and prioritizes ecosystem health and safety rather than profit, and we cannot rely on the market to respond to the urgency of the need. As with any major infrastructure project, the development of offshore wind turbines needs to take into account the short- and long-term environmental impacts of construction and the concerns of impacted communities. The development of renewable energy needs to be paired with strategies that reduce energy consumption across sectors.”

Panetta: “California’s 19th Congressional District is the most beautiful district in the nation. However, with that great beauty comes great responsibility to protect, promote and preserve our environment. That is why I support developing clean energy in order to fulfill our obligation without sacrificing or threatening our beauty, economy and wildlife and protects the coasts, fisheries and Tribal and cultural resources. Although the Offshore Wind Project is slated to be developed in the 24th Congressional District off of Morro Bay, and not in the 19th Congressional District, I support it. Since the project is planned to be in his congressional district, Representative Salud Carbajal understandably will continue to lead on the offshore wind project. However, I look forward to working with him to advance the project as wind holds substantial potential to power two million homes in California, combat the negative effects of climate change and create economic opportunity for the region, including for my constituents in the 19th Congressional District. Rep. Carbajal and I are co-chairs of the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives that focuses on finding bipartisan solutions addressing the offshore wind energy’s challenges, promoting workforce development and advocating for policies strengthening our economy and improving our environment. We also are members of the Offshore Wind Working Group that coordinates federal, state and local partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy and California Energy Commission. I also am the co-lead of the American Offshore Wind Act that would allow Congress to be better informed on offshore wind development. As the federal review process moves forward, I remain committed to the project and want to ensure that everybody is at the table during the project’s development, including local fishermen and, especially, my constituents of the 19th Congressional District.”

What can be done to improve the reliability of health care for veterans in your district?

Dougherty: “We should improve healthcare for everyone in the district via Medicare for All.”

Panetta: “As a former officer in the U.S. Navy who served in the war in Afghanistan, I recognize the sacrifices and service of our military men and women and their families. That is why throughout my time in Congress, one of the most bipartisan productive issues that we have worked on is ensuring that those who served and their families receive proper healthcare. Recently, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law the bipartisan Honoring Our Pact (PACT) Act. That legislation adds new presumptive health conditions for toxic exposure including radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War toxins and burn pit exposures. Eligibility to file health claims related to the PACT Act’s expansion of benefits and relief went into effect immediately after Biden signed the legislation into law in 2022. I would like to see veterans’ enrollment increase in the 19th Congressional District and have hosted roundtables and open events throughout the district to encourage veterans to learn more about the PACT Act and sign up in order to apply for benefits, including potentially thousands of dollars in backdated compensation.”

How would you support working parents while in office?

Dougherty: “We need three months of guaranteed paid family leave at the arrival of a new child, and universal, high-quality childcare from three months until kindergarten. We need to invest in education from kindergarten through to college, providing high quality public education at all levels.”

Panetta: “As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I am able to work on and pass federal legislation that directly affects working families. A recent example of our leadership on our support for working families is the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. This bipartisan bill would make it easier for more low- and middle-income families to qualify for a federal child tax credit of up to $2,000 per child by 2025. The bill particularly benefits families with multiple children by phasing in the portion of the credit that families with limited tax liability can take more quickly for each additional child. Importantly, the bill indexes the credit for inflation. These expansions to the CTC will lift 400,000 kids out of poverty and benefit 16 million children in its first year. Last fall, I was proud to secure significant amounts of federal funding for Head Start and Early Head Start services in the 19th District to support children’s growth from birth to age five through services centered around early learning and development, health and family well-being. These high-quality services are provided in safe and healthy settings that prepare children for school and life while also helping parents manage the high cost of living which is making it difficult to find and afford reasonable child care services.”

Do you support a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza? Should the United States change the amount of military funding it sends to Israel?

Dougherty: “Yes, I support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We must stop sending military support to Israel. Our continued military aid to Israel during its siege of Gaza will quite possibly lead to a charge of complicity in genocide under the United Nations’ Genocide Convention.”

Panetta: “Just three days after Oct. 7, I was a part of the first congressional delegation to go into Israel to demonstrate our concern and condolences after the bloodthirsty attack by Hamas. Just over three months later as the war marks its 100th day, it was imperative to return to the region to express our sustained support for Israel and our allies, as well as put pressure on them to continue their negotiations for a quick and peaceful resolution to this very complex and difficult conflict. We stressed the importance of balancing Israel’s security interests with the need to protect Gazan civilians. We advocated for pinpoint and targeted operations as Israel defends itself by removing Hamas leadership and an increase of humanitarian aid in Gaza. And finally, we discussed ways in which we can find a clear pathway for long-term stability and peace in the region, including a two-state solution. As my constituents have experienced throughout my limited time as their United States Representative, I act rather than solely act outraged. That is why I went to the region again and can sit down and have the necessary, credible and tough conversations with the leaders of those countries.”

How would you address fentanyl trafficking?

Dougherty: “We must address the underlying economic conditions that lead to diseases of despair. Focusing on the symptoms, like drug trafficking, will not solve the problem (our War on Drugs has failed for decades) and will only punish those who are already struggling. I propose investing in mental health services, housing, education and raising the minimum wage.”

Panetta: “I am addressing this issue head-on by authoring the bipartisan and bicameral Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. I wrote this legislation in response to the proliferation of the xylazine-adulterated fentanyl known as “tranq” or the “zombie drug.” Xylazine is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl, which is now responsible for increasing fatal overdoses nationwide. I have worked closely with Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate as well as with federal agency partners, veterinarians and cattlemen to carefully craft my bill that would schedule xylazine under the Controlled Substances Act in order to restrict its potential for abuse. I co-authored The Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act of 2023 to provide states with significant grant funding through the Department of Health and Human Services to educate children and provide training and naloxone to teachers and school employees in order to save lives. Lastly, we must address security at our Southern Border, which is the entry point for most of the fentanyl smuggled into the United States.”

District 24: Salud Carbajal, Helena Pasquarella and Thomas Cole

Who are your top 3 campaign contributors?

Carbajal: “The majority of my campaign contributors are families and individuals who live here on the Central Coast. I’m also proud to have the support of the unions and union workers who make our country run, including the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, the Carpenters and Joiners Union and the American Federation of Labor.”

Cole: “Republicans.”

Pasquarella: “Nuri Ronaghy, Alan Shorb and Barry Price.”

What is the most important issue facing your district today?

Carbajal: My No. 1 priority continues to be lowering the cost of living for Central Coast middle-class families. I’ve helped create new laws that are lowering the costs of prescription drugs, health care premiums and home energy bills, but I know there is more work to be done. That’s why I’ve backed legislation to cut the costs of child care, housing, healthcare, gas and home energy and other essentials your family relies on. In Congress, I fight to lower costs for working class families because I understand these challenges personally. My father worked the fields in Oxnard and our family lived in public housing. I focused on my education and worked my way through UC Santa Barbara, and served my country in the Marine Corps Reserves. I worked hard to get ahead and build a better life for my family, and I am committed to making sure that same opportunity is attainable for all who are willing to put in the hard work.”

Cole: “Carbajal’s open borders policy is hurting everyone. Housing is filled to the max, schools are overcrowded, hospitals, jails, healthcare for our veterans and welfare are all being taken from citizens to pay for Carbajal’s open border policy. Eight million people in three years; that’s the population of Ohio, all flooded into our nation without documents.” (Editor’s note: According to fact-checking organization PolitiFact, November 2023 data showed that immigration officials have encountered migrants 8.1 million times during President Joe Biden’s term in office. That represents events, however, not people. Rather, there have been about 2.3 million people released into the U.S. under Biden’s administration, according to Department of Homeland Security data.)

Pasquarella: “Affordable housing, healthcare and the ongoing increase in the cost of living. First and foremost, we need to cut our military budget from $877 billion a year and use the peace dividend to fund social programs at home. We cannot continue to spend our taxes on death and destruction abroad and neglect our own citizens. This foreign policy is not working and is only making our social problems worse. We need to invest in affordable housing for all, especially the most vulnerable in our society. The situation of the unhoused in our communities is unacceptable. Healthcare also needs to be affordable. Studies have found that the Affordable Care Act is less affordable for middle class families. Our taxes would be better spent on healthcare rather than on funding 800 military bases in 80 countries around the world.” (Editor’s note: As of 2021, the United States operated about 750 military bases around the world, according to Al Jazeera.)

Do you support the development of offshore wind energy in your district?

Carbajal: “Since I came to Congress, I have been working to bring together stakeholders from the federal government all the way through to our local communities to bridge the challenges that come with making Morro Bay the future site of the West Coast’s first offshore wind farm. I believe that making the Central Coast a leader in clean energy will create jobs and keep our region on the cutting edge of emerging industries that will bring prosperity to our region for decades to come. I will continue to work in Congress to ensure we address local concerns and get consistent community input on the development of this project while continuing our commitment to transition away from polluting fossil fuels to curb the already terrible effects of climate change.”

Cole: “No to windmills. Windmills produce little energy, work only sometimes, look terrible, are costly to maintain and repair and cannot be disposed of, with all the toxic lithium and fiberglass they contain.”

Pasquarella: “Yes, I strongly support the development of renewable offshore wind energy in our district. First and foremost, there are no scientifically supported adverse health impacts from wind turbines. In addition, an average wind farm creates about 4,300 jobs and adds $702 million to a state’s economy (in the case of New Jersey). These are high-skilled, well paying jobs that cannot be outsourced. Creating a low-carbon manufacturing supply chain will add jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and materials. Of course, the environmental impact on marine life and birds must also be considered when deciding where to locate the farms. We must divest from the traditional fossil fuel based economy and look towards a future that relies on renewable clean energy that works with our environment, not against it. The Central Coast could be a model for renewable energy alternatives to other states and countries world wide.”

What can be done to improve the reliability of health care for veterans in your district?

Carbajal: “As a veteran myself, I understand what our nation promises our service members when they commit to protecting our nation. I want to ensure we are keeping that promise for every veteran, including the thousands that call the Central Coast home. I was a proud co-sponsor of the largest expansion of veterans benefits in a generation, which since it was signed into law in 2022 has already helped 700 Central Coast veterans get additional health benefits and screenings for toxic exposures during their military service. I’m pushing for legislation in Congress that will improve the quality of care that veterans receive. In addition, I’ve stepped up repeatedly in the past few years to get the Veterans Affairs and our veterans advocates in a room together to sort out difficulties with veterans’ care, and I’m not afraid to be a squeaky wheel if it means helping a veteran in our community get better care from our government.”

Cole: “Stop spending $200 billion in Ukraine on a war that has killed 600,000 young men. Carbajal voted for all that war expense and death and debt, and it put millions in new debt onto the voters of the 24th District. Instead, stop the endless overseas wars and approve $100 million for local veteran housing. Local veteran healthcare. Give them vouchers. Give them dignity. Return the other $100 million to taxpayers who foot the bills for this nation.” (Editor’s note: Congress has allocated about $113 billion in various types of aid to Ukraine since 2022, according to the Department of Defense. Additionally, The New York Times reported in August that the total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops that had been killed or wounded since the conflict began was approaching 500,000.)

However, the Kiel Institute states U.S. spending on all categories of aid has reached around $77 billion, not $200 billion, enacted across four bills since February 2022.

In total, Congress has allocated $113 billion in a combination of mostly military, government, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since last year, according to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.

Pasquarella: “Funding, funding, funding. As I mentioned before, the pentagon’s annual $877 billion war budget needs to be cut. We should dedicate the peace dividend to our servicemen and woman who are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of their service in the military. It is estimated more than 30,000 veterans who have served since 9/11 have committed suicide. According to the militaryveteranproject.org, 22 veterans a day are succumbing to suicide on American soil. This emotional and spiritual cost of war is not being considered when the government is sending our men and women to risk their lives while they engage in death and destruction abroad. The families of soldiers also need to be supported as they experience the trauma of being separated from their loved ones. Let us put a stop to this cycle of death and destruction and use these warriors to create a better society at home.”

How would you support working parents while in office?

Carbajal: “Working parents are the backbone of the Central Coast’s economy and its communities. That’s why I’m working in Congress to pass legislation that lowers the costs of working full time while caring for one of our region’s next generation. This term in Congress, I wrote bipartisan legislation that has been endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce to increase access to affordable quality childcare. I am also a supporter of bipartisan tax reforms that will increase the Child Tax Credit and index it to inflation for years to come.

Cole: “I proposed a $100,000 married-with-children tax break to help working parents, to support marriage between a man and a woman, to help promote a stable home for children and to support the creation of generational family wealth, which is the backbone of American greatness.”

Pasquarella: “One of the main investments I would like to see from the peace dividend would be to invest in families. We should offer every family one year of maternity leave after having a child. I personally saw this policy work in Germany where I lived for six months and noticed that children there were happier and calmer than children here. I also noticed this type of correlation in my mother’s homeland of Brazil, where mothers automatically have six months of maternity leave after they have a child. The United States is one of just a few countries in the world with no national paid leave of any kind. This federal policy failure leaves more than 100 million people — 80% of U.S. workers — without paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child. In addition, about one in 14 workers each year needs leave but does not take it, most often because they cannot afford to take unpaid leave. Additionally, we must make affordable childcare a priority. Our government needs to provide subsidies for families so that they do not have to struggle with the burden of paying for quality childcare.”

Do you support a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza? Should the United States change the amount of military funding it sends to Israel?

Carbajal: “I support the work that the United States government is doing with its regional partners to bring about a renewed ceasefire in Gaza, one that both sees the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and increased humanitarian aid to those who are facing dire conditions as the fighting continues between Israel and the terrorists who launched the horrific Oct. 7 attack. I believe we should not stop at a ceasefire, we need to support the region in a way that can get us back on track to a lasting peace and a sustainable two-state solution. That comes from ensuring that civilians are protected, that international law is followed and that military actions are limited to defending civilians and rooting out those responsible for breaking the ceasefires that started and have continued this conflict.”

Cole: “The United States should have nothing to do with granting Israel permission to defend itself. We are not Israel’s keeper. Israel does not need our permission. The Abraham Accords were working until Hamas led its attack on Israel, likely to derail the Abraham Accords. In Congress, the most important, No. 1 job is controlling where money is spent. That congressional job requires an accountant’s wary eye, the quick wisdom of Solomon, with the pragmatic logic of Abraham Lincoln. These attributes are in very short supply in Congress and are certainly non-existent in the White House where they are most needed. Yet that is my position on looking at any issue. With those requirements in mind: Israel can defend herself in any way the Israeli government deems fit, and they do not need U.S. permission to do so. I would certainly recommend against any funding at all for militant nations that attack and kill their neighbors, disturbing the peace. The USA should not be the world’s policeman.”

Pasquarella: “Yes, I support a ceasefire resolution in Gaza with the conditions the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners of war also be released as part of the agreement. Israel has gone well beyond “defending itself” and is committing genocide. After three months of war, with the killing of 27,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and the displacement of about 2 million people, there must be a stop to the bombing and killing. Furthermore, the Israeli army’s targeted destruction of hospitals, schools, universities and refugee camps, along with the denial of humanitarian aid are evidence of what is considered to be genocide. We must find our humanity and insist there be an end to this war. The war would end the minute the United States stopped sending military aid and equipment to Israel. It is obvious that this foreign policy has not worked for the past 50 years and needs to be ended. The U.S.’s continued support has only escalated the situation of an all-out-war in the Middle East with its bombing in Yemen and military actions in Syria and Iraq as well.” (Editors note: The Palestinian death toll was more than 30,000 as of Feb. 29, according to Gaza health officials.)

How would you address fentanyl trafficking?

Carbajal: “This past year, despite some of the worst gridlock in my time in Congress, I still was able to get bipartisan anti-fentanyl legislation that I co-led in the House signed into law.The new law ensures that the United States is treating fentanyl trafficking for what it is: a national security threat. It requires our government to develop specific strategies to work with our allies to crack down on fentanyl being trafficked to our ports of entry and border, and to do a better job coordinating that strategy with state and local law enforcement. I also have been pushing to get Congress to act on the additional border security funding that could install technology upgrades that will improve fentanyl detection at the places where it’s entering our nation. Too many lives have already been claimed on the Central Coast by this deadly drug. I’m working to improve treatment options for those who are struggling, including by pushing federal regulators to allow Narcan to be sold over the counter, and will continue looking for new ways to treat both the influx and proliferation of this dangerous narcotic.”

Cole: “Stop the fentanyl trade across the open borders by closing the borders. Use the federal government, FBI, CIA and HSA to attack cartels in the U.S. and Mexico if needed.”

Pasquarella: “I disagree with the passage of the ‘Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act’ which treats the drug crisis as a national security threat warranting the further militarization of the drug crisis in the United States. Studies have shown that the Central Coast of California has been devastated by the use of fentanyl. I am gravely concerned about the increase in overdose deaths and believe that we must look at the demand for drugs as a primary ‘problem,’ not just the supply. Why are people taking drugs in the first place? Because they are lost, depressed, anxious, alone, jobless, unhoused or struggling with addiction. It is because we have a spiritual void in our country that people are trying to fill with drugs. Study after study demonstrates that the ‘War on Drugs’ in the ‘80s was not an effective policy to eradicate drug use. According to researchers, better treatment, harm reduction and recovery support are needed. For instance, why aren’t fentanyl test strips distributed on a wide basis to detect the presence of the drug in any drug batch? It could save the lives of thousands at a minimal cost. In addition, a stronger social safety net is required to make people’s lives better and get their basic needs met so there is less poverty, trauma and hardship and fewer reasons to use drugs. If elected, I would ensure that a majority of federal funding would be directed for long-term, user-focused solutions rather than short-sighted, supplied-sided factors that utilize military operations to eradicate drug cartels. This type of policy does not end the supply of drugs, but just replaces one cartel with another to meet the need of the never ending demand for drugs.”