IN THE news
Lace up, Santa Cruz – it’s time to fight whatever Trump throws at us, and that’s what I’ll be doing in Sacramento
Lookout | December 1, 2024
"California will not let our values regarding protecting our environment, standing up for our immigrants who contribute to our economy and communities, supporting LGBTQ+ rights and safeguarding our special education programs be obliterated..."
State Assembly, District 28 Live Election Results
KQED | November 5, 2024
"State Assembly members represent their communities at the California Legislature in Sacramento. The 80 members of the state Assembly write and vote on state bills, serve on policy committees and vote on the annual state budget."
Familiar names highlight state races in 2024 general election
Lookout | October 7, 2024
"Incumbent and longtime Santa Cruz county clerk Gail Pellerin is running for reelection against Republican challenger and retired Monte Sereno mayor Liz Lawler, the same opponent Pellerin faced in the previous election — and beat 68% to 32%."
Health care workers name Pellerin ‘Assemblymember of the Year’
Lookout | September 25, 2024
"Santa Cruz Democrat Gail Pellerin has been named “Assemblymember of the Year” by the National Union of Healthcare Workers for her work fighting for parity in how mental health is treated compared to other health conditions."
Banana slug takes next step to becoming California's state slug
KSBW | April 16, 2024
"I'm honored today. I want to introduce the iconic Sammy, the official mascot at UC Santa Cruz, who may soon get a job promotion as a future ambassador for our state," said California State Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who introduced the bill."
At 46%, Santa Cruz County's primary turnout is among the highest in California
Lookout | March 18, 2024
"Santa Cruz County also outperformed its neighboring counties, San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Monterey, a trend the region has observed in each primary and most general elections since 2012."
Commitment 2024: Rematch for Assembly District 28 between Gail Pellerin and Liz Lawler
KSBW 8 | February 27, 2024
"So far, she's introduced 40 bills, 13 of which have passed; she's authored multiple bills that address California's election system. In upcoming legislation, Pellerin is taking aim at artificial intelligence and the impact it could have on elections."
Editorial | Reelect Panetta to Congress; Laird to state Senate; Pellerin, Rivas, Addis to Assembly
Santa Cruz Sentinel | February 16, 2024
"Pellerin was a widely admired election supervisor in Santa Cruz County, and she continues to be a strong voice in Sacramento on voting rights and mental health support, as well as climate change."
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin leads fight to ban deep fake political ads
Morgan Hill Times | February 14, 2024
"As an example, Pellerin cited one recent ad that used artificial intelligence to create a voice that sounded like President Joe Biden. “We have to stay ahead of the deep fakes and bad actors that are out there trying to wreak chaos with our elections,” Pellerin said."
Reproductive Freedom for All California Releases Final Slate of Endorsements
Reproductive Freedom for All | February 1, 2024
"These candidates and incumbents are prepared to continue advancing our reproductive freedoms in California. With Republicans threatening a nationwide abortion ban and the Supreme Court considering two abortion-related cases this year—the impacts of which would reverberate even into reproductive freedom states like ours—we need all hands on deck to fight for our fundamental rights."
California bills for affordable housing, reproductive rights and mental health take effect in 2024
King City Rustler | January 3, 2024
"California has some of the strongest voting laws in the nation and continues working to make elections more accessible for all... allows voters with a disability to complete a regular ballot outside of any polling place — known as curbside voting — and removes the requirement for a voter to declare under oath that they are unable to mark their ballot in order to receive assistance doing so."
Ahead of 2024 election, California to take aim at AI threats, disinformation
Bloomberg | December 15, 2023
“California lawmakers are exploring legislation to further crack down on deepfakes, including broader bans of the use of artificial intelligence..."We have the internet that is so quick and easy to spread false disinformation and misinformation. And now AI is putting this at a whole new level,” said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), who chairs the state Assembly Elections Committee."
Ahead of 2024 election, California to take aim at AI threats, disinformation
KCRA3 | November 7, 2023
“These disinformation narratives aren’t just undermining our voter's faith in our election system, they're making the lives more dangerous for elections officials," said Democratic Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who leads the Assembly's election committee after spending decades as the chief elections official in Santa Cruz County. ”
State Assemblymember Gail Pellerin running for second term
San Jose Inside | November 1, 2023
“Gail Pellerin filed election paperwork for most of her adult career as the chief elections officer in Santa Cruz County, but she’s getting used to the process now from the other side of the desk. “I feel like it has been a great year,” Pellerin said in a phone interview this week. “I sent 10 bills to the governor and he signed all of them. So I’ve got a 100% batting record there.””
In first Assembly session, Pellerin picks fight with Northern California conservatives
Lookout Santa Cruz | October 23, 2023
“Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a former Santa Cruz County clerk, ended thelegislative session with 10 of her bills signed into law. Of those, six focused onvoting. One bill, AB 969, takes direct aim at a controversy over a Shasta Countyplan to hand-count ballots in an upcoming special election.”
Newsom Signs Five Election-reform Bills Written by Assemblymember Pellerin
San Jose Inside | October 16, 2023
“Five of the bills were authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, chair of the Assembly Elections Committee and a former Santa Cruz County clerk, the position that administers elections.Pellerin’s district includes portions of northern Santa Cruz County, sections of South San Jose and Santa Clara Counties and the cities of Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.”
The California Legislature has the backs of the LGBTQIA+ community — here’s how
Lookout Santa Cruz | September 23, 2023
"Three of Santa Cruz County’s state legislators — Assemblymember Dawn Addis, Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin — proudly outline strides our state has made in assuring that the rights of LGBTQIA+ people are protected. That includes codifying same-sex marriage, offering support for students in schools and for foster students..."
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin named head of elections committee
Morgan Hill Times | July 5, 2023
“I’m honored to have the confidence of the speaker and continue to work to ensure that California is the gold standard for secure, accurate, transparent and accessible elections,” Pellerin said. “I look forward to continuing the work to improve the voter experience, ensure voting system integrity and enhance the accuracy of our voter rolls.”
Shasta County's decision to ditch Dominion triggers state Assembly bill
Record Spotligtht | May 4, 2023
"Introduced on Feb. 14, Pellerin’s Assembly Bill 969 would require a county board of supervisors to have both a transition plan and a replacement contract with a state-certified system in place before terminating an existing voting system contract."
State legislators announce formation of Central Coast Caucus
Santa Cruz Sentinel | March 26, 2023
"A group of state legislators have band together to raise the profile of Santa Cruz County and other Central Coast communities as they grapple with an historically destructive winter storm season and a growing number of coastal issues."
Santa Cruz County Supervisors approve ordinance banning force against kids
Pajaronian | March 14, 2023
"The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that would prohibit companies forcibly transporting children. Also under the ordinance, families could sue transport companies that use force against their children for $10,000, plus legal costs."
Silicon Valley community college district could offer free tuition
San Jose Spotlight | February 20, 2023
"California Senate Bill 629, introduced by state Sen. Dave Cortese, would allow the West Valley-Mission Community College District to stop charging its students tuition and cover other costs such as transportation and books. The bill, if approved, would expand access to higher education and open opportunities for low-income students in one of the nation’s most expensive regions, advocates said."
Local assemblywoman introduces Ocean Life Recovery Act
Paso Robles Daily News | February 18, 2023
“Protecting our ocean habitat must happen now before it is too late, I am happy to join Assemblymember Addis on this important legislation,” said bill co-author Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz)."
You are not ‘totally alone in this’: NAMI’s 40 years of working to support those living with mental illness
Lookout | February 14, 2023
"The organization on the front lines of mental health awareness, advocacy and education has been around for four decades, but the work has ratcheted up exponentially in recent years."
Opinion: Recruiting a Legislature that looks like California (finally)
Mercury News | December 16, 2022
"In a dramatic 92% increase since 2017, 50 women (the majority women of color) now serve, an historic high-water mark of 42%. For the first time, a majority of our legislators are women, people of color or LGBTQ+..."
Pellerin Starts Strong in Bid for Historic Assembly Seat
Scotts Valley Press Banner | November 10, 2022
"The new 28th Assembly District, a product of the recent decennial redistricting process, still represents north Santa Cruz County, but no longer counts mid-county or the southern coastal region as part of its footprint...."
Nov. 8, 2022 Election: Pellerin Starts Strong
Good Times | November 8, 2022
"Former Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin appears poised to become the first woman from the county to hold a seat on the State Assembly, with early returns showing 62.67% of Santa Clara County voters supporting her run..."
A Lookout View: Vote Gail Pellerin for Assembly District 28
Lookout Santa Cruz | November 3, 2022
"Gail Pellerin is a homegrown and well-loved politician who will best represent Santa Cruz County interests in Sacramento. She is a connector, a listener and someone with the skills and longtime political..."
Pellerin vs. Lawler: What each Assembly District 28 candidate is learning on the ‘other side of the hill’
Lookout Santa Cruz | October 24, 2022
"Democracy is on the ballot,” she said. “I have been a fighter for voting rights and reproductive rights and LGBTQ community rights and safe community rights most of my entire adult life and I am out there..."
Will women rule in the 2022 California election?
Lookout Santa Cruz | September 21, 2022
"While female candidates still face challenges, voters could elect a record number of women to the state Legislature in November. The roster of female lawmakers could rise to 45 of the 120 seats, according to a CalMatters analysis..."
Our California and Bay Area endorsements for the Nov. 8 general election election ballot
San Jose Mercury | September 13, 2022
"Here are our recommendations so far for the Nov. 8 election. Click on the links to read the full editorials. Bookmark this page to return to view additional recommendations as they are published...."
All candidates for California State Assembly District 28 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey
Ballotpedia | September 6, 2022
"Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for California State Assembly District 28 —Gail Pellerin (D) and Liz Lawler (R)— completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. ..."
Santa Cruz County primary election 2022 guide
Lookout Santa Cruz | April 27, 2022
"Election season is ramping up ahead of the statewide primary June 7. We know that untangling all the ballot information, positions up for election and deadlines can be a hassle to say the least. Luckily, Lookout has you covered."
Primary Election Calendar for Santa Cruz County
Lookout Santa Cruz | April 27, 2022
"Election season is ramping up ahead of the statewide primary June 7. We know that untangling all the ballot information, positions up for election and deadlines can be a hassle to say the least. Luckily, Lookout has you covered."
Filing in before the deadline: 28th Assembly candidates speak up
Santa Cruz Sentinel | March 16, 2022
"Pellerin, Santa Cruz County’s last clerk with a democratic party affiliation, announced her candidacy with a bang on Monday, boasting the endorsement of Stone himself."
‘What about me?’: She wanted a Santa Cruz woman in Sacramento, so veteran politico Gail Pellerin called her own number
Lookout Santa Cruz | March 13, 2022
"That’s why the noted advocate for voting rights and mental health awareness is attempting to become the first area woman to ever earn an elected seat in state government."
Former Santa Cruz County clerk Gail Pellerin announces Assembly run
Santa Cruz Sentinel | March 14, 2022
"The former county clerk launched a campaign website this weekend asking the community she served for nearly three decades to elect her as 28th District assembly member."