Marisa Wood is a public school teacher, mother and grandmother, and has spent her last 20 years serving the Bakersfield community that she calls home. Marisa knows that this district – and all of its families – deserve someone fighting for them in Washington, not a career politician who cares about his rich donors and fighting partisan battles.
I have proudly signed the pledge to not accept any donation from the Fossil Fuel Industry.
Every vote I make; every piece of legislation I advance will be grounded in this question–am I meeting the needs of the constituents who depend on me?
As an educator for over 25 years, I know the foundational value of equitable education and the positive impacts on our Central Valley families and students. Education is the great equalizer. Regardless of where a student starts, their opportunities are limitless through education. I have been inspired by my students,
As a teacher for the past 21 years in the Fairfax school district, I have seen my students and their families struggle accessing affordable quality healthcare. We must find a fiscally responsible plan that meets the diverse needs of our families who have limited access to the essential healthcare they and their families need while.
As your elected Congress member, I will prioritize lifting my district from the high levels of poverty it has been plagued by since 2005. The combination of skyrocketing housing costs and inflation-adjusted wages that have benefited only the highest-paid workers are crippling the hard working people of my district. The majority of the families living in poverty have at least one member working full time. As your representative, I will push for a dignified living wage for all workers. Those folks working 40, 50, 60 hours a week should be able to provide a home, healthcare, and food for their families.
I will adamantly defend a person’s right to safe, accessible reproductive healthcare. Ultimately, decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or raise a child MUST be left to the patient, in consultation with their family, their Faith, or healthcare provider if they choose. It is essential that abortion remain a safe and legal.
Veterans honored this country with their service, and it is absolutely appalling that they have to fight for the services they earned, such as healthcare and education. Many of our brave veterans can suffer from addiction, mental health, homelessness, and some, unfortunately, take their own life. We can and must do better.
The number of homeless youth, veterans, and Americans have been on the rise in Kern County and the country at an alarming rate over the past four years. In California, The horrors of childhood trauma and poverty, mental illness, and chronic drug abuse surely add to the likelihood that someone lives on the streets.
The Central Valley feeds the world! Water is pivotal to our economy and the thousands of agricultural working families that live here. Every drop of water is essential to growing the food we eat or quench our thirst. Water shortage issues extend beyond the drought in that with climate changes and the rampant devastating wildfires
Too many seniors have to skip doctors appointments, skip their medication, or even skip meals, and that is not okay with me! We made a promise to seniors that if they contributed to Social Security, they would have earned benefits that would help them when they need it most. As your Congress Woman,
As a grandmother to two perfect grandchildren, I will do all I can to ensure they have a planet that is clean and thriving in which to grow. Climate change is real and we must meet this issue head on. I am committed to moving our Fossil Fuel dependence toward renewable energy in a manner.
As the granddaughter of an Italian immigrant who came to America via Ellis Island, we are lucky that America became our home. I am proud of my Italian heritage and America’s extraordinary mosaic of ethnicities that make it a rich melting pot of cultures and the great country it is today.
It is time for women to get equal pay for equal work. It is time that our trans, non-binary family, friends get the respect that they deserve. It is time that our friends of color live their lives without the fear of persecution. It is time that we stop hate.