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Caroline Menjivar, SD-20 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

May 6, 2026

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Caroline Menjivar

Current job title: State Senator

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: N/A

City where you reside: Panorama City

Campaign website or social media: carolinemenjivar.com

Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

It should be a combination.

Having been the chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, which accounts for about 40% of our total budget, the major cuts and possible revenue streams lie within my purview. Given the nature of our structural deficit, we cannot cut our way out of this and need to reevaluate what burden we place on our taxpayers to fund, and instead perhaps shift that “burden” to its rightful owner.

For example, taxpayers are paying for full-time employees to be on Medi-Cal because certain corporations either don’t offer employer-driven health insurance or keep hours and pay at a level that precludes them from qualifying for employer insurance. Certain corporations should be held responsible for shifting the fiscal burden on everyday Californians. I also think we need to close corporate tax loopholes like the Water’s Edge, which blocks a couple of billion additional dollars in revenues from coming to California. Corporations get to avoid limiting their state tax base by excluding foreign subsidiary profits.

At the same time, we need to ensure we are being efficient with the dollars we currently have and trim where we can. Does a passed legislation really require hiring 10 more state employees? Are we pouring money into the black hole of state IT projects? And lastly, are all our programs efficient with success data or can some be cut that aren’t core services? I believe the answer to all these questions is Yes, and tackling each one would generate ongoing savings without cutting critical services Californians depend on.

For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Cutting core services to people is a non-starter for me, especially if we are simply cutting and not entertaining new revenue streams. That means that we do not create groups of “haves” and “have-nots” for any service.

Last year, I was only one of two state senators who voted “no” against the state-only funded Medi-Cal program for people with unsatisfactory immigrant status. I have been vocal against proposed cuts to services impacting children, foster youth, our seniors, and people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

We should not be making our most vulnerable travel to Sacramento to beg us not to make any of the proposed cuts that usually include cuts to core services. Preventative investments are not only the right thing to do but less costly.

What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

1. Affordability: Throughout my tenure in the State Senate, affordability is the lens I use when deciding which policies to author and support. Reducing the costs of healthcare, everyday living expenses, administrative burdens and increasing access to childcare for working families are fundamental to making inroads on the affordability crisis. This is why I have authored several bills that do just that, bills that limit fees imposed on renters, improve access to healthcare and childcare, and support the growth and longevity of our small businesses.

2. Access to Healthcare: My approach has always been to protect access to healthcare, whether by addressing the workforce shortage or maintaining the progress made for our undocumented population. Maintaining access to healthcare means being mindful not to drive pressure points towards our counties or emergency rooms, especially when the federal government continues to make drastic cuts, given how critical healthcare is.

3. Homelessness/Housing: To solve chronic homelessness, earlier intervention is key. Foster youth need greater resources for housing stability, which is why I am championing a housing bond specifically for transition-aged youth, knowing that a majority of adults who are facing homelessness first experienced it when young. Recognizing that previous foster youth are disproportionately represented amongst the unhoused, we must fund the proposed Foster Rate Reform that will take people out of poverty. We must reimagine CalWorks so that families can thrive and become independent. We need to streamline the permitting process to prevent “projects” from sitting in the pipelines for years before they even break ground.

Lastly, I am still interested, even though my bill died, in preventing landlords from sitting on empty and blighted buildings, holding out for exorbitant rent increases. Those properties should be on the market for more housing units.

What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The cost-of-living crisis in California affects the most essential parts of people’s lives. The prescription they can’t afford to fill. The utility costs that eat into a paycheck. Internet bills, grocery receipts, gas prices, the cost of care during a medical emergency — it all adds up.

I am committed to protecting healthcare coverage for Californians, and I have fought hard to do that. Cutting coverage may look like savings on paper, but the cost shifts to emergency rooms and is paid by taxpayers.

Pushing for stronger utility cost relief and affordable broadband access, because internet connectivity is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity for work, school, and daily life.

Fighting for environmental health investments in communities overburdened by pollution, because poor air quality and contaminated water drive up healthcare costs and keep people from being their most productive selves.

I’ve introduced legislation like SB 1272 to curb the abusive sanctions on homeowners by local jurisdictions for actions by previous homeowners and SB 1007, which provides transparency and limits fees for those who live in HOAs.

Seniors are often forced to choose between medication, meals, and housing costs. I’ll fight to expand affordable senior housing, strengthen in-home care supports, and ensure that people can age with dignity and financial security.

I will focus on systemic reforms that lower the costs of food, energy, and essential services by holding price-gouging industries accountable and expanding access to programs that put money back in people’s pockets.

There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The State of California should never align itself with a federal administration that has made the dehumanization of immigrant communities its policy. My role as a State Senator is to protect the people of California from processes that strip away dignity and due process.

For these reasons, I have introduced legislation that will prohibit ICE from going into exam rooms and will prohibit ICE agents from joining law enforcement, maintaining the trust and integrity of our law enforcement.

Additionally, I have advocated for increasing funding for legal services in the underserved regions in our state that have been impacted by the ICE raids. Especially as the federal government increases funding to the Department of Homeland Security, far outpacing the level of legal aid currently available.

While I vehemently disagree with what is currently occurring, I will continue to work with our federal partners to provide for the removal of the actual criminals in our state.

Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Lowering out-of-pocket expenses is the driving consideration behind many of the bills I authored and advocated for over the last three years. One of my greatest accomplishments is authoring and passing SB 729, which requires large group health plans to cover fertility treatments, including IVF, and ends the discriminatory exclusion of LGBTQ+ couples and single people from coverage. California had never mandated infertility coverage before, and this legislation is changing lives for families across our state. In addition, I have fought to ensure coverage for hearing aids for children, regardless of income, access to vision care for unaccompanied minors, and increased home healthcare access for our most medically fragile children.

In the 2025 budget, I ensured the Health Care Affordability Reserve fund was not reverted to the General Fund and augmented it from $165M to $215M to support state premium subsidies as federal premium subsidies were expiring. This helped keep people’s premium costs low and put money back into their pockets for other necessary expenses like food and rent.

As the former Senate Health Committee Chair, I made expanding access to health services a priority. I fought to protect health access to undocumented adults because I know we have so many mixed-status families, and often the burden to financially support a family land on the documented kid. Through my work on SB 418, I fought for continued access to medications that are vital for cancer patients, gender affirming care, and chronic conditions. Discrimination has no place in our communities or in our healthcare system.

Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes. And I have already paid a price for that position, and I would do it again without hesitation.

The funding solution should be a combination of approaches, such as closing corporate tax loopholes, holding price-gouging industries accountable, and ensuring that the wealthiest individuals and corporations in our state are paying their fair share and that we as a state are not subsidizing the healthcare that should be paid for by these corporations. We also need to continue investing in community clinics and preventative care infrastructure, because keeping people healthy is always less expensive than treating crises.

As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

When it comes to housing and housing development, I have been clear, and I have voted accordingly. I will not support density-only solutions that fail to include meaningful affordability requirements and only benefit big developers. I will support legislation that incentivizes and expedites the development of genuinely affordable housing, streamlines permitting for projects that meet affordability thresholds, and holds developers accountable for delivering on those commitments.

As a state, we are increasing opportunities for first-time homebuyers through the Dream for All program, which provides up to $150,000 in downpayment assistance. I am authoring legislation that will require transparency on how HOA fees are utilized and how much fees can increase. At a time when 14 million Californians live within an HOA, the associated fees are a real burden to families that are struggling to make ends meet.

In my 2025 budget priorities, I advocated for increased funding to both the Bringing Families Home Program, $81M, which assists families involved with the child welfare system who are at risk of homelessness, and Home Safe, $84M, which assists Adult Protective Services clients who are at imminent risk of homelessness due to adult abuse or neglect. As a State Legislator, I have and will continue to support housing policies and budget priorities that uplift families, not continue to push people out of the housing market or into homelessness.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The truth is, we are moving away from oil because it’s harmful and outdated, and the faster we transition, the less leverage this industry has over our policy decisions. It’s the direction California has committed to, and we need to hold that line. As we have these discussions about diversifying the fuel market, it must be done in tandem with securing green jobs and a clear path that provides for economic growth throughout the state. During my tenure, the Legislature has approved streamlining the permitting process for new wells in Kern County and is pushing policies that mitigate administrative burdens for refineries that are not emitting certain toxic pollutants.

California is a large, diverse state, and the cost of transitioning away from oil reliance falls unevenly on rural communities, on working families, and on small business owners who depend on affordable fuel to operate. If we are going to meet our 2045 constitutional climate goals, we must maintain our commitment to improving the air we breathe and ensuring that our disadvantaged communities do not continue to bear the brunt of environmental pollution. Balancing our climate goals with consumer protection is essential. But balancing does not mean retreating.

In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I believe in rigorous oversight, transparent reporting, and measurable outcomes when it comes to spending, which I am committed to reviewing through the Senate Budget Committee. Early indications show that the allocation of $100 million has not been fully utilized; while some courts have engaged, others are reluctant to establish comprehensive programs (Note: they are saying it’s due to one time funding), and others are reviewing data to determine why participation is lacking. Judicial Council report has shown that of the courts that have participated, 48% reported having a dedicated calendar for treatment-mandated felony cases. Before proposing any new funding, I want to ensure that the current funding has been used and that the barriers to court participation have been identified.

The communities I represent deserve leaders who understand that public safety and public health are not in competition. They are deeply connected. Which is why, when programs that are efficient and proven to work are being proposed on the chopping block, I have to question why. The Governor’s proposed budget seeks to eliminate the Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Clinic. This program has demonstrated success in diverting individuals experiencing behavioral health crises from emergency departments and reduced involvement with law enforcement. My approach to the budget is to think strategically about whether these cuts will do more damage in the long run. We need to uplift programs that focus on our most vulnerable citizens while ensuring we do not set our budget situation up for an even worse outcome in the coming years.

What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The state should ensure that gender-affirming care is covered, accessible, and protected with the same rigor and commitment we apply to every other form of healthcare. Anything less is a failure of our obligation to every resident we serve.

When other states restrict gender-affirming care, we need to hold the line. California should stand firmly in our values and refuse to bend to the political winds coming from other states or from Washington, D.C. We should be a model for how we accept and honor LGBTQ+ residents. While I was Vice Chair of the LGBTQ caucus, we secured $15 million in ongoing funding to offset an increase in premiums that would have resulted from the federal government removing gender affirming care from medically necessary care. This is something Attorney General Bonta continues to challenge, but in the meantime, we have been able to ensure that our hospitals are supported in providing this medically necessary care.

Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

One of our roles as State Legislators is to promote and pass policies that protect the mental health of our youth. I am supportive of a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16.

Last year, I voted for a bill that protected youth from harmful and sometimes tragic interactions with chatbots. I have also supported legislation that requires schools to adopt a social media use policy. Far too often, we hear the stories of loss, bullying and isolation that result from social media use. While there is a valid use for social media, we cannot deny the detrimental impacts that it can have on the development of our youth. I will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen protections and hold the creators accountable for the technology they are developing.

Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Innovation moves faster than legislation, and artificial intelligence is the clearest example of that reality we have seen in a generation. Building the right guardrails is a fluid, evolving process.

First and foremost, AI has no place in hiring, firing, or employment decisions. When algorithms determine who gets a job, who gets promoted, or who gets let go, we remove human judgment, introduce unchecked bias, and strip workers of the dignity and due process they deserve. I will fight to keep human beings at the center of workplace decisions. More broadly, I believe we need to leverage AI for what it does best — efficiency, capacity, and expanding access to information and services, while resisting the push toward over-reliance that displaces workers and erodes human connection. The goal should be AI as a tool that empowers people, not a replacement that sidelines them.

California can and should remain a leader in innovation. But leadership means setting the standard for ethics, accountability, and worker protection, not just for speed.

Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

At a time when we feel like there are threats coming from many directions, such as ICE raids, economic uncertainty and international conflicts, I remain committed to policies that strengthen the fabric of our communities. Safety is about families being able to go to the grocery store, pick up medication and go to work without any looming threats.

The gap between crime statistics and how people feel in their communities is a signal. It tells us that safety is about more than crime rates. It’s about whether your neighborhood has what it needs to thrive, whether people in crisis get help or get arrested, and whether government shows up before things fall apart rather than after.

My role as a State Senator is to address the conditions that create instability in the first place: inadequate healthcare, inaccessibility to food, unaffordable housing, under-resourced schools, and communities that have been ignored for too long. When we invest in people, we invest in safety.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

My team says I have a talent for making people feel seen and heard, and honestly, that’s one of the greatest compliments I could receive. I have always believed that the best ideas don’t come from the loudest voice in the room. They come from creating the conditions and environments where every voice feels safe enough to speak.

I hope my constituents feel exactly the same way my team does: seen, heard, and represented. Representation is not just about the votes on record, it’s about how I show up — through the policies I spearhead in the Legislature on their behalf, through the issues I amplify, and through the work and events we do together in the district. I think real progress happens when we’re open and honest enough to face the real issues head-on, and when we’re committed to finding the solutions that actually work. That means bringing everyone to the table, no exceptions, and tackling what matters most one step at a time. I hope my team, my colleagues, and the people of Senate District 20 feel that commitment in everything I do.

Orange County Register

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Caroline Menjivar, SD-20 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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