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Rocky Rhodes, AD-42 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: Rocky Rhodes

Current job title: Simi Valley Councilman/Small Business Owner

Political party affiliation: Republican

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: City Councilman, City of Simi Valley

City where you reside: Simi Valley

Campaign website or social media: RockyForAssembly.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.)

California must close its deficit mainly through spending cuts, not higher taxes. Families are already stretched thin and cannot afford an even greater tax burden.

I’ve owned a small business for 30 years, and I know how to live within a budget. Our state leaders must do the same.

It’s simple: Sacramento needs to actually do the hard work of governing. That means investigating policies and programs that don’t work, stopping funding and pivoting towards a new idea.

We must protect the basics first, and we must continue to fund public safety, education and infrastructure. Government should live within its means, just like families and small businesses do.

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

Cutting frontline public safety is a non-starter. So is balancing the budget on the backs of seniors, veterans and vulnerable people while Sacramento protects bureaucracy and pet projects. Legislators need to do what the rest of us normal folk do when times are tough: cut the fat and tighten the belt.

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.)

The top three issues are affordability, public safety and government incompetence. California is too expensive, too many people feel unsafe and taxpayers do not trust Sacramento to spend money wisely.

I would focus on cutting red tape, backing law enforcement, protecting Proposition 13 and demanding real accountability from our bloated state agencies and departments.

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.)

I would focus on energy costs, because Sacramento Democrats have made them worse. Their taxes, mandates and regulations drive up the price of gas, electricity, food and goods across the board.

I would push to block new energy cost hikes, review existing rules that raise prices and stop shrinking fuel supply before affordable alternatives are ready. California can pursue cleaner energy without punishing working families.

Some relief could come quickly if the state stops adding new costs. Bigger changes would take more time. But the first step is obvious: stop making life more expensive on purpose.

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.)

Yes. If the state wants to protect its immigrant population, it can do so tomorrow by getting rid of its dangerous and backwards sanctuary state Policy. ICE’s inability to go into jails and deport dangerous criminals has forced the federal government to go into the streets to try to apprehend undocumented immigrants.

Get rid of the sanctuary state policy, making our streets less safe. Stop allowing dangerous predators to continue to prey on our immigrant communities.

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.)

To lower health care costs, we need less bureaucracy and better access to doctors. Doctors want to practice medicine, not deal with insurance companies and state bureaucrats. At the same time, doctors are small business owners – and they face the same issues all small business owners (like me) face doing business in this state. Improving the small business climate, generally, would go a long way towards making healthcare more affordable.

Specific to healthcare, however, I would support cutting administrative burdens, improving the environment for physicians to practice here and expanding care in underserved areas. The goal should be more access, less red tape and lower costs.

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.)

People should be able to get necessary care, but I do not support open-ended expansions the state cannot afford – and I absolutely oppose giving undocumented Californians free, taxpayer-funded healthcare. California should first make existing programs work better for legal residents, reduce waste and improve access through clinics, providers and better reimbursement.

Empty promises are not real health care.

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.)

Homelessness is not a housing problem, it’s a mental health and substance abuse problem. If we want to solve homelessness, we need to give local governments the resources they need to get people off the streets and into treatment. Letting people live and die on the streets isn’t compassionate. We must get homeless men and women into treatment so they can turn their lives around and become productive members of society.

On housing, I support cutting red tape and lowering fees surrounding development. It’s outrageous that a new home costs a developer (and a future homebuyer) several hundred thousand dollars in fees and taxes to build. The state continues to make homebuilding a priority without providing any of the market-based incentives necessary to accomplish its goals. The legislature must lead where the governor is unable – we must cut red tape and lower the cost of housing without limiting local governments’ ability to control their land use decisions.

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.)

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s special sessions about oil prices were yet another dog and pony show in a political career made of dog and pony shows. He knows (just like everybody else) that if you want to lower the price of a gallon of gas in California, you have to increase the supply of gas. That means allowing for more controlled oil drilling in places like Kern County and making it easier for our refineries to stay in business.

The commission made the right call to delay implementation of Gavin’s do-nothing laws. I do not support policies that punish working people before affordable alternatives exist. We cannot afford policies that drive prices even higher.

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 wholeheartedly supported Proposition 36. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature have coddled criminals with their soft-on-crime policies for too long.

Yes, we can use additional funding for behavioral health. We need to get homeless people off the streets and into treatment. But we cannot use these funds to continue the ever-growing homeless industrial complex – a web of nonprofits only interested in collecting taxpayer money, not actually solving the issue.

But this funding must come with strict oversight. Taxpayers deserve to know whether programs are actually reducing addiction, crime and repeat offenses. More money without accountability is how Sacramento got into this mess.

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 not require doctors to provide gender-affirming care to children. I strongly believe that gender-affirming care is a decision that must be made in adulthood and not by a child.

Adults can handle conversations regarding their own care needs privately with their doctor – I see no role for the state in this conversation.

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.)

Social media has proven to cause major harm to our children and our society. This is one place I agree with the governor – children under 16 should not have access to social media. At a minimum, the state should require age verification and better parental control tools. This should be about protecting children, not growing government for its own sake.

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.)

California is the home to Silicon Valley and technological innovation. Therefore, it should lead on AI with common-sense guardrails – especially when it comes to protecting kids. AI chatbots shouldn’t be able to monetize data collected from children, and there should be a robust set of controls available to parents that monitor and limit usage.

This is something that should be able to be bipartisan and agreed upon by the majority of the legislature. This is a brave new world, but we can protect kids and keep innovation alive at the same time.

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.)

People feel unsafe when disorder becomes normal and government looks the other way. A fully-funded Prop. 36 will go a long way to righting some of the wrongs of the past.

As a legislator, I would support law enforcement, consequences for repeat offenders and treatment for those struggling with addiction or mental illness. Safe neighborhoods are a basic expectation and should be the core function of government, not a luxury.

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

Coffee. I built a career in the coffee world and was one of the first certified Q Graders, which is basically the industry’s version of a master sommelier.

Since most major deals or great relationships are started with “Let’s have coffee,” knowing where to find the best cup ensures great outcomes.

Orange County Register

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Rocky Rhodes, AD-42 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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