Cynthia Chen, Elise Mills, and Kandea Mosley Gandhi

On Sunday, May 18th, there was a campaign kickoff for the California Fair Elections Act (SB 42) hosted at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists.The event aimed to educate others and rally support to pass SB 42. If passed, SB 42 would permit a public officer or candidate to expend or accept public funds, as defined, for the purpose of seeking elective office unless the funds are earmarked by a state or local entity for education, transportation, or public safety (read more about the bill here).

More than 100 people gathered on Sunday in support of SB 42. Speakers including Berkeley Mayor, Adena Ishii, expressed strong support for the bill and explained why we need it now more than ever. Ishii stated that the “public financing program allows people who wouldn’t normally run for office win.” She explained that she didn’t come from a wealthy background and thanks to Berkeley’s existing public financing system, she was able to run for office and win.

Alex Lee

Assembly member, Alex Lee, who represents California’s 24th district and is a joint author of SB 42 also spoke at the event. “SB 42 is the pivotal first step to getting it done,” he said, highlighting the bill’s influence in reducing big money in politics and enabling fairer elections. “We have to create a system where everyday people have more say than billion-dollar corporations,” he added.

With your support, we hope that SB 42 will be on the ballot and passed in 2026. Use this link to donate what you can to help the campaign succeed!

–Tasya Xiao