Ahead of the special election for the 36th State Senate District, 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 have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
• Also see: What to know about the special election for the 36th State Senate District
Name: Tony Strickland
Political party affiliation: Republican
Other political positions held: Huntington Beach City Council: 2022-present; Huntington Beach Finance Commission: 2021-22; California State Senate: 2008-12; California State Assembly: 1998–2004.
City where you reside: Huntington Beach
Why should voters trust you to fill this seat?
Police officers, firefighters and Sheriff Don Barnes support me to fill this seat because of my proven record supporting increasing funding for public safety and opposing efforts to defund the police or release dangerous criminals early.
Taxpayers know they can trust me to fill this seat because I have a proven record as a tax fighter, earning a Lifetime A Rating from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. They know I’ll lead the charge to protect Proposition 13 and roll back the recent increases in the gas tax.
And a majority of the mayors throughout the district support me because they know I have a proven record standing up to Gavin Newsom’s outrageous big government overreach.
Many of the cities in this district are older and more established. How can the state help with their housing and economic needs? How would you, as the state senator, help their economies evolve?
Gavin Newsom’s constant push for higher taxes and bigger government has led to many Californians, and their businesses, leaving the state. To protect these cities’ local economies, we can begin by trying to keep more of our taxpayers from leaving by creating a more tax-friendly environment. We need to be looking to cut taxes, instead of raising them, and rolling back the recent gas tax increase is a great place to start.
And as bad as Gavin Newsom and his legislative allies have been for the economy, if their continued efforts to undermine Prop. 13 were ever successful, we’d see it wreak even more havoc on California homeowners.
California’s housing problems, that have been blamed on local governments throughout the state, begin with bad policies and the housing hypocrisy out of the legislature that were adopted by Gov. Newsom. Upwards of 95% of Californians live on just 5% of the land in our state. Instead of trying to further urbanize the 5%, it makes immeasurably more sense to offer incentives to build in the 95%.
When huge parts of the Inland Empire clamor for more housing, the same governor who wants to double the population of Huntington Beach won’t let other cities even move a single Joshua tree to accommodate homebuilding.
We can revitalize economic development in our cities, protect California taxpayers and homeowners and encourage homebuilding, all with the same steps. It requires getting Gavin Newsom and his tax, spend and (over)regulate allies out of the way.
What could the state government do to help the cities in the 36th District meet housing needs while still preserving their quality of life and special characteristics?
The absolute most important thing the state could do to help cities meet housing needs would be to throw out the absurd current RHNA process and get back to the common sense ideas that will actually result in responsible homebuilding throughout the state. Reforms in CEQA, excessive fees and burdensome regulations are more what are actually in the way of fulfilling the 36th District’s housing needs in a way that fits each city. Instead, the legislature’s top-down mandate approach has turned reasonable housing into many of these cities’ fight for local control.
All of this could have been avoided with any number of reasonable, common-sense approaches to addressing homebuilding on a statewide basis.
The seas are rising and affecting our communities with erosion and flooding, along with a variety of other issues that often look different for different communities. What can the state do to help alleviate those issues caused by climate change for the cities along the coast in this district and those more inland?
As someone who will represent the entire length of the coast in Orange County, the most immediate and significant impact any representative can have is to bring back resources from the state and federal governments to replenish the sand on our beaches.
Much like former Rep. Michelle Steel did for years, I will look to champion sand replenishment throughout Orange County. Our beaches are a significant part of the economic engine that makes Orange County thrive, and we need to make sure our beaches are always as healthy as possible.
This year has been dubbed the year for affordability policies in the state legislature. What’s one specific idea you have to address an affordability issue in this district and/or the state as a whole?
If the California Legislature has been focused on affordability, they have failed. Only in California can the legislature name something so opposite of what they actually work to achieve. They may call for affordability, but the legislature’s actions actively make the state less so.
For instance, a rollback of recent increases in the gas tax would do more than any other Sacramento idea to keep more dollars in the pockets of more hardworking Californians and California businesses. Instead of admitting the obvious, that higher taxes cause the higher prices. Gov. Newsom and the Sacramento Democrats pretend price gouging is to blame.
It’s all economic illiteracy, and it is all for political show.
The taxes themselves are felt by most California drivers, but the downstream impacts hit every California consumer. Higher gas prices lead to higher prices for food and other items. Instead of actually helping make California more affordable, Gavin Newsom and his Sacramento allies have only made problems worse.
If elected, what is the first bill you plan to introduce, and how does it address a pressing issue in the 36th District?
There are two bills I am excited to introduce right from the start.
The first would be to permanently roll back recent increases in the gas tax. By 2026, Californians will be paying upwards of $2 per gallon more than necessary. That’s outrageous.
Secondly, I intend to introduce into state law the same voter ID proposal I authored, and was approved by the voters, in Huntington Beach. Californians deserve fair elections where it is easy to vote and hard to cheat.
How would you balance the district’s needs with statewide fiscal challenges, particularly if budget cuts or revenue shortfalls arise?
California’s budget problems are of this governor’s and this legislature’s making. Billions upon billions of dollars are eaten up annually in waste, fraud and abuse.
We need to get our fiscal house in order, and that starts with becoming better watchdogs of how we spend the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. From the macro to the micro, from cracking down on EDD fraud to getting rid of the governor’s $200,000 per year personal photographer, there is room to cut in every department without touching core services. And we need to start now and not kick the can down the road until budget problems become budget emergencies
The legislature is in the midst of a special session that’s been called to “Trump-proof” California in preparation for the second Trump administration. Legislators have been asked, among other things, to bolster the state’s Department of Justice budget in the event that California would challenge in court some of the Trump administration’s policies. Do you support the idea of setting money aside to protect Californians’ rights? Why or why not?
Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders need to stop worrying about how Donald Trump does his job and start worrying about how poorly they’ve been doing their own jobs.
In just the past few years, every stat that should be going down has been going up. And every stat that should be going up has been going down. They have governed completely backward. Taxes are up. Outrageous regulations are up. Crime across most every category is up. Homelessness is up. Inflation is up. Money wasted on high-speed rail is up. EDD fraud is up.
Meanwhile, education test levels are down. Quality of life is down. Affordability is down. Confidence government leaders can reliably get water out of fire hydrants is way down.
Gavin Newsom and his Sacramento allies need to get back to basics and stop trying to govern by headline.
What legislative committee would you request to join in the Senate, and how do you feel your background would make you a good fit for the role?
Given the public’s interest in pushing back against the uptick in crime around California, as evidenced with the passage of Prop. 36 and the election of L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman, I believe much of the important legislation this year is going to flow through the Public Safety Committee.
Where is your favorite place to grab a bite to eat in the 36th Senate District?
It may not be the place I eat most regularly, but my favorite place will always be Duke’s by the pier in Huntington Beach because that’s where I went on my first date with my wife, Carla. It’ll always have sentimental value for that reason.