Dr. Tiffanie Tate, 51, a Democrat, medical doctor and author, is running for California state Senate representing the San Diego County backcountry and portions of the Inland Empire in District 32.
Dr. Tate is originally from Compton and now lives in Riverside.
The San Diego Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Dr. Tate and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.
Dr. Tate said she did not use any AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions.
1) Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? (150 words max)
I’m running for this office to uplift all Californians. I believe that our state government should empower communities, not dictate to them –– and I’m proud to be a candidate for the people.
My track record as a veteran officer of the U.S. Navy, OB-GYN, author, ordained minister of Universal Life Church and radio show co-host reflect a lifelong commitment of giving back to my country, offering help to those in need and connecting with others. I care about protecting civil rights, funding education, making healthcare affordable and accessible and keeping our communities safe from gun violence.
In contrast, my MAGA Republican opponent –– the incumbent –– has routinely voted to block reproductive rights, weaken workers’ rights and fight gun regulations. As a registered weapon owner, I support smart weapon regulations. Unlike him, I care about making Californians safe, healthy and free.
2) What are the top 3 issues facing this district? (150 words max)
The top three issues facing this district are: underfunded schools, a high cost of living, and a lack of access to affordable healthcare.
Students deserve high-quality, accessible education that prepares them for the job market ahead. Yet unemployment rates for recent college graduates are surging, while students are given little support to access career opportunities outside of the classroom.
California promises to be the land of opportunity, but it has the highest cost of living and the highest poverty rate of any U.S. state. Everyday citizens simply can’t afford to continue residing in the neighborhoods they’ve lived in their entire lives.
Finally, healthcare access is a major concern. Although our state has historically been a leader in healthcare funding, recent federal cuts have made it more difficult for Californians to access affordable, timely care –– pushing millions of Californians off of Medicaid and leaving them vulnerable.
3) What are the first 3 things you would do in office if elected? (150 words max)
Once elected, my first priority will be fully funding and strengthening our public education system. I will advocate to increase investments in school infrastructure, raise wages for teachers and staff and invest in student mental health and job training services.
My second priority is lowering the cost of living for working families. Families across the 32nd District are feeling the pressure of rising housing, food and healthcare costs. I will support policies that expand affordable housing, strengthen small businesses, invest in workforce development and protect workers’ rights.
Finally, my third priority is expanding access to affordable healthcare. I will work to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid and lower prescription drug prices. I’m focused on real solutions: securing funding for the University of California Riverside to open a teaching hospital, expanding physician training pipelines so doctors stay and serve locally and increasing access through mobile clinics and telemedicine.
4) What should California do to solve its shortage of affordable housing and curb homelessness? Which existing efforts do you believe are working, and which aren’t? (150 words max)
If I’m elected to the State Senate, fixing our housing shortage would be one of my top priorities. To improve housing access and prevent homelessness, I would first push to build more affordable housing across California. We need to make sure developments can be approved quickly and built efficiently –– instead of being delayed by bureaucracy and red tape. I also support expanding rent control and tenant protection laws so renters aren’t unexpectedly priced out of their neighborhoods or evicted without warning.
We also need to provide more support for those experiencing homelessness. Locking Californians up for being homeless and sweeping encampments isn’t just cruel –– it doesn’t actually solve the issue. Instead, I believe in offering temporary housing to get folks off the street quickly while they build long-term wealth. Additionally, we should invest in job training programs to help unhoused individuals get back on their feet and return to the workforce.
5) This district and its neighbors are vulnerable to climate change impacts like wildfires, rising seas and extreme heat, and to the health effects of climate-warming emissions. What should California do to improve climate resilience and reduce emissions and fire risk? (150 words max)
Combating the impacts of climate change is a core issue of mine. I believe we need to transition to 100% clean energy by building large-scale solar, wind and battery developments. In the meantime, we must work to phase out oil and natural gas plants so Californians can breathe cleaner, safer air.
In the short term, we also need to make investments in energy-efficient home and building upgrades, fund fire prevention initiatives (such as fire safety programs and fire-resistant infrastructure), build more parks and green spaces, support the growth of more vegetation and trees and conserve our diverse wildlife population.
Furthermore, we need to encourage alternative forms of transportation to cars –– such as biking, walking and public transportation. This means increasing protected bike lanes, making our streets safer and more pedestrian-friendly by paving and updating sidewalks and investing in buses and trains so they can serve more Californians.
6) Laws enshrined in California’s Constitution that protect residents from tax increases have also painted local governments into a corner as they seek to fund basic services and have led to chronic underfunding of schools. What would you do about this? For instance, would you support changes to Proposition 13 to remove its protections for commercial properties? (150 words)
If we are serious about strengthening public education, we must also be honest about how we fund it. I believe that raising revenue in the short term can be necessary to protect schools and colleges from harmful cuts, especially since education is a long-term investment in our workforce and economy.
In office, I will advocate for progressive revenue options –– meaning that the wealthiest Americans contribute their fair share. We must close corporate tax loopholes and ensure that large, profitable corporations are paying what they owe.
I also support changing Proposition 13 to remove its protections for commercial properties so they can actually be taxed fairly, bringing back a massive revenue stream to fund our schools.
That being said, I do not support broad tax increases that unfairly burden working families. Any revenue proposal should be transparent, accountable and clearly tied to strengthening public education, workforce stability and student success.
7) In light of those constraints, along with federal funding cuts, how should California balance its budget and fund basic services? Where would you seek new revenues or savings? (150 words)
California must balance its budget and fund basic services by eliminating departmental inefficiencies and improving collaboration between departments. We must ensure that various government agencies are communicating with one another to fast-track processes and avoid redundancies. Additionally, I believe that our government should set clear, attainable goals for the future and actually publish progress reports on time so they can be held accountable to taxpayers.
We should not impose more taxes on working-class families, who already struggle to meet their basic needs. Instead, I believe in raising taxes on our state’s wealthiest taxpayers –– such as multimillionaires and billionaires –– to fund essential services in the short term, while making investments that will pay off in the long term. We also need to ensure that all revenue created from these new streams of income is handled appropriately, instead of being mismanaged or funnelled into ineffective programs.
8) Speaking of spending, Californians consistently rank the cost of living as a big concern. Recent jumps in the costs of fuel, food and other goods — combined with federal cuts to safety-net programs, new limits on certain federal loans and more — are further squeezing residents who were already struggling. What relief would you seek to offer, and how? (150 words max)
California needs to start supporting the working class again. That’s why in office, I pledge to restore and increase funding to the safety-net programs our hardworking families rely on –– such as CalWORKS, CalFRESH and SNAP. As part of this effort, we need to hire more caseworkers and staff so Californians can receive high-quality, personalized attention and obtain benefits in a timely fashion. I also believe in increasing eligibility for federal loans so Californians can get relief fast, while building toward wealth in the long-term.
One reason for our high cost of living is that wages haven’t kept pace with inflation. To fix this, I plan to collaborate with labor unions to fight for better wages and benefits across the board. No one should have to take on multiple jobs just to survive, and corporations should be held accountable for exploiting workers and stealing wages.
9) President Trump has made cracking down on immigration a cornerstone of his administration, ordering widespread arrests and detentions of immigrants nationwide and directing military resources to a new military zone along the U.S.-Mexico border. What impact have these actions had on this district? What are your goals on immigrants, immigration and the border, and how would you pursue them in the Legislature? What is your message to constituents who are immigrants? (150 words max)
President Trump’s administration has given ICE agents a greenlight to terrorize community members, kidnap children and destroy families with little thought –– especially across my predominantly Latino district. Businesses have seen worker shortages and decreased profits.
I staunchly oppose ICE’s invasion into places of worship and schools. Once elected, I pledge to fight to keep masked ICE agents out of California. Immigrants make our state great, and they should never live in fear.
State, county and local law enforcement are under no obligation to cooperate with federal agencies in the workplace or at schools. Instead, they have a duty to protect undocumented immigrants from ICE by refusing to collaborate with them.
To immigrants in my district and beyond: As a veteran of the U.S. Navy who still upholds the U.S. Constitution, I stand with you. I pledge to use all the powers of my office to protect your rights and freedoms.
10) Health care costs for many Californians are rising — some because of new federal eligibility requirements, some because of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moves to limit Medi-Cal coverage for some immigrants. How would you rein in costs? Would you vote to reverse the governor’s cuts to immigrant health care coverage? (100 words max)
I believe in expanding eligibility requirements for Medi-Cal so that more Californians in need can qualify for premium tax credits to help lower monthly premium costs. Moreover, I will work to hold pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies accountable for spiking the price of healthcare and unfairly denying claims.
Additionally, I would vote to reverse the governor’s cuts to immigrant healthcare coverage. Immigrants are the backbone of our economy and our community, and they deserve the same rights as everyone else.
11) Among the many ballot measures being pursued by lawmakers and citizens for the November ballot are a handful that have drawn much attention and money. Should each of the below measures qualify for the November ballot, would you personally vote for measures that would do the following? (50 words max per measure)
— make ride-hail companies like Uber and Lyft liable for sexual assaults committed in cars?
Yes. Uber and Lyft should be held accountable for sexual assaults committed in cars. These organizations have failed to vet their drivers properly, resulting in hundreds of needless assaults each year. In addition, they should require annual fingerprinting and background checks as an eligibility requirement to work as a driver.
— require voters to provide a government-issued ID each time they vote?
No. Strict voter ID laws are equivalent to poll taxes. They prohibit underrepresented communities from voting and cause issues for people who don’t have their birth certificate or passport, or those who have changed their name. Voter fraud is incredibly uncommon; these measures are a thinly-veiled way to limit turnout.
— levy a one-time 5% wealth tax on people with over $1 billion in assets?
Yes. Billionaires must pay their fair share to our government, especially because they already take advantage of tax loopholes for the wealthy. These funds could make a huge difference in funding necessary services that Americans need to live, such as healthcare, childcare and food assistance.
— pass $10 billion in bonds to fund affordable housing development?
Yes. California is in the midst of a grave housing crisis, and we desperately need to fund affordable housing development to prevent homelessness among struggling families. Affordable housing developments ensure that Californians aren’t priced out of their home state –– especially younger generations who are entering a tough job market.