Kevin Kiley vs. Jessica Morse for California Congress race: Candidates answer key questions
Freshman Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, competes with Democrat Jessica Morse, a wildfire resiliency specialist, in California’s 3rd Congressional District this November.
Election analysts have this contest on their radars because they say the 3rd District, which stretches from the northern Sierra Nevada along the Nevada border into Death Valley, is trending blue slowly.
The Bee asked the candidates to fill out a survey. Their responses were checked and slightly edited for spelling and grammar.
Kevin Kiley
Political party: Republican
Age: 39
Birthplace: Sacramento
Residence: Roseville
Occupation: U.S. Representative
Education: Yale University (Juris Doctor); Loyola Marymount University (Master of Arts); Harvard University (Bachelor of Arts)
Offices held: U.S. Representative (2023-present); California State Assemblyman (2016-2022)
Campaign website address: ElectKevinKiley.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people?
I will continue to work to stop the government overspending that fuels inflation, to lower gas taxes and expand energy production in the United States, and to reduce the fees and excessive regulations that add to the cost of everything from home construction to starting a small business.
Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?
I support increasing border patrols, increasing the use of high-tech assets such as drones for aerial surveillance, improving physical barriers, repealing sanctuary city and state laws, and other common-sense steps to secure our border.
I oppose the state plan to give free health care to everyone who is in California illegally.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
The rise in crime, including retail theft and violent crime, is harming our quality of life.
Congress should make sure our police, sheriffs and criminal prosecutors are fully funded and have all the resources they need to keep us safe. Congress can also stiffen penalties for federal crimes like human trafficking and the trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics.
Jessica Morse
Political party: Democratic
Age: 42
Birthplace: Pacifica
Residence: Roseville
Occupation: Former California Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience
Education: Princeton University (Master of Public Affairs in international relations and national security studies); Principia College (Bachelor of Arts in economics)
Offices held: California’s Former Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience
Campaign website address: morseforcongress.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people?
Shortly after I was born, my parents lost their jobs and our home, so we moved in with my grandma and great-grandma — four generations crammed into a small house in Carmichael. Eventually, my parents got back on their feet and were able to afford a starter home on a teacher’s salary. But today, starter homes are out of reach, and families working hard struggle to afford rent, food, and gas.
In Congress, I’ll push for smart, sustainable, fire-safe housing solutions by expanding workforce and affordable housing options, so people can live closer to their jobs, reducing traffic and pollution.
Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?
I spent a decade in national security, fighting human trafficking and terrorism in Iraq with USAID. I’ve worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations, and understand the need for a strong, practical approach to secure our borders. We need a Congress that will find real solutions, rather than reject common-sense reforms and treat our security like a political football.
In Congress, I’ll drive immigration reforms including advanced technologies and streamlined vetting to ensure legal pathways are clear, illegal entry is stopped, and the root causes of forced migration are addressed.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
In Congress, I’ll be a unique driver for wildfire safety and fire insurance reform. Residents are facing skyrocketing or canceled insurance.
As the former Deputy Secretary at the California Natural Resources Agency, I delivered a $3 billion wildfire resilience initiative and slashed red tape to quickly turn this funding into fuel breaks, prescribed burns, defensible space and other wildfire mitigation projects. These projects saved lives and homes.
But we can’t make real progress on wildfires until the federal government, which owns 57% of wildlands, scales fire risk reduction on its own land.
This story was originally published October 6, 2024 at 4:55 AM with the headline "Kevin Kiley vs. Jessica Morse for California Congress race: Candidates answer key questions."
