EDITORIAL: Carin Elam, East Bay congressional candidate, answers Bay Area News Group's primary questionnaire

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Ahead of the June primary election, the Bay Area News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates for California's 14th Congressional District. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and clarity.

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Name: Carin ElamCurrent job title: Director/founder, RP HopeDate of birth: July 1, 1971

Political party affiliation: DemocratOther political positions held: NoneCity where you reside: Pleasanton

What are the top three problems you're seeking to solve if elected?

1. High cost of health care

2. Threats to safe and easy voting

3. Shrinking job market

Why are you uniquely qualified to address the three problems you've identified above?

I'm uniquely qualified to address the high cost of health insurance premiums because of my many years working in hospitals and with health insurance companies. I'll leverage this background to offer solutions, including a step-by-step expansion of Medicare.

I wrote my master's thesis on the potential use of election administration to suppress voter turnout and swing elections. I also worked full time during the 2020 election for Democrats Abroad, which focuses on voter registration and turnout.

I had the opportunity to oversee the design of training and certification programs. I've led initiatives that create jobs for blind and low-vision clients.

What differentiates you from your most serious competitors for this seat?

I deeply love the idea of good governance and believe that democracy is the best political structure to achieve this. But, I'm primarily running because my beloved Democratic Party hasn't been able to capture the hearts and minds of voters. We haven't been able to convince the base of the Republican Party that they often elect those that work against their best interests. Democratic messaging is often hijacked, taking well-intentioned policy, and turning it into a rallying cry of laser-focused opposition. We need to elect good, sensible, reach-across-the-aisle leaders to address policy gridlock and dysfunction in Washington.

What one congressional committee would you most like to chair, if given the opportunity? And how would that position serve your constituents?

If given the opportunity, I would like to chair the Subcommittee on Elections. Although I believe that the rising cost of health care is one of the greatest burdens for individuals and families, I view the most recent threats to free and fair elections as the greatest threat to our democracy. My constituents will be disenfranchised if the right to vote is not protected.

You're running to be a lawmaker. If you were going to be remembered for writing and passing one law, what would it be?

Ending presidential pardon powers via an amendment to the Constitution. Current abuses of power overshadow any benefits that had been previously attributed to a president. The hurdles are incredibly high for a constitutional amendment, and the process could take many years but there could be bipartisan support to address the blatant abuses of power.

Since 1960, what one piece of federal legislation has benefited Americans the most?

Although it's nearly impossible to pick just one, I believe the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was one piece of federal legislation that offered the greatest benefits to Americans. Without this legislation, we would not have been able to address other pressing issues.

Why should renters vote for you? How will you make their lives more affordable?

I would propose federal legislation similar to California's "Plug Into the Sun Act" (SB 868). It aims to reclassify plug-in balcony solar panels as small appliances, allowing renters and homeowners to plug these panels into a standard 120 V outlet. I would restore tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit. I will fight to expand bus service. I will push to restore the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program (under the Inflation Reduction Act), which offered competitive grants to improve transit access, pedestrian infrastructure and safety in communities.

Why should first-time homebuyers support you?

To offer relief to first-time homebuyers, I will push for a federal Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) to qualified first-time homebuyers, allowing these buyers to receive a direct dollar-for-dollar reduction of tax liability, not just a deduction. The duration of the credit would vary.

Explain how you would use your position to help tackle homelessness in your district.

Leveraging the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program to support emergency shelter, rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention, advocate for the (1) purchase of underutilized hotel properties to provide immediate shelter with the intention of converting to permanent housing at a later time and for (2) repurposing vacant commercial space in downtown areas into residential units. In cities without empty business parks or underutilized hotels, create shipping container villages, using steel containers to offer low-cost, rapidly deployable residential units.

Bay Area transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff. Their solvency appears to depend on the passage of a proposed November sales tax. What's your position on that tax? What changes would you demand of Bay Area transit agencies, if any, in order to receive more federal funds?

I'm not in favor of the sales tax increase. For close to a year, I was a daily commuter on BART, but stopped using the service because I felt unsafe seeing regular drug use on the trains. I believe the true reason for the fiscal cliff is declining ridership. BART needs to be viewed as an affordable and safe alternative to driving. Otherwise, ridership will continue to decline. Before tax payers spend more money on BART, the agency needs to demonstrate a solid plan for improving operations and honoring its promises.

What is your position on the California High-Speed Rail project? Would you support appropriating more federal funds for it? If so, under what conditions, if any?

Although I'm a huge supporter of investment in public transportation, this project has struggled to gain support since it was first proposed in the mid-1990s. Given so many other priorities facing the country and California, I would not prioritize funding for this project.

Joint Venture Silicon Valley estimates 400,000 Bay Area jobs are at risk of being replaced by AI. What legislation would you support, if any, to protect your district's workers and/or consumers from automation?

During an AI revolution, the federal government needs to quickly pivot within existing programs (i.e., same spending but in industries and on "new collar" jobs). I strongly support public-private partnerships to offer job opportunities to job seekers who have a diploma, degree or certificate but lack prior work experience. The existing Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund provides grants to state workforce agencies that form partnerships with eligible employers in key high-growth and emerging sectors. We need to select recipients that are committed to preparing participants for the shifting job market.

Would you support legislation to curb children's use of social media?

Yes.

Wealth inequality has hit its widest gap in more than three decades. The top 1% of households own 31% of all U.S. wealth. What policies would you support, if any, to narrow the wealth gap?

To narrow the wealth gap, I will support reinvesting tax revenue in working families (as proposed by Rep. Ro Khanna). Rep. Khanna's proposal is funded by imposing a 5% tax on billionaires. Like others, I'm concerned that this would lead this wealthy tax base to leave California, impacting future tax revenue. I know this is a controversial position but the proposal seems rushed and should be refined before it's in front of voters. Instead, I'm in favor of closing tax loopholes, addressing excess executive pay of those working in health insurance, pharmaceutical, and energy sectors and improving government efficiency.

Explain your position on Donald Trump's military action against Iran. Would you support Rep. Ro Khanna's War Powers Resolution?

Yes.

Bay Area counties will lose billions in coming years as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. These federal cuts, particularly to health care, are expected to hit Alameda and Santa Clara counties' residents hard. What actions, if any, would you support to protect the health care of these counties in light of these cuts?

We need to retake both the House of Representatives and the Senate to reverse the cuts included in the Build Back Better Act, namely cuts to health care subsidies, future-forward sustainable energy tax incentives, public transportation projects and NIH grants for medical research.

Beyond the threat of immediate cuts facing county budgets, what other health care challenges face your district's residents? What policies would you support to improve their health access and outcomes?

Despite my concerns about the use of AI in other areas (e.g., social media, the arts), I believe AI will dramatically improve health access and outcomes. I will support policies that incentivize care providers to use AI to improve administrative tasks, such as patient registration, appointment scheduling, authorizations, claims processing and hospital procurement. Regarding outcomes, I will fight to restore NIH funding and allow researchers to continue efforts in the use of AI in early detection screenings, treatments for cancer, emerging diseases and rare diseases.

The federal government faces chronic deficits. It must either raise more revenue or cut more spending. Or both. Explain what policies you would support to raise more revenue and, if applicable, what spending you'd cut. Be specific.

I support rolling back the $325 billion increase in federal spending on the military and immigration enforcement, rolling back expanded corporate expensing rules, restoring tax rates for specific industries (e.g., alcohol) and reversing tax-free bond financing for special interests. We need to set policy priorities that support families who face immediate increases in the high cost of living. This means taking control of tariff policy and ending engagement in very expensive foreign engagements.

A Bay Area News Group analysis shows that federal agents have recently increased the number of deportations of immigrants without prior criminal histories. This has affected immigrants in this specific district. Do you support the Trump administration's immigration policies? Describe the immigration policies you'd support.

I do not support the use of terror and intimidation to enforce immigration policy. I'm most in favor of the reintroduced, bipartisan Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393).The bipartisan proposal offers legal status, not direct citizenship, to long-term undocumented residents, while significantly boosting border security. Ideas such as these have been discussed for years without movement. Similar to the very difficult passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Speaker Pelosi, Democrats need to remain focused on this issue until a solution is in place.

What do the biggest contributors to your campaign expect from you?

My campaign is completely grassroots. My biggest contributors are the voters and they expect that I work for them every day, representing their interests.

Do all of your policy goals above depend on your party controlling Congress? If so, how will you achieve anything if your party doesn't control Congress? How do you plan to build bipartisan coalitions to pass legislation in a divided Congress?

As stated above, we need to elect good, sensible, reach-across-the-aisle leaders to address policy gridlock and dysfunction in Washington. If we want to see real change within the district, we can't continue with yo-yo politics - the party in charge dramatically reversing the policies of the prior administration. To build bipartisan coalitions, we need to build direct relationships. This dysfunction began under Newt Gingrich when he insisted that the two parties sit separately in the House chambers. We need to break down barriers if we're going to see change.

What else should we know about your capacity to directly improve the lives of this district's constituents?

I'm a common-sense leader seeking solutions. My campaign is incredibly grassroots. I'm beholden to no one. I will fight for District 14 every day in every way.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 5:43 PM.