The 2026 primary election proposes new faces for the assemblymember of California’s District 30. District 30 serves portions of San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. With three front-running candidates, the election brings a variety of issues to the top of voters’ minds.
Eligible voters can cast their ballots in person on June 2 or mail their ballots, which must be postmarked prior to June 2.
The skyrocketing cost of living, housing, grocery and energy is a shared point of contention among the legislature candidates, who are focusing on affordability for the local community and Cal Poly students.
The position works towards passing laws and legislation through the state pertaining to budget, constituent service and committee work. Assemblymembers work to represent the community districts’ special interests in the state legislature.
Dawn Addis – Democrat
Dawn Addis is the current assemblymember for District 30. Addis holds various chairs on the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and California Central Coast Caucus and is a member of the progressive caucus and the women’s caucus.
Addis holds additional objectives in reducing housing costs, funding Cal States and protecting sexual assault survivors, student privacy, the environment and clean energy production along the Central Coast.
“I am very proud to fight for the Central Coast, and we’ve been very successful,” Addis said in an interview with Mustang News. “And [I] look forward to continuing to fight for students at Cal Poly and students across California.”
Read more about Addis’ goals
Addis discussed her plans for the next two years if reelected.
“We need to continue to increase housing in the right way for our coastal communities, for students on the Central Coast,” Addis said. “I know very well how expensive college is and the amount of student debt that students are coming out with, so I have fought for full funding of the [Cal State], but have also fought to bring costs down for students in our [Cal State] system.”
READ MORE: A conversation with Assemblymember Dawn Addis
Addis shared her devotion to protecting and uplifting survivors of sexual assault within the Central Coast community, referencing the continued investigation into Kristin Smart’s murder.
“I continue to work on standing up for child sex assault and sex assault survivors in general,” Addis said. “I think this is particularly important in light of the fact that it’s the 30th anniversary of Kristen Smart’s disappearance.”
READ MORE: Kristin Smart’s remains were not found in Susan Flores’ home, investigators confirm
Addis further supports student privacy legislation, especially in light of the recent Canvas hack across college campuses around the nation. Affirming that student voices, Cal poly voices are protected in online spaces.
“We absolutely have to protect our natural environment, and when we look at any kind of energy project, it has to be with our natural environment in mind,” Addis said.
Addis continued work in environmental protections along the Central Coast affirms that research and science plays a major role ensuring the health of the natural environment, especially based on the appeal of the Central Coast’s ocean. That, in addition to protections living by the coast, propels the economy through tourist business and college life culture.
Although students remain central in Addis’ work, she states, “I also continue to work on uplifting the voice of people across the Central Coast when it comes to affordability overall. Making sure that people can afford to live in California is incredibly important, and we’re still working to bring costs down when it comes to groceries, gas and utilities.”
Shannon Kessler – Republican
Shannon Kessler’s campaign hones in on bringing practicality and common sense leadership and fairness to Sacramento, according to her website.
Kessler focuses on hands-on involvement, serving as Arroyo Grande Parks and Recreation commissioner and Parent Teacher Association president. She is a local business owner and founded Save Girls’ Sports Central Coast and Culture Impact.
“I am not a career politician,” Kessler states on her website. “I am a mother, business owner, and community member ready to serve. This campaign isn’t about party labels. It’s about restoring common sense and protecting the future of our community.”
Key issues in her campaign include, public safety, affordability and accountability. Kessler plans to encourage school systems to prioritize parent voices over politicians.
Read more about Kessler’s goals
Kessler provided personal insight on some goals for administration and campaign focus. Kessler’s campaign issues pertain to youth athletics and “protecting girls sports,” a centric issue in her campaign, as the founder of Save Girl’s Sports Central Coast.
“My generation, Gen X, will have seen the beginning and the end of girls’ sports, due to these policies which allow biological males to compete in the female sports categories based on how they are, rather than on their biological sex,” Kessler said in an interview with Mustang News.
Furthering Kessler’s goals, she focuses her campaign around plans to reduce cost of living in housing and general affordability.
“In my 36 years of living here on the Central Coast, I have seen that we are consistently behind the demand for housing in the supply of housing,” Kessler said. “We can’t quite keep up.”
Kessler broadcasts support for higher education as well as avenues outside of college, including data tech, trade school and the workforce.
Kessler emphasized the importance of representing all constituents, whether they voted for the winning candidate or not.
“I thought that I should run for her office since she’s not approachable to her own constituents,” Kessler said. “I pledge to remain accessible to discuss issues with people.”
Susannah Brown – Democrat
Sussanah Brown’s public service work ethic focuses on a ground approach in listening, learning and showing up to each community meeting their needs, according to her website.
Brown, born and raised along the Central Coast, focuses her campaign on central issues of affordability, housing, stable school funding and overall policy implementation that is reliable for community members.
“I just want to focus on real results that matter to everyday people,” Brown said in an interview with Mustang News. “I was actually born in San Luis Obispo, and I’m the only candidate that is born and raised right here on the Central Coast, and I think that makes me have a unique perspective on our community.”
Brown’s experience in community service ranges from current service in an elementary school council, working for over a decade alongside small businesses and assisting in domestic violence awareness through the Lumina Alliance’s Lumina Days, according to her website.
Read more about Brown’s goals
Brown’s campaign works on efforts in funding stable education, including higher education. Brown speaks towards funding models that work in the long run, rather than short-term quick solutions to continuous funding issues.
“Stable school funding that’s proactive and long-term is absolutely crucial right now,” Brown said. “And it’s something that a lot of people are asking for and aren’t seeing.”
Brown discussed the uncertainty around education and athletics funding at Cal Poly, which she believes creates a lot of uncertainty for students.
“A lot of people say, ‘How can we keep Cal Poly students here?’” Brown said. “Well, let them build roots while they’re going to Cal Poly by getting them into our communities, getting them involved in civic life and our community life, our community farmers markets, just part of our everyday culture.”
Brown’s campaign strives to implement construction of housing rental property rather than exclusively private ownership to create more affordable housing.
“Too many people here feel like they’re working harder every year just to stay here,” Brown said. “I’m really focused on housing that is affordable and attainable for all types of people.”
Brown’s campaign also focuses on environmental issues such as renewable energy and wildfire cautious protections for the community, specifically focusing on nonprofits.
“Getting educated on how we can support people who have different struggles just by showing up and listening is hugely important,” Brown said.
What do students think?
Although some students remain unfamiliar with local elected candidates, some main concerns are environmental wellbeing, energy production and the cost of living and housing.
Tate Thompson, animal science freshman, wants clean renewable energy to be the standard across the board in San Luis Obispo.
“I would want them to do more and work on alternative sources of power for the county, power unification and having more set standards for everyone,” Thompson said. “I want them to advocate for me.”
Emma Owens, environmental management sophomore, wants the assemblymember to prioritize housing issues, especially for students’ access and affordability to good housing. She also agrees in wanting the assemblymember to advocate for student and community interests.
“Advocate for the well being of everyone, which is honestly what government officials should be doing,” Owens said.