47th Assembly District: Greg Wallis looks to defend seat against Leila Namvar
COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – California's 47th State Assembly District is a big race for the Coachella Valley.
The district is a large one. Encompassing a big chunk of the valley, its eastern bounds start in La Quinta before stretching to portions of the Inland Empire. Including parts of Redlands, it also stretches north, into the High Desert of San Bernardino County, including Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree.
Greg Wallis is the incumbent and is looking ahead to his third term after first being elected in an extremely tight race in 2022. A Republican, he said he's worked with the legislature's Problem Solvers Caucus in search of good policy decisions rather than partisan politics.
That's why he said he disagreed with how campaign ads paid for by his opponent have portrayed him this election cycle.
"It's the politics of division we've seen every two years out here in the races that I've run," he said. Responding to an ad that claimed he voted with the "Republican MAGA agenda," he refuted, "You look at the initial claim on that. It was from an article that Cal Matters wrote calling me the most independent member of the state legislature."
The ad also said he has voted to keep costs for Californians high. He refuted that claim, citing his voting history in the assembly: "I've voted against policies that are going to drive, well, companies out of state, because right now, the reality is Californians need fuel to get around. And when we artificially limit the supply like we have in Sacramento, you're going to see costs go up."
Leila Namvar is the Democratic challenger looking to oust Wallis from his assembly seat. Originally from Iran, she moved to the Coachella Valley in 2005. She has since served more than 20 years with the City of Indio drafting policy and is currently a Public Arts Analyst within Indio's Public Works department.
Ads targeting her campaign claimed the policies she and her backers support extreme. She disagreed.
"I don't consider [any of my positions] extreme. We pay taxes for essentials. Our tax pays for our police, fire, ambulances," she said. "Their claims that there are some Democrats, that they disagree with me. That's wrong."
Namvar said her experience in public policy is something she would take with her to Sacramento.
"The way I operate is always show up, listen, learn and bring all the stakeholders at the table so we can create the policy that is balanced."
She said she wanted to prioritize affordability, justice, and access to education and healthcare. "People are talking about affordability. People are afraid of their health care. That is going to go away. People are afraid that they can't afford their rent."
For Wallis, he said the cost of living was what was at the top of every voter's mind this election. He wanted to prioritize bringing legislation forward to help drive down costs.
"I think that really means getting rid of red tape, getting rid of some of the redundant regulations that end up increasing timelines and driving up costs on projects that ultimately get passed on to Californians," Wallis said.
The key to the race, according to independent political analyst Chad Mayes, was the appeal Greg Wallis manages to secure from voters across party lines.
"You know, that party label means an awful lot," he explained. "The question is for Assemblymember Wallis, has he done enough to be able to reach out to folks in the district to say, listen, I'm representing your values. I think that he's done that. The question is, is do the voters believe that he's done that?"
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