Meet Kevin Mullin, Candidate For 15th Congressional District Seat

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — Kevin Mullin, an assemblymember representing San Mateo and San Francisco counties and a South San Francisco resident, is running to represent the 15th Congressional District, a redrawn district held by the outgoing Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo).

Speier announced that she wouldn't be running for reelection after representing most of San Mateo County and parts of San Francisco since 2008. Her predecessor, Tom Lantos, had held the seat from 1991-2008. The redrawn district stretches from San Francisco down to East Palo Alto, with parts of Menlo Park and Atherton included.

Mullin is one of six candidates running for the open seat. The primary is June 7, narrowing the field to two candidates before the Nov. 8 general election.

Learn more about Mullin and his goals for the district as voters cast their ballots before and on Election Day June 7th in the following exclusive Q&A with Patch.

Age (as of Election Day)

51

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I have a wife and 4 year-old twin boys.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My father, Gene Mullin, served in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008.

Education

Receive a B.A. in Communications from the University of San Francisco and a Master's degree in Public Administration (M.P.A.) from San Francisco State University. Also completed the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government Leadership for the 21st Century Program.

Occupation

Elected to California State Assembly in 2012 to present.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Serving as State Assemblymember. Previously served on the South San Francisco City Council from 2007 - 2012, serving as Mayor in 2011.

Campaign website

kevinmullinforcongress.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

My wife, twin boys and I live the day-to-day concerns of San Mateo and San Francisco County residents. With housing out of reach for so many, healthcare, child care, and higher education continuing to increase in cost, and inflation making everything from groceries to gas more expensive for all of us, I want to bring these concerns to Congress and fight for an economy that works for all of us.

I have a proven record of results in the State Assembly that has improved the lives of working families.

In 2020, I worked to construct a strategic stimulus package that would take decisive steps to protect small businesses, invest in modern, sustainable infrastructure and avoid raising taxes on low-and middle-income families. I supported Gov. Newsom’s proposal to restore tax credits and incentives.

To improve California’s state economy, it is crucial that we forgive student loan debt for low-income individuals and fund such initiatives by repealing corporate tax cuts, boosting taxes on wealthy Americans, and closing tax loopholes.

More than nine million children live in California, but the state has the highest child poverty rate in the country. I co-authored a bill to extend California’s Universal Meals Program — which offers free breakfast and lunch to all K-12 public school students — to state-licensed day care providers, given the growing food insecurity crisis and the importance of nutrition for young, growing children. I also authored bill AB 762 (2015) formalized toddler programs at Day Care Centers and created a quality standard for prekindergarten education.

I will bring deep experience and proven leadership to the Congress.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Congresswomen Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo, the California Democratic Party, the California Environmental Voters, the California Labor Federation, and over 100 elected and community leaders have endorsed me for U.S. House of Representatives.

In her endorsement of my candidacy, Representative Jackie Speier asserted that: “Experience matters.” Experience matters for low-income families to have affordable housing. I supported legislation to appropriate funds for affordable housing and homelessness aid and established rental increase caps.

Experience matters for working families to have living wages and job protection. I have pushed for an increase in worker’s wages and protections through an increased minimum wage in California, authorizing collective bargaining for childcare workers, and prohibiting forced employment arbitration agreements from their employer.

Experience matters for people of color to tackle systemic inequities in our justice system. I supported AB-2542 (2020), which prohibits the state from seeking a criminal conviction or sentence on the basis of race, or ethnicity.

Experience matters for LGBTQ+ community to tackle inequities and discrimination. I was the lead author of ACR 67 (2015) condemning the "Sodomite Suppression Act" ballot measure.

Experience matters for the next generations to address the impacts of climate change. A top priority is maximizing the billions in climate resiliency funds from SB 5 (2017), which I co-authored, to protect, restore, and enhance natural resources of critical importance to the State and support the planning, development, and implementation of climate adaptation and resiliency projects. I earmarked $8 million to construct a comprehensive network seawalls and levees to protect the Peninsula from sea level rise.

I brought home over $1 billion to the Peninsula to combat sea level rise and climate change, pushed for affordable housing, child care, and clean transportation like Caltrain electrification.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Tackling climate change by advocating for clean air, safe water, land conservation, and protection against sea level rise. I will continue to support climate resiliency measures like SB 5 (2017), which I co-authored, that provided $4 billion in funding for climate resilience.

Providing economic opportunities through high quality, debt-free education, and affordable housing. I supported creating a college savings account and the California College Promise (AB 19 – 2017) and (AB 2 – 2019), a state grant to waive tuition and fund wraparound services for California Community College students.

I authored AB 1029 (2021) designed to ensure that a city’s efforts to preserve existing affordable units will be prioritized for state funding by adding “preservation of affordable housing units” to the list of local “pro-housing local policies” that entitle jurisdictions to priority access for state housing funds. Additionally, I created the framework for school districts and municipalities to create housing for teachers through AB 1157 (2017) and addressed barriers to teacher housing in AB 3308 (2020).

Elections reform, protecting voters’ rights, and strengthening our democracy. I authored the first-in-the-nation DISCLOSE Act to put a stop to “dark money” and reveal the true funders of ballot measures and candidates. I piloted the universal vote-by-mail, so every voter receives a paper ballot postage paid when San Mateo County was the first county in the San Francisco Bay Area to conduct a regularly scheduled off-year election entirely by mail. This resulted in record participation and turnout. I reformed the recount process for statewide elections, ensuring legitimate votes are counted by enhancing vote-by-mail ballot signature verification. I was a co-author of the landmark law automatically registering Californians to vote.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Addressing homelessness and economic inequality we are experiencing in California has been a focus of mine through the legislature. This crisis impacts our most marginalized communities the most. I supported AB 2 (2015), which authorizes local governments to create Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities to use tax increment revenue to improve the infrastructure, assist businesses, and support affordable housing in disadvantaged communities.

Our current housing crisis must be addressed by preserving and drastically increasing affordable and market-rate housing stock and expanding tenant protections. This can be achieved through changing zoning laws, supporting economically diverse neighborhoods through multifamily housing, streamlining housing approvals, stabilizing rents, and preventing displacement.

I voted for the $22 billion housing affordability and homelessness package in the 2021-22 State Budget. California is investing $22 billion to tackle these systemic issues, with $12 billion apportioned for homelessness and behavioral health services to help get people off the streets or avoid homelessness altogether. Additionally, the funding will lead to the creation of over 84,000 new affordable homes for Californians, including over 44,000 new housing units and treatment beds for people exiting homelessness.

The new homelessness funding also includes $5.8 billion to add more than 35,000 new housing units through Homekey, in which counties collaborate with the State to acquire and rehabilitate various housing options, such as hotels, motels, vacant apartment building, residential care facilities and tiny homes. It also includes funding for wrap-around supportive services.

Three billion of the homelessness investment is dedicated to housing for people with the most acute behavioral and physical health needs and will create approximately 22,000 new beds and treatment slots.

In the State Assembly I have authored the following bills to address our state’s unaffordability issue:

• AB 1029 (2021), which ensured that a city’s efforts to preserve existing affordable units will be prioritized for state funding by adding “preservation of affordable housing units” to the list of local “pro-housing local policies” that entitle jurisdictions to priority access for state housing funds.
• A barrier faced by local educators, who are disproportionately women, is the cost of living. AB 1157 (2017), which created the framework for school districts and municipalities to create housing for teachers and addressed barriers to teacher housing in AB 3308 (2020).
• AB 2562, (2018) which granted the California Department of Housing and Community Development authority to adjust the interest rate on loans coupled with affordable housing developments utilizing federal low-income housing tax credits when needed to make affordable housing projects feasible.
• AB 1598 (2017), which allowed cities and counties statewide to create Affordable Housing Authorities to fund the promotion and development of affordable housing through local tax increment financing, without raising taxes.
• AB 2035 (2018), which clarified Affordable Housing Authorities law to ensure tax increment financing for affordable housing can be implemented. I intend on continuing to advocate and legislate for affordable housing as a Congressmember, including by fighting to increase funding for federal housing assistance and tax credits.
• I intend on continuing to advocate and legislate for affordable housing as a Congressmember, including by fighting to increase funding for federal housing assistance and tax credits. I support the low-income tax credit program and Section 8 voucher program.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My father, the late Gene Mullin, was a teacher who taught government for 32 years. He later served in the State Assembly from 2002 to 2008. He taught me that civil engagement was something that you always took to heart and that you put your heart and soul into it. His legacy on civic engagement lives on through the lives of his legions of students, as well as his children and grandchildren.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The news that the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade casts a dark shadow over our country.

I believe women should have ready access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including the constitutional right to legal and safe abortion services. I support the Women’s Health Protection Act (2021) to codify Roe vs. Wade.

All women must be able to make these personal healthcare decisions including deciding to end a pregnancy, accessing family planning service, STI prevention, and contraception without interference from the government or religious organizations.

In the California State Legislature. I voted for:

• SB 245 (2021) prohibits a health care service plan (health plan) or an individual or group policy from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on coverage for all abortion and abortion-related services
• SB 24 (2019) requires public university student health centers (SHCs) to offer abortion by medication techniques onsite.
• AB 732 (2019) requires jails and prisons to offer inmates who are possibly pregnant a pregnancy test and requires specified medical treatment and services for county jail and state prison inmates who are pregnant.
• SB 743 (2017) prohibits a Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCP) from restricting the choice of a qualified provider from whom a beneficiary enrolled in the MCP may receive family planning services covered by Medi-Cal.

I believe California must be a safe haven for people seeking abortions and the doctors who help them. I support California legislation aim to protect women who travel here for abortions from prosecution and subpoenas in their home states as well as broadening the availability of abortions by increasing which providers could perform the procedure and where they could do it.

I have always supported reproductive rights, and I will always support a woman’s right to choose.