The 2022 election of California’s 14th Congressional District on Nov. 8, 2022 has Kevin Mullin and David Canepa as the top two candidates in the running for Congress. The winning candidate will replace current representative Jackie Speier in the House of Representatives. In the nonpartisan primary election on June 7, 2022, Mullin received 41.7% of the total votes and Canepa followed with 23.9% of the total votes. The two were the winners of the California primary election on June 7, 2022, which elects the top two candidates, regardless of political party, to compete in the general election.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Congresswoman Jackie Speier announced that she would not be running for re-election in 2022 after 40 years of public service. Speier was first elected to represent California’s 14th Congressional District in April 2008. Since then, she has worked to secure the safety, health and rights of all Americans and worked on nationwide issues like government corruption, women’s rights and national defense.
Democratic candidate Mullin is a fourth generation Californian and a San Mateo native. He served on the South San Francisco City Council from 2007 to 2012 and became the mayor of South San Francisco in 2011. Mullin is also a member of the California State Assembly and is currently representing District 22 until Dec. 5, 2022. As a State Assemblyman, he has gotten more than 60 of his bills signed and has delivered millions of dollars in funding. In the past, Mullin was a political director for his father, State Assemblymember Gene Mullin, and a district director for Speier when she was a state senator.
In November 2021, Mullin announced his candidacy for representing California’s 14th Congressional District.
“I didn’t always think that I would run for Congress,” Mullin said in an email. “Growing up, I had a lot of dream jobs, including my desire to be a professional DJ. Ultimately, my mentor Jackie Speier inspired me to run for my first South San Francisco City Council seat and eventually inspired my subsequent California Assembly race.”
Mullin’s purpose for running in the election was fueled by his dedication to help future generations.
“When I announced my candidacy, I made my Liam and Landon Promise,” Mullin said in an email. “[It’s] a commitment to my four-year-old twin sons that I will do everything in my power to make this world a better place for them and future generations.”
Kevin Mullin’s goals in Congress include funding transportation and climate resiliency, protecting voting and reproductive rights, constructing a fair economy and strengthening democracy.
On the other running end, Democrat David Canepa proposes a similar plan of making health care affordable, focusing on addressing climate change and creating free access to community colleges.
“I will do everything in my power to make this world a better place for … future generations. “
Canepa has served as representative of District 5, which covers cities including Daly City, San Bruno and South San Francisco. He is a former mayor of Daly City, starting in the year 2014. During his career, he focuses on transportation, housing and healthcare. According to the County of San Mateo’s website, “Canepa’s previous experience includes serving on the City/County Association of Governments, as Vice Chair of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and as Director of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District representing 20 cities.”
Both candidates serve very similar agendas with campaign teams promoting their candidates through public speeches, rallies and social media advertisements. Senior Jordan Lee has been an active intern for Canepa’s campaign since early February.
“I decided to intern for David because I feel like he’s more in touch with the needs of the community [such as supporting] women’s rights and the LGBTQ community,” Lee said. “I got to see him do that, whether it was [addressing] climate change or gun rights. Instead of just saying that he would help out these communities, [it was] great to see him actually put those words to [action].”
As an intern, Lee has participated in phone banking, literature walks, rallies and contributed to Canepa’s social media. Along with other students in the district, Lee works multiple times a week to promote Canepa as the election nears. While Lee has no plans to step into the world of politics in the future, she’s gained skills and hopes to work with Canepa again.
“[I thought it could be a] new experience that I could try out and [learn] more about,” Lee said. “I also wanted to see a different leadership aspect because I’m interested in becoming a better leader, especially in sports.”
As election day approaches, California residents will evaluate candidates in the running to vote between Mullin and Canepa. The public will decide who will serve for the next two years in representing California’s 14th Congressional District. With Mullin in the lead and Canepa following, the results of the election are uncertain.
Written by Kiara Lopez and Kylie Avila.
