On March 5, Incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif. and Anna Cheng Kramer, R-Calif. advanced as candidates to represent California’s 15th Congressional District, spanning from Daly City to Redwood City, in the House of Representatives. Mullin, a San Mateo native and fourth-generation Californian, has had a long history of being politically involved in the Peninsula.
“I originally ran for Congress with the slogan ‘Fighting For Our Future’ because I am committed to working on issues that will create a safe, prosperous and equitable future for all of us,” Mullin said in an email. “I am running for re-election to continue that work: strengthening democracy, fighting climate change and addressing our region’s affordability crisis.”
Kramer was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S. for college, where she earned a BA in economics. Since then, she has mostly worked with nonprofit housing management and multi-housing investment along the West Coast.
“We really need government accountability,” Kramer said on her website. “We need to stop the crime, the homelessness and close the borders. We cannot afford to keep spending money with no returns. And that’s why I’m running — to bring some discipline to the Congress and fight for our people.”
Both candidates focus on similar policy issues, some of which are evident in the county to students.
“In San Mateo, there’s a big disparity between … the allocation of resources,” said senior Ruhi Mudoi. “There’s this very affluent, wealthy side to it, and then there’s the other side of it that’s under-resourced.”
Sophomore Natalie Gourlie thinks high living expenses in the Bay Area contribute to gaps in wealth and resources accessible to the community.
“Costs of living have skyrocketed and wages haven’t really followed,” Gourlie said. “So a lot more families are having to take out debt. Especially medical debt … because there’s many families who don’t have the savings.”
Others see how these gaps affect students at Aragon.
“I think there are certain demographics of kids that experience a lot of dehumanizing language because of what their … neighborhood’s like,” said senior Chloe Laddaran.
“It’s very unfair because that’s not up to the kid … especially in areas where, maybe, it’s violent to be out at night. No kid should ever have to live through that.”
The candidates approach these gaps in wealth and resources differently.
“In 2023, I introduced the Poverty Line Act … to modernize the way the federal poverty line is calculated, which has not been updated in nearly 60 years,” Mullin said in an email. “This bill would increase accessibility to federal safety net programs for hard-working Americans who don’t make enough to afford their basic needs.”
As someone who has overseen housing improvement in low-income communities, Kramer plans to introduce a Community Housing Initiative, which will provide affordable housing through shared facilities and increased collaboration between public and private sectors. Her goal is to eventually establish permanent market-rate housing.
They also have different stances on immigration policies.
Mullin believes better funding for the judicial system will allow asylum claims to be processed faster and that it will require a bipartisan compromise. Kramer supports work programs providing jobs for immigrants, and argues for securing the southern border and establishing a merit-based immigration policy.
“I think that aligns with their respective parties very well,” Mudoi said. “Immigrants are a vital part of the Bay Area, and so I hope that whoever wins the seat ends up embracing that.”
Some, however, are critical of Kramer’s approaches to policy issues.
“[She] does advocate for less single family housing, but she’s also against giving housing to migrants or to homeless people,” Gourlie said. “It’s better to have someone who’s willing to take the extra step of also ensuring other people get housing; not just people who might need it in the future, people who also currently need it.”
The candidates will continue to discuss their goals, including consumer protection and clean energy reforms, through campaigns and events.
“[Constituent] services are one of the most important functions of being an elected official,” Mullin said. “We are trusted by the public to represent their values in Sacramento or D.C., and we must always earn that trust.”
The general election will be held on Nov. 5.
