The 11th state senate district, which includes Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, pits current 21st District Assemblyman Joe Simitian against two relative unknowns, Republican Jon Zellhoefer and Libertarian Allen M. Rice. The winner will fill the seat vacated by the retiring Democrat Byron Sher.
The Democrat’s resume includes Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Trustees, Palo Alto City Council and Santa Clara County supervisor. He served in the state Assembly since 2000.
Simitian co-authored Proposition 47, an education bond voters passed in 2002 that provided $13 billion for construction and renovation of public schools. In 2003, he led an effort to save basic aid funding. On the environmental front, Simitian co-authored AB 1493 in 2002, to better regulate auto emissions. He authored a 2001 bill expanding recycling of household hazardous wastes.
Simitian vows to continue to prioritize education and environmental legislation, along with strengthening privacy laws.
Zellhoefer of San Jose, an engineer, favors economic incentives to “stop jobs from leaving California,” and provide new affordable housing opportunities for seniors, among his goals.
Rice, also an engineer from San Jose, lists as his priorities balancing the state budget, restoring local control of schools funding and reforming the redistricting process.
For more information on Rice, logon to www.rice4sd11.org.
For more information on Zellhoefer, logon to www.zellhoefer.com.
For more information about Simitian, logon to www.joesimitian.com.
