2 vie for District 15 congressional seat

Two are running for the District 15 congressional seat, vying to represent San Mateo County in the House of Representatives — incumbent Democrat Kevin Mullin and his Republican challenger Anna Cheng Kramer. 

Much separates the two candidates. Mullin, D-South San Francisco, was born and raised in the county, studied in the Bay Area and began his began his political career early on by becoming an aide to his predecessor former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier. His father, Gene Mullin, also had a career in politics, serving in the state Assembly. 

Cheng Kramer, on the other hand, was born and raised in Taiwan where her parents settled after escaping Communist China. She later immigrated to the United States to study economics in Washington, D.C., before moving to California for a master’s in business program, gaining her citizenship in 1984 and beginning her career in nonprofit housing management. 

Their stances on a variety of policies — immigration reform, addressing the conflict in the Middle East, overseeing the local tech industry, climate adaptation and resiliency, civil liberties and more — also differ. 

As potential representatives of Silicon Valley, the hub of technological innovation, both Mullin and Cheng Kramer said they believe in innovation and would encourage advancements in the field while also stressing the importance of protecting consumers. 

Mullin shared concerns about technology, particularly artificial intelligence, being used for political misinformation while Cheng Kramer’s top concern was for young people who spend their time on the internet and apps like TikTok and censorship on other social media apps.

“We need to protect the children on the internet, that’s a big deal for me,” Cheng Kramer said, noting particular concern for children struggling with their mental health.  

Speaking on other ways to improve financial situations for constituents, Cheng Kramer said federal and state governments need to check their spending, raising questions about the amount spend on health care and housing for migrants. 

Doing away with mandates such as banning gas appliances or requiring electric vehicle charging infrastructure would also help alleviate burdens on residents, she said, noting those in the lowest tax brackets struggle the most with such requirements. Instead of mandates, Cheng Kramer said education around those initiatives could encourage people to make the move on their own. 

Mullin said addressing the housing shortage would be a major relief for constituents and shared optimism that leaders across the nation are beginning to recognize the need for action. The Bay Area is the epicenter of the issue, he said, due to the region’s high cost of living. 

That, he said, is also something he’s looking to address through legislation he introduced in December aimed at updating the federal poverty line which is used to establish eligibility for a wide swath of means-tested social programs. The formula currently used to calculate the income threshold does not incorporate many expenditures that have seen substantive increases since its creation several decades ago.

“There needs to be a real world look at what families are dealing with because the poverty line determines federal funding across a whole range of programs and too often folks in high cost areas like mine are left out of the equation,” Mullin said. 

Immigration reform 

Both candidates acknowledged immigration reforms are needed but differ on what those changes should be. Cheng Kramer, who waited eight years to become a citizen, said she supports work programs that allow people to come into the country to fill vacant roles and advocated for creating a better pathway to citizenship for people who have been in the country for years or were brought to the United States as children. 

But Cheng Kramer also argued for closing the southern border and institute a merit-based immigration policy. 

Mullin also advocated better pathways to citizenship and a speedier process, arguing that could be accomplished by providing more funds to the judicial system processing asylum claims, allowing more judges and other personnel to be hired. The roadblock to getting there though, Mullin said, are Republicans. 

“This is a chaotic situation that’s calling out for a bipartisan compromise and proper funding for asylum courts,” Mullin said. 

Conflict in the Middle East 

Speaking on the ongoing conflict between the state of Israel and Hamas, a terrorist organization prominent in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, both Mullin and Cheng Kramer said hostages taken during an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas must be returned and noted the United States remains an ally of Israel as a lone democratic state in the region. 

Mullin was much more critical of the Israeli government. He shared grave concern for the tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians now dead due to Israeli bombings, argued any aide package for Israel stipulates funds must be used for defensive equipment and aide for those in Gaza, and called for a leadership change after sharing strong doubts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would work toward a two-state solution. 

Cheng Kramer said she doesn’t like the killings in Gaza but argued Hamas has not helped alleviate the crisis. She also argued the United States is generally viewed internationally as weak which encourages terrorist groups to act out. Stronger leadership will be needed to make any peace deal successful, she said. 

Collaboration and other top priorities

Cheng Kramer, a proud Republican representing what she said is a large portion of minorities in the party, said she plans to bring her diplomacy and negotiation skills to the job if elected. As for committee assignments, Cheng Kramer said she’d like to serve on the budget committee or another addressing national defense. 

Among her other top priorities if elected would be advocating for quality education and equitable opportunities for all. Ultimately, Cheng Kramer said she’s against mandates, including those regarding someone’s personal medical decisions, though she noted she’s a pro-life conservative. 

“I’m very proud to represent the Republican party as a minority and the view that the Republican Party are extremist white supremacists is totally erroneous,” Cheng Kramer said. 

While working across the aisle is a goal for the incumbent, — he plans to do a “district swap” with a Southern California Republican so both can get a glimpse into how the other party runs their district —  Mullin said he believes progress on many issues will require Democrats to maintain its majority in the Senate, a Democrat majority in the House and a Democrat in the White House. 

At the very least, he said a Democrat-led Senate and House would serve as a buffer to a Republican held executive branch, asserting a Trump presidency would surely lead to a proposed nationwide abortion ban and other challenges to civil liberties. 

“I had a front row seat to extremism and dysfunction by the Republican majority in the House my freshman year,” Mullin said. “Ultimately, what the American people want is a House of Representatives that is functioning.” 

As for other top priorities, Mullin said he wants to deliver for his district while being a district-based member of Congress. He argued the state and county pay more into the federal tax system than what it gets back and he’d focus on bringing those dollars home. 

The Presidential Primary Election will be held Tuesday, March 5. Vote By Mail ballots began Monday, Feb. 5, and the voter registration deadline was Tuesday, Feb. 20. The primary is open to all political parties and the top two will run off in the Nov. 5 general election.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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