CA State Senate District 9 candidate questions: Tim Grayson
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Mar. 1, 2024) — The Pioneer newspaper presented questions to the candidates running for California’s State Senate District 9 in the 2024 primary election.
For our story on all the candidates running in this race, click here. To read other candidate answers, click here.
Candidate: Tim Grayson
What are the strengths or qualities that you bring to the position you’re seeking?
I am general contractor and a small business owner, a father of two, and a member of the California Assembly. My wife and I have been married for 35 years and we raised our kids in Concord. I have served as an elected official for more than a decade, including as Assemblymember and former Mayor of Concord. I wrote the bill to end big banks’ predatory lending practices, expanded opportunities for first time homebuyers, and co-founded the Contra Costa Family Justice Center to ensure victims of domestic violence have needed assistance.
What are three main issues that you will prioritize if elected?
A top priority is to ensure better jobs, higher wages and more economic opportunity for Californians. It costs way too much to live and work in California, and the jobs available to our workers are not keeping up with rising inflation and taxes. We need to stand up for better wages, fight rising education costs and support our small businesses that are driving new job creation across our state.
Housing prices in California have skyrocketed, and too many families are being left behind by a system that rewards greed and makes it too complicated and expensive to build more housing that is affordable. It is imperative that we continue to pass smart policies that help us build more housing that is affordable, and to build this housing much faster. Currently, I am working with a community and labor leader on building affordable housing for those who work in education.
Everyone should feel safe — and be safe — in their community, no matter where they live. The work first responders do in to keep our schools, neighborhoods and communities safe is important and we must continue to support them.
How will you specifically address each of those issues?
As Chair of the Committee on Banking and Finance, I wrote the bill to protect vulnerable Californians from debt-traps by ending big banks’ predatory lending practices. I’ve written laws to bring new investments to our community, specifically in the clean energy and manufacturing industries. In the Senate I will continue the work I’ve done to champion small businesses, consumers, and working families.
It is simply too expensive to build homes in California. Exorbitant fees on new development are often passed along to homebuyers, pushing the dream of homeownership further out of reach. I authored legislation to help cut costs on new housing development, protect renters from unjust evictions and rent-gouging, and cut red tape slowing down financing for affordable housing projects. I also fought to secure $350M for first-time homebuyer assistance programs and new affordable home construction. I will keep fighting to help build more housing that is affordable so our kids and grandkids can afford to live in the communities where they grew up.
Why should you be elected?
If elected, I will continue the work I’ve done in the Assembly: finding pathways to grow our economy, create new jobs and support for workers; leading efforts to build more affordable housing faster while protecting renters and addressing homelessness; and always fighting to make our community better for all who live here. I’m proud to be endorsed by firefighters, local police, public educators, construction workers, housing advocates, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Planned Parenthood Northern CA Action Fund, Equality CA, and more. Together – we can build a better California – for us all.
Visit https://www.graysonforca.com for more information.
To read other candidate answers, click here.