California
Election 2024: Get to know the candidates in California’s 38th congressional race
There’s a bit of a rematch happening in California’s 38th congressional district.
Rep. Linda Sánchez, a Democrat from Whittier who is serving her 11th term, is being challenged by Walnut City Councilmember Eric Ching, pastor John Sarega and entrepreneur Robert Zhang Ochoa. She faced Ching and Sarega in the midterm election in 2022.
Sánchez’s seat is deemed unlikely to become closely contested by the Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections. According to state data, Democrats account for 48.3% of all the registered voters in the district, which covers portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties, while 22.8% are no party preference voters and 22.7% are Republicans.
Ching, Ochoa and Sánchez differ on several issues, including immigration. Sarega did not submit a questionnaire for the Register’s 2024 Primary Election Voter Guide and did not respond to requests for comment about his platform.
Sánchez, the daughter of immigrants from Mexico, is a strong advocate for a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” young immigrants brought to the U.S. unlawfully, as well as agricultural workers and noncitizens who have temporary protected status, which is granted to foreign nationals from countries that have “extraordinary and temporary conditions,” like war, that prevent them from returning safely, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
She also supports reforms to the United States’ asylum system, which include increasing asylum processing, upping the number of refugee and asylum officers and expanding temporary shelters for asylum seekers, as outlined in legislation she introduced last year.
“The U.S. Citizenship Act would build upon existing funds to provide smarter and safer border management, specifically by directing new resources to where they are most needed — at ports of entry where we must invest in technology, infrastructure and screening capacity,” Sánchez said.
But Ching and Ochoa, both Republicans, suggest shutting down the border.
“We should stop people from coming in because our cities cannot handle more illegal immigrants,” said Ching, who came to the U.S. from Taiwan in 1982. “We should not have any more people that we can’t handle.”
As for “Dreamers,” Ching said it isn’t fair for them to get “a free pass” simply because they were brought to the U.S. by their parents through no fault of their own.
“For the young kids, it’s not their fault,” Ching said. “But I do believe that we have to have law and order.”
Ochoa, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 6, said the border “needs to be closed.” He’s also advocating for reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their hearings, and a guest worker program, formerly known as the “Bracero Program,” which, from 1942-1964, allowed millions of Mexican laborers to work in the U.S with a temporary work permit.
“That worked really well … they were here legally,” he said. “They had the right to be here for a period of time to work, and then they had to go back and reapply. My dad and all his friends would do that constantly, and it worked well for everybody. The United States needed workers and people from Mexico would take their earnings back home, so everybody was happy.”
Ochoa also said he supports a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers.”
“That’s a very easy answer, yes,” he said. “I came here legally with paperwork, but in my mind, I always think, ‘Suppose my parents had not come here legally. I didn’t have a choice, I was 6 years old. I lived here my entire life.’”
CA-38 has the highest unemployment rate, 4.4%, of all the congressional districts that touch Orange County, according to U.S. Census data, The district includes La Habra in Orange County and Diamond Bar, La Habra Heights, Hacienda Heights, La Mirada, Los Nietos, Norwalk, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Rowland Heights, Santa Fe Springs, Walnut, Whittier and parts of Downey and Industry in Los Angeles County.
Sánchez strongly supports union workers and higher wages, and her political philosophy involves advocating for the working class, she said. Ochoa wants to see the economy improve, and Ching says that “the net effect of any bill should be beneficial to both the labor and employer as a whole.”
“Higher wages drive up the cost of living,” Ching said. “So by raising their minimum wage, is that really a win-win for the employee?”
Just as labor was one of the hottest topics in the California news landscape in this election cycle, foreign conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war, are a driving topic in 2024 as well.
When asked how much assistance should the U.S. provide — military and/or financial — to foreign countries at war, like Israel or Ukraine, Sánchez said: “It’s critical that we deliver already-delayed aid to Ukraine in their efforts to stop Russian aggression and deliver aid to Israel as it works to defend itself from Hamas.” Aid to Ukraine and Israel has been delayed due to Congress’ inability to reach a deal yet this year on granting billions of dollars to the war-torn countries.
Sánchez also said humanitarian assistance must be delivered to “the millions in Gaza who are without food, water, fuel and more.”
“When it comes to assistance from the U.S., we have a responsibility to ensure humanitarian needs are met and that any military offenses are done within the bounds of international law,” she said.
While Ching and Ochoa agreed that the U.S. should aid its allies, Ching believes the assistance should serve “our national interests,” and Ochoa says the U.S. should ensure “other countries contribute a proportional amount of assistance.”
“For example, if Taiwan is at war, there are friendly countries like South Korea, Japan (and) so forth that should be contributing financial support,” Ochoa said.
If those countries decline to give money, the U.S. needs to exert pressure on them by saying the U.S. may not give them financial support if they’re ever in trouble, he said.
In terms of the money game, Sánchez is far and away in the lead. She reported raising $217,035 in the last quarter of 2023, ending the year with $628,948 still left to spend.
Ching reported raising $1,390 and having $10,517 cash on hand.
Sarega and Ochoa haven’t reported any fundraising.
Primary ballots are set to go out to all registered voters on Monday, Feb. 5. Ballot drop boxes will open the same day and voting centers will open starting Feb. 24. The Orange County Registrar’s office will provide in-person voting, voter registration, replacement ballots and other general assistance starting Feb. 5.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is always revealing for the best boys basketball teams in California and final days of the 2024 calendar year should be no different.
The Damien Classic and Torrey Pines Holiday Classic always present a window of what is in store for the rest of the season and separates the contenders and pretenders. Next weekend at the HoopHall Classic West in Gilbert (Ariz.), Jan. 2-4, will also give the elite teams time to strut their stuff.
There are nine teams among California’s Top 25 still unbeaten at Christmas, a pretty high number, including top-ranked St. John Bosco, No. 6 Riordan and No. 8 De La Salle and No. 9 Montgomery.
Note: Only teams that play for a CIF State California title were considered for this rankings, thus eliminating Prolific Prep of Napa Christian, which can and will play for a mythical national title. Notes and rankings below from Southern Section teams supplied by SBLive’s Tarek Fattal.
The Braves win their Trinity League opener over Orange Lutheran without Brandon McCoy and Elzie Harrington. Christian Collins and Max Ellis led the way. Next up: Platinum Division in Classic at Damien.
Roosevelt wins the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, beating Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks in the final. Brayden Burries scored 26 points and Issac Williamson had 19.
Nik Khamenia notches 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a convincing win over JSerra, a team expected to earn an Open Division berth.
Notre Dame suffers its first loss in the Tarkanian Classic final to Roosevelt despite Tyran Stokes scoring 20 points. Lino Mark played just four minutes in an attempt to play while injured. (TYRAN STOKES DEBUT)
Four more wins started with 90-65 blowout of defending state D2 champion Oakland Tech behind 33 points and 10 points from Tounde Yessoufou, and a combined 45 from Julius and Malcolm Price along with Gunner Morinini. Yessoufou is averaging 29.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Won the Gridley Classic with wins over Branson (68-27), Clovis North (54-52) and previous No. 6 Salesian (52-51) thanks in part to tournament MVP Andrew Hilman (19 points). Texas Tech-bound Jasir Rencher and Irvine signee Nex Emeneke was also All-Tourney.
Pride lost their first regular-season game since 2022, 52-51 to Riordan, in finals of the Gridley Classic. Salesian missed two free throws with 1.2 seconds to play.
Win over Santa Margarita (61-57) to win the Vountour Classic was team’s most impressive. David Balogun, a rapidly improving 6-6 post, scored 29 to lead the way. Since then breathers over Mountain House (67-35), La Salle (76-26) and Sacred Heart Cathedral (79-39).
The Aztecs from San Diego won five games last week, including four at the Tarkanian Classic to take the Nike Division championship behind division’s Most Outstanding Player J.J. Sanchez, who had 22 points in the finals.
Eagles’ only loss comes this week to unbeaten NorCal power De La Salle, but bounces back with a win over Murrieta Valley.
Trailblazers beat Millikan 87-33 this past week.
The Lions get a taste of Open Division-level hoops in a 65-50 loss to Harvard-Westlake.
Redondo Union is picking up Open Division playoff buzz.
La Mirada has been idle since Dec. 14.
Coach Paul Tait is enthused by the play of sophomore point guard Dominic Loehle.
After lopsided win over St. Augustine (77-54), recorded tough wins over Sage Creek (75-66), Mission Hills (67-59) and La Jolla Country Day (80-68).
Monarchs have won five of their last six.
Pius went 2-2 at the Tarkanian Classic.
Jasone Crowe Jr. is averaging 37 points per game.
Had won four straight before losing 63-54 to Brophy College Prep of Phoenix Ariz. (63-54).
Quality win over Pacifica Christian of Orange County without Jeremiah Hampton was impressive. JJ Harris and Louis Bond impressed.
Canyon has won five straight. Brandon Benjamin averaging 30+ points a game.
Damien without big man Nate Garcia (injured).
Twelve straight wins isn’t a bad way to start the season. Defense a big key, holding opponents under 50 seven times, including three straight games limiting opponents to 49 in wins over Riverside poly (61-49), Salesian Los Angeles (93-49) and Wiseburn-Da Vinci (61-49).
Cougars last win came against Long Beach Poly on Dec. 14.
No. 1 San Francisco costs 18.2% more than typical US metro. No. 2 LA-OC is 15.5% more expensive.
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Originally Published:
Ever since Caitlin Clark left the NCAA to set records in the WNBA, the hunt for the next generational basketball talent has intensified. Among the emerging stars, JuJu Watkins stands out with her electrifying performances for USC and record-breaking milestones. But while her game dazzles on the court, her California roots and unique circumstances create hurdles that may hinder her quest to rival Clark’s legendary NCAA career.
On the latest episode of Fearless with Jason Whitlock, Whitlock tackled the issue, highlighting the contrasting environments between Clark’s Iowa and Watkins’ Los Angeles.
“Well, Caitlin Clark was in Iowa in the middle of nowhere. She wasn’t in the entertainment capital of the world. She wasn’t in a city that had 75-degree weather year-round and open beaches. She went off or she grew up in and continued to play in a little isolated area of the country where people are starved for entertainment. And so she built a huge following right there in the state of Iowa, her home state,” he said.
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The deeper issue, according to Whitlock, is the cultural and entertainment saturation of Los Angeles, where sports often compete with numerous distractions for attention. In contrast, Clark thrived in a basketball-centric environment, with little competition for local and statewide support. While Watkins’ environment may pose unique challenges, her talent remains undeniable.
She recently made history as the fastest Power Five player in women’s college basketball to reach 1,000 career points, accomplishing the feat in just 38 games—two fewer than Clark’s record. With season averages of 24.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 46.2% shooting, Watkins is unquestionably a dominant force. Yet, as Jason Whitlock put it, the question persists: Can she cultivate the same level of national adoration that Clark commanded?
Balancing brilliance: Can JuJu Watkins thrive amid criticism and California’s spotlight?
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Adding to the debate, Rachel DeMita voiced concerns over how USC is managing Watkins’ playing time on her own podcast. “I don’t think that’s what JuJu needs for the development of her game,” DeMita said, suggesting that keeping Watkins on the court for extended minutes might be more about stat-padding than fostering her growth as a player.
via Imago
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives the ball agains UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and guard Kaitlyn Chen (20) in the second half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Such a strategy could also increase her risk of injury, a significant concern given Watkins’ pivotal role for USC.
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Despite these challenges, Watkins has demonstrated resilience and poise. Her performance this season reflects her ability to adapt and excel under pressure. However, her journey to rival Caitlin Clark’s legacy will require more than individual brilliance. Watkins must navigate the complexities of playing in a city where attention is fragmented, balancing her development with the need to draw a larger following.
Whether she can carve out her own path and emerge as a player of Clark’s stature remains uncertain. For now, her record-breaking performances and undeniable talent keep her firmly in the conversation, as the basketball world watches to see if she can overcome the challenges of her California roots and fulfill her potential as the next NCAA superstar.
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