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State Senate District 5 candidates Democrat Jerry McNerney and Republican Jim Shoemaker aim to win voter approval this November from residents in four counties, including a significant part of the Tri-Valley.
This year marks the first time many Tri-Valley voters will weigh in on the District 5 election instead of the 7th District. The change accompanies a redistricting after the 2020 census that added parts of Alameda County like Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin to the former District 5 electorate of San Joaquin County and portions of Stanislaus and Sacramento counties.
Within these areas, voters can choose between candidates who offer different responses to climate change and the strength of government regulations. The winner will be replacing Democrat Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, who is termed out.
Shoemaker, from San Joaquin County, finished first and Pleasanton’s McNerney was second in the three-candidate primary election that featured a second Democrat out of Stockton.
Whereas McNerney focuses on renewable energy projects like solar and wind in response to climate change, Shoemaker prioritized nuclear energy. And on government regulation, Shoemaker sides with reducing regulations whereas McNerney supports strengthening them for areas like groundwater pumping and water contamination.
However, the two share interests in addressing water infrastructure, homelessness and the paycheck to paycheck experience lived by many Californians.
At the top of McNerney’s priorities are protecting water, expanding a green economy and responding to the affordable housing crisis, according to his campaign website.
Before running for State Senate, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for California’s District 9 and 11 from 2007 to 2023. Here he supported an environmentally friendly economy through his work on the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPs Act and more.
In Congress, he worked to support veterans, bringing the full-service Stockton VA Clinic and nursing home to the region and writing a law that improves veteran care for traumatic brain injuries. McNerney also obtained federal funding to hire more police officers and support youth programs and women’s health centers, according to his website.
Through McNerney’s work in Congress, he was scored an A+ by the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a union called AFL-CIO and the Sierra Club, according to his website.
“I’m running for State Senate to continue my service to our community. We deserve leadership that fights for our children’s future – a future with better healthcare, a better environment, and better opportunities for education and job creation right here in our community,” McNerney said on his website. “I’ve done it before and I am able to do it again.”
One of the top issues he’d like to address in District 5 is water security, McNerney told the Pleasanton Weekly.
In terms of water infrastructure, he is against the Delta Tunnel project that would divert some water from the Sacramento River to elsewhere in the state.
“Our water infrastructure must work for all Californians, not just special interests in Southern California,” McNerney said on this website. “That’s why I have always been an active leader in the bipartisan, cross-sector coalition against the Tunnels, which would endanger our agricultural economy, our natural ecosystem, and our access to clean water.”
He said he will also support policies for stronger regulations against over-pumping groundwater and contamination. He pushes for water recycling, stormwater capture, water efficiency and desalination efforts too.
As for a “clean economy”, McNerney said he supports completion of the Valley Link passenger rail service along the Altamont Pass to reduce traffic and pollution.
“Developing a clean energy infrastructure, such as the ValleyLink project, will create good-paying jobs and transition the economy toward renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions,” he told the Weekly.
As part of his plan, he intends to push Sacramento for investments in more local wind and solar power industries to reduce carbon emissions and the risk of blackouts, according to his website.
Regarding economics in general, he aims to reduce large disparities in income and wealth through tax and incentive policies.
On housing, McNerney said it’s impossible for most working-class and young Californias to attain housing stability, especially in District 5.
As a first step, he said, “I believe in prioritizing housing-first policies, which focus on providing an adequate supply of affordable housing as a foundation for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.”
Following that, McNerney advocates for supportive services and the building of affordable houses as well as tenant assistance and protection.
As a resident of San Joaquin County for over three decades, Shoemaker said on his website, “I am proud of our Valley Values of strong faith, loving families and hard work.”
He aims to rescind “soft-on-crime initiatives”, reduce taxes and regulations and improve educational opportunities for students while increasing parental involvement.
“It is time to reject Sacramento’s special interest class and start doing what is right for working families,” Shoemaker said on his website. “I look forward to partnering with you to reform our dysfunctional state government and make California a better place for all our families.”
Growing up, Shoemaker’s first business was selling popcorn when he was five years old, according to his website. After moving to South Dakota and learning how to harvest grain, he began driving grain around the nation. This led him to start his own trucking business.
Later, he owned and operated multiple businesses in building, construction, and pool maintenance. Outside of work, Shoemaker volunteers for his church and mission projects. And he is involved with the local Farm Bureau.
In District 5, Shoemaker said the rising crime rate is one of the area’s most pressing issues, he told the Weekly. In particular, retail theft is harming families and small businesses in the Tri-Valley.
He pointed to Proposition 47, which changed certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, as the cause of rising crime rates. The 2014 proposition was intended to expand alternatives to prison for non-serious, non-violent crimes and reroute prison spending to prevention and support programs, according to the California Courts website.
“I am committed to repealing Prop 47, restoring stricter penalties, and ensuring law enforcement has the tools needed to protect our community, so residents and businesses can thrive without fear,” he said.
He also expressed support for Prop 36, which “allows felony charges for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950”, according to the California Voters Guide website.
Another issue he sees is California families living paycheck to paycheck. As a solution, Shoemaker suggested decreasing taxes for California families, particularly that on gas, according to his website.
“While many California families struggle to make ends meet, Sacramento politicians continue to impose higher taxes and interfere in our daily lives, infringing on our freedoms,” he told the Weekly. “It’s time to reject the influence of special interest groups and prioritize the needs of working families.”
Shoemaker would like to see less governmental regulations too.
“As a small business owner, I am hampered by California’s heavy-handed anti-business regulations daily,” he said on his website. “As a Teamster (a member of the Teamsters Union), I have witnessed extreme environmentalist special interests kill working family jobs.”
Regarding education, he wants to encourage parents to become more involved in their students’ schooling, according to his website. This includes curriculum decisions.
“As a parent, I have always been frustrated with California’s lack of quality education and Sacramento’s use of our education system as a social engineering experiment instead of teaching students the fundamentals needed for success,” he said on his website.
As for water, he wants to protect the Delta and build more water storage facilities.
And to address climate change, he wants to prioritize nuclear power. “Nuclear energy offers a reliable, clean, and sustainable solution that can meet our energy needs without burdening taxpayers or compromising economic growth,” Shoemaker said.
On homelessness, he says he will work for homeless people in the capitol and locally. He plans to invest in mental health and drug rehabilitation services while also enforcing current laws that “will remove law-breaking homeless from our streets and parks”, he said on his website.
“One key issue is the lack of accountability for nonprofits that fail to deliver on their promises and instead, use government funds to boost their salaries,” Shoemaker told the Weekly. “To address this, I believe in privatizing aspects of homeless care while ensuring proper oversight.”
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