District 47 Brings the Drama. District 34, Not So Much
A close State Assembly election rematch and a political scandal vs. a possible incumbent win

In district 47, incumbent Republican Greg Wallis (R-Rancho Mirage) is once again running against Democratic challenger and Palm Spring Councilmember Christy Holstege. The pair ran for the seat two years ago in the last state assembly election, with Wallis winning by just 85 votes. This district covers a large area throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In the Morongo Basin, the winner of this race will represent Morongo Valley, Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, plus all of Joshua Tree National Park.
Holstege believes her loss was a result of historically low voter turnout in the 2020 midterm race. With the presidential election on this November’s ballot turnout is expected to be as high as 80% in some states, and that could change the dynamic of local elections as more engaged voters make it out to the polls.
That’s not the only factor bringing drama to this race: Holstege is facing accusations that she has been living outside of her Palm Springs City Council district, a violation of the city’s municipal code and state law. Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin sent a document containing the allegations to the state attorney general the first week of October, but the matter is not yet decided. If the allegations are supported, Holstege would be removed from office and all of her votes as a councilmember would be rescinded, possibly reversing approval of some significant programs over her term.
Holstege has repeatedly denied the allegations, framing them as a politically motivated attack to weaken her chances of winning the state assembly seat in this rematch.
The Desert Trumpet sent the candidates a list of questions during the March 2024 primary, and their responses reflect their political affiliations; Holstege advocates for increasing social programs like increased funding for community clinics and mental health resources and making medical insurance more affordable. Increased funding for education is part of her vision, including more access to early childhood education, vocational training, and publicly funded higher education. Holstege is also working for greater support for affordable housing, renewable energy, and climate change mitigation efforts.
Wallis, a moderate Republican, is focused on reducing the cost of living for middle-class families by eliminating what he considers wasteful government spending, unfair taxes, fees, and regulations that increase the cost of living on staples like gas, utilities, food, and other necessities. Eliminating what Wallis believes is unnecessary red tape would encourage more new affordable housing construction, addressing both the cost of living for working families and helping unhoused individuals find shelter.
School choice, more charter schools, and an increased focus on drug and crime-free schools are part of Wallis’s education agenda.
Public safety measures like “repealing soft on crime ballot measures and laws that have emboldened criminals” are also important to Wallis, blaming the policies in Prop 47 and Prop 57 for contributing to what Wallis says is a surge in crime.
In response to a list of questions the San Bernardino Sun sent to both candidates, Wallis touted his involvement in the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which works across the aisle to solve some of the state’s most intractable problems.
Wallis’s positions still lean toward more conservative fixes like offering business tax credits and a “focus on innovation, not regulation” to create more opportunities in California.
Holstege mentioned her focus on regional transportation issues, supporting funding for the Indian Canyon bridge project and working to increase bus service and passenger rail in the Coachella Valley, an issue that hits home for many in the Morongo Basin, who frequently travel down the hill for work, shopping, entertainment, and travel.
DISTRICT 34
In California Assembly District 34 incumbent Republican Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) is running against Democratic challenger Ricardo Ortega.
District 34 covers a large, wide-ranging area in Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. In the Morongo Basin, it covers Twentynine Palms and Landers, as well as neighboring communities of Johnson Valley, Lucerne Valley, Big Bear, and Barstow.
The challenger is facing an uphill battle as a Democrat running against an incumbent in a majority Republican district, but Ortega hopes to win over voters by addressing essential economic issues.
Ortega, a resident of the Quartz Hill area of Lancaster, answered a Desert Trumpet questionnaire from the March 2024 primary, addressing quality of life issues, education, health and housing, and renewable energy in the Morongo Basin.
Ortega supports increasing access to nutritional and healthcare programs to address the Morongo Basin’s low ranking in the California Healthy Places Index and adding more substance abuse treatment centers and mental health programs to work toward mitigating the stubbornly high rates of homelessness.
To build more affordable housing, Ortega suggests taking a look at the current environmental process to reduce the cost of fees and permits, as well as expanding programs to help first-time homebuyers. Ortega is also open to solar field projects, pointing to Lancaster’s status as a net zero city, and the creation of local jobs, but he’s aware of the environmental impact and the need to get community buy-in.
Lackey, a retired highway patrol officer, declined to respond to the questionnaire, but he expressed his frustration with the current administration and Governor Newsom in particular in an Orange County Register editorial.
Lackey chides Governor Newsom for running up a huge deficit despite a $75 billion surplus in 2021 and calls Newsom out for campaigning out of state for the Democratic nominee for President. Lackey accuses Newsom of looking out for the future of his political career while neglecting his duties to California.
Lackey complained that Newsom’s attempt to address crime does not make significant changes to Proposition 47, and won’t help curb what he calls “rampant theft” and drug use.
Lackey’s conservative political approach is likely to win the support of voters in his mostly Republican district but in an election that is sure to have a massive voter turnout, it is hard to predict which way the electoral winds will blow.
Check Voterizer.org to ensure that you are registered to vote. You have until October 21 to register for the November 5 election.
Watch for upcoming Desert Trumpet election coverage including State Senate District 19. Previous election coverage included Q&As with candidates for Copper Mountain College Area 3, MUSD Area 1 and reports on School Bond Measure C and on our Twentynine Palms City Council Candidate Forum.
See our Elections 2024 tag for complete coverage.
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