Democrat Dr. Kermit Jones, left, and Republican Kevin Kiley are vying to represent a vast congressional district stretching along the Eastern Sierra.
(Getty)
Republican Assemblymember Kevin Kiley and Democrat Dr. Kermit Jones are vying to represent the largely rural 3rd Congressional District , which stretches hundreds of miles from the southern tip of Lassen Volcanic National Park through Mammoth Lakes to Death Valley.
The race is one of 11 key California contests in the Nov. 8 midterm election that could determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives.
Jones’ answers are drawn from a questionnaire sent to candidates in competitive California congressional races. The responses have been edited for clarity and length. Kiley did not respond, so information about his views was collected from his campaign website, debates, past votes and news coverage.
Why should you be elected to Congress?
Jones
“I have a record of service and leadership, whether on my family farm and business, during two deployments to Iraq or the nearly two decades I have spent putting my patients first. I’ll never be afraid or unwilling to work with both parties or anyone to fix our most pressing problems, like inflation, securing women’s constitutional rights to privacy or to stand up to leaders of either party when they’re wrong.My constituents will know where I stand and that I will fight for them.”
Kiley
In his candidate statement for the voter guide, Kiley said he is “running for Congress to stop the wasteful spending, defend our Constitution, protect our freedoms and make our government accountable to the people.”
How do your experiences make you qualified?
Jones
He said it was about making sure the residents of the district “have someone fighting for a federal fire insurance plan and increased funding for first responders in our district; it’s about whether our business leaders and job creators know they have a solid partner at the federal level to support economic opportunity and growth; and it’s about making sure our working families have a fair shake and chance at the American dream. This is my focus, and this is what makes me most qualified to represent this district.”
Kiley
Kiley’s campaign website highlights his legislative work on education, free speech, criminal justice and other issues.
What would be your top legislative priorities?
Jones
Kiley
How would you work with the other party?
Jones
Kiley
What is your stance on abortion?
Jones
“Banning abortion goes against our most sacred, American principles of self-determination,” he said.
Kiley other abortion rights measures .
During a debate ahead of the primaries before Roe vs. Wade was overturned , Kiley said he would “fight for pro-life policies.”
At the time, he said the leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning the landmark 1973 ruling was the “appropriate decision from a constitutional point of view.”
What would you do about mass shootings?
Jones
Kiley
What would you do to ensure election integrity?
Jones
“My father grew up in segregated Arkansas, so I am only one generation removed from people being restricted from voting based upon race or other attributes protected under our Constitution,” he said.
“I do believe people who attempted to overthrow our democracy should be held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
Kiley
He added that protecting elections is “an important priority.”
What is your opinion about efforts to overhaul police funding?
Jones
Kiley
What are your policies on healthcare?
Jones
“A person can be fully insured and still have access issues because there are not enough doctors, nurses or other healthcare workers in rural areas. That person may also still pay too much for medications or require unnecessary trips to the hospital for services he or she could receive at home,” he wrote. “I have the most comprehensive healthcare plan of anyone who has ever run for Congress. My plan would lower prescription drug costs while encouraging innovation and a cost-saving mechanism by increasing more tele- and virtual medical care and providing incentives for preventive health.”
Kiley
“I’m not sure it’s necessary to be continually specifying what every single plan needs to entail,” Kiley told the outlet. “I don’t know that legislators are always in the best position to be weighing in.”
How would you reform immigration policy?
Jones
Kiley
In a Q&A last year with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Kiley spoke out against Senate Bill 54, a 2017 law that limits state and local law enforcement’s communication with federal immigration officials and prevents them from holding people on immigration violations.
What is the federal government’s role in dealing with the homeless crisis?
Jones
Kiley
“But once homeless individuals have a roof over their head, I would connect them with the needed services, such as mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and job training,” he said. “While homelessness is not just a housing issue, there is no doubt that California has an affordability crisis. We need to eliminate the overregulation that makes housing so difficult and costly to build.”
Read more election coverage
