Addis vs. Cunningham: Tribune readers sound off about state Assembly race
Join me in voting for Cunningham
This Saturday, I’ll be taking some time out of my weekend to go down to my local voting center and cast my ballot, in person, for Jordan Cunningham. Jordan has worked extremely hard over the past four years to represent the Central Coast in the state Assembly, and has gotten a lot done to make our community the best in the state to live and work. I hope others will join me in voting early at a voting center for Jordan Cunningham for Assembly.
Tammy Scully, Creston
A proven leader
Good on the Trib for endorsing Jordan Cunningham for Assembly. Jordan is a proven leader and fighter for the Central Coast, and we are lucky to have him representing us in the legislature. Our state would be a better place if there were more legislators like Jordan who put their community and constituency above partisan politics.
Jerry Davis, Nipomo
Addis will protect environment
As a voter passionate about saving our planet and protecting the Central Coast from environmental pollution, I support Dawn Addis for State Assembly. Endorsed by both the Sierra Club and the California League of Conservation voters, she will show up for work and fight for our planet.
In these ways, she is very different from her rival who has missed 64 days of work and missed or abstained voting on 851 pieces of legislation.
Mike Ruef, Los Osos
‘Despicable’ campaign tactic
Last week, I answered a phone poll from “Something & Something Scientific Research” and agreed to a 3-minute poll. The first question was Trump vs Biden. The next question was Cunningham vs Addis. When I replied that I was voting for Addis, the pollster asked me if I knew that Dawn Addis does not support mask wearing.
Then she went on and on about Cunningham’s accomplishments. When I said that I would still support Dawn Addis if she shot someone on 5th Avenue, the “pollster” hung up on me. I think it is despicable that the Cunningham campaign would resort to lying to people about participating in a poll when this was really a 5-minute campaign spiel endorsing Jordan Cunningham. I doubt that I will ever participate in another poll.
Cheri Roe, Creston
Both are at fault
I’m tired of the radio and the mailbox. And don’t get me wrong — I love my local radio stations and my postal service, but this state Assembly race between Dawn Addis and Jordan Cunningham is exhausting. When did campaigns become so full of negativity that they completely lost sight of the big picture? Both campaigns are running ads that are so anti, I can’t even figure out what each candidate actually stands for anymore.
What happened to promoting yourself and your values instead of constantly degrading your opponent? Both Addis and Cunningham are at fault here. Honestly, at this point, I’d pick neither. I want my Assemblyperson to be honest, fair and a good leader. All of these tasteless ads, jingles, and flyers are proving both candidates to be the opposite. It’s utterly disappointing.
Please future candidates, focus on your own merits and values and stop spending all your campaign time slinging mud at your opponent. All I see in this race are two candidates covered in dirt.
If you feel the same, please let the candidates know you don’t appreciate their negative campaigns.
Annie Steimle, Atascadero
Distorted truth
Politics can be such a turnoff. That is why it is refreshing to have a candidate like Dawn Addis running for state Assembly. She will make my values and concerns her priority in Sacramento. Access to health care, COVID-19 relief and protecting the environment are Central Coast values.
Mailers from her opponent have presented distortions that do her an injustice. That only serves to make me more motivated to send a thoughtful, intelligent, caring and fully engaged assemblywoman to represent me. I cast my vote for Dawn Addis, a candidate for whom I can feel good about voting, for a change.
Margaret Schaefer, Paso Robles
Cunningham’s made-up facts
I listened to Jordan Cunningham on the Dave Congleton show on Oct. 5, 2020. Assemblyman Cunningham was making up his own facts. He asserted that his opponent, Dawn Addis, backed out of three scheduled debates.
These are the facts: For the proposed Aug. 6 debate, Dawn Addis received a joint invitation from the League of Women Voters and the GALA Pride & Diversity Center. For the second debate scheduled for Aug. 24, Dawn Addis was invited by the American Association of University Women. Dawn accepted both this and the Aug. 6 invitation.
Later, Jordan Cunningham backed out of both invitations and refused to offer alternative dates. His repeated statements regarding the proposed debates on the Dave Congalton radio show were false.
Elizabeth Swierk, Cambria
Why I’m for Addis
I’ve been OK with Jordan Cunningham the last few years, he seemed moderate, reasonable and willing to compromise and sure, he has positions that I don’t always agree with but he at least seemed honest.
But now it appears he is willing to do whatever it takes to retain his seat in the State Assembly to include taking pages from the playbook of #45. I’m referring to the blatantly false, deceptive and misleading TV and radio ads he is airing and the mailers he is inundating us with about his opponent, Dawn Addis. He doesn’t need to stoop to this level, just run on your record, be honest and above board and let the voters decide. This voter is supporting Dawn Addis.
Richard Mortensen, San Luis Obispo
Support Dawn Addis for Assembly
It’s time we replaced incumbent Jordan Cunningham with Dawn Addis, a smart choice who will better represent the Central Coast in Sacramento.
Cunningham has voted to cut funding for public health emergencies like COVID-19 (SB 74) and opposed unemployment relief for workers displaced by the virus; he has taken thousands of dollars from oil polluters and voted against the Sierra Club 60% of the time in 2019; he voted to allow guns on school campuses (AB 424) while ignoring pleas from teachers and school leaders; and he has consistently voted with extreme anti-choice organizations (SB 24, 320, 743 etc.) that undermine women’s health. It’s high time for a change.
Better we send Dawn Addis to represent us in the Assembly. She’s supported by Planned Parenthood, the CA League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, Central Coast Grocery Workers, NARAL, and the CA Nurses Association. They’ve done their homework on the issues and candidates and are marking their ballots for Dawn Addis for Assembly. I encourage you to do the same. We need a consistent, strong voice in Sacramento.
Linda Busek, Arroyo Grande
Cunningham shows up
Jordan Cunningham has a record of showing up and fighting for the Central Coast. He’s taken on human traffickers and passed important laws to protect children and provide trafficking victims with the resources they need.
He’s fought for the local Diablo Canyon workforce, passing legislation to ensure that the plant stays open through the end of 2025. And he’s been a strong and vocal advocate for our kids — leading a coalition in support of critical career tech education funding.
Jordan has always shown up and fought for us. I plan on showing up for him and voting early.
Vicki Morse, Atascadero
Dawn gets it
Although as shameful as recent events have been, we will not put a meaningful dent in racism by doing the right thing in this moment. We must recognize that generations of racism have resulted in poverty and skin color becoming almost equivalent. We must elect representatives at all levels of government who get that and will take on the huge task of beginning to right this wrong. Lifting people out of poverty means funding early care and K-12 education, providing access to affordable health care, strengthening public health and safety, increasing wages, developing affordable housing solutions, and protecting low-income communities and farmworkers from environmental hazards.
Dawn Addis fights and will continue to fight for every single one of those policies. You only have to look at Jordan Cunningham’s voting record to see that he has not.
Dawn’s experience as cofounder and her ongoing leadership of Women’s March SLO, as a teacher at every level of education, as a city councilmember and as an activist for social justice reveals that she truly gets it. We need her in the State Assembly.
Ellen Morrison, San Luis Obispo
Why I voted for Cunningham
As a longtime local union member and advocate, I am proud to cast my vote for Jordan Cunningham for Assembly. Jordan has supported legislation to strengthen the trades and has been a strong advocate for career technical education. He has always put community and kids first, and understands how important tradesmen and tradeswomen are to our local economy. Join the local Carpenters and several other local trades organizations in support of Jordan Cunningham.
Scott Zimmerman, Orcutt
Human trafficking is real
You recently published a letter from an individual who doesn’t think human trafficking is a local problem. The author couldn’t be further from the truth.
This paper has reported on a number of trafficking cases that have recently taken place in little SLO County.
In 2019, North County massage parlors were shut down for human trafficking. In 2018, a SLO police officer rescued a young trafficking victim after realizing she may not be safe during a routine traffic stop. In 2016, a Cayucos man was sentenced to 167 years in prison for a number of crimes, including human trafficking. Those are just the cases we know about.
Human trafficking is a real crime and it’s really taking place here. The author may not see it or experience it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Kudos to Jordan Cunningham for taking it on as an important issue.
Suzanne Petrie, San Luis Obispo
Cunningham’s the one
Wondering who to vote for in the local race for Assembly?
Only one candidate has taken on the tech giants to protect our kids’ privacy. Only one candidate has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for critical infrastructure projects. Only one candidate has helped pass landmark climate change policy. Only one candidate has shown up to meet with voters at candidate forums. And only one candidate knows firsthand how difficult it is to keep a small business afloat in this state.
Jordan Cunningham is the only candidate in this race worth supporting.
Anamaria Unger, Paso Robles
Where does Cunningham stand?
As a life long Republican, I demand to know where Jordan Cunningham stands on the status of the Trump administration. As a man of high moral character, which he clearly espouses in his campaign literature, I want to hear him on the record. He spends lots of taxpayer dollars on slick mailers telling us what a great job he is doing, but nothing on the affairs of a president who doesn’t seem to have the same values as Mr. Cunningham.
Maybe The Tribune could help this old school Republican figure out what his position is before you endorse him.
Steve Kniffen, Cambria
Proud Cunningham supporter
I am proud to be voting for Jordan Cunningham for Assembly. As a small business owner, he understands what our local economy needs to rebound out of COVID.
As our local legislator, Cunningham fought to secure critical Personal Protective Equipment for local hospitals, doctors, nurses and dentists at the height of the PPE shortage, providing our medical community with the resources they need to provide the best care possible to their patients.
As a father, he has always prioritized our state’s public education system and led the charge to ensure that our schools received their full funding allocation under Prop 98.
In the Assembly, Jordan has shown he has the necessary skills to build a strong economy and I’m convinced he’s the best person to energize the Central Coast’s economy, an economy that will foster community growth and create a more prosperous Central Coast for all.
Jordan is the type of thoughtful leader the Central Coast needs and deserves. I am proud to support him.
Mick Meiselman, San Luis Obispo
Democrat for Cunningham
I’m a registered Democrat and my politics are moderate. I believe we need change in our country at the national level, but I also believe good leaders who have proven to be effective in office should be supported.
I have seen how hard Jordan Cunningham works and how much he’s accomplished for us at the state level. I’m glad to support him for reelection to the Assembly.
Brad Rubin, Templeton
Cunningham not interested in South County
Jordan Cunningham has not shown an interest in listening to constituents of South County.
A few years ago several residents of South County made attempts to meet with him to discuss the poor air quality people experience from the Oceano Dunes area. It became impossible to get an appointment with him!
Then, last year Mr. Cunningham came out against the Coastal Commission staff report that suggested reasonable changes to the Oceano Dunes that would, among many ideas, allow more people to enjoy the Dunes, protect residents of Oceano, preserve habitat and help improve air quality.
In contrast, when a call was made to Dawn Addis to discuss residents’ concerns, she made herself available and listened.
South San Luis Obispo county is an area with voters who pay attention and want their issues heard. Dawn Addis gets my vote.
Linda Reynolds, Nipomo
Low blow by Addis
I can’t believe Dawn Addis, founder of the SLO Women’s March, would attack Jordan Cunningham’s wife for running a successful small business while he’s in the Assembly.
Shouldn’t we be celebrating a successful, woman-owned businesses? Shouldn’t Jordan’s wife be cheered on for running a small business while her husband spends half the year in Sacramento representing the Central Coast?
Her line of attack makes no sense given her history as a leader on women’s issues. I guess politics and campaigns change people.
Emelly Wiley, Atascadero
Cunningham’s record distorted
I saw Dawn Addis’ most recent attack mailer about Jordan Cunningham. Given everything Mr. Cunningham has accomplished and how responsive he’s been to our needs, it didn’t sit right with me. Is Addis really claiming the same man who has helped 4,000 local residents collect their unemployment doesn’t work hard?
I asked the Cunningham campaign for a response, and it turns out Dawn Addis is totally distorting Mr. Cunningham’s record. Mr. Cunningham’s team said that he has a 95.6% voting rate, and his opponent is using the time he spends in the district meeting with constituents against him.
Can you imagine? Dawn Addis is really trying to attack Mr. Cunningham for meeting with his constituents on the Central Coast.
We don’t need another Sacramento legislator like Dawn the Distorter. We need more citizen legislators like Mr. Cunningham.
Ranelle Baldwin, San Luis Obispo
Why I’m voting for Dawn Addis
As an independent voter I look at both candidates very seriously. It is quite shocking to review Jordan Cunningham’s voting record.
Everyone has felt the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in life altering ways. As a senior and someone in the high-risk group, I want a representative who has put the health of his district’s residents first.
He voted to cut funding for public health emergencies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. He follows that vote with opposing unemployment relief for workers who were displaced by COVID.
How can you preserve the health of your constituents and protect workers and businesses with such a voting record?
This is why I will proudly vote for someone who cares, Dawn Addis gets my vote.
Glenn Eineman, Nipomo
Support for Cunningham
I think we’ve all seen the ads.
Jordan Cunningham says Dawn Addis supports the business property tax increase. Dawn says Jordan is nice, but doesn’t represent “Central Coast values.”
To me it’s pretty simple: raising taxes on our favorite shops and restaurants in the middle of a pandemic is a really bad idea.
My vote is with Cunningham. We don’t agree on everything, but at least he doesn’t want to increase taxes in the middle of a dang pandemic.
Irene Mullen, Paso Robles
Where’s Dawn?
I see a lot of ads from Dawn Addis, but I still have no idea who she is.
I’ve never seen her at an event (before or during COVID), and I’ve never been able to ask her questions about her positions on important issue. She didn’t even show up at the SLO Chamber candidate forum. John Laird was there. Vicki Norden was there. Jordan Cunningham, her opponent was there. But Dawn skipped it.
Why is she hiding? Has anybody ever even seen her not in an advertisement? Is she a real person?
Bob Martz, Atascadero
Vote for Dawn Addis
Whichever “side of the aisle” anyone may be sitting on, we might agree this is the most crucial election of our lifetime. Given that, let each of us hold dear the character of the person we are voting for.
As we cast our ballots for local candidates who impact the lives of all of us in SLO County, let’s vote for a leader who embraces people of all colors, of all income levels, of all gender identities in our shared humanity. May we select someone who is values driven, someone who will embrace all of us, and not just do the bidding of special interests.
Let’s select someone who will protect our tax dollars and not use them for personal gain. Let’s select someone who will conduct the business of the elected position in the front room, transparent to all of us, and not in the back room, closed off to us.
May we select the candidate who will serve in the mainstream at the heart of issues and not sit on the sidelines. For the District 35 Assembly seat, the clear candidate of choice who lives up to this ideal is Dawn Addis.
Dorothy Hines, Nipomo
Cunningham’s got our vote
Everybody in my house is voting for Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham. Throughout his time in office, he has shown to be a thoughtful, independent leader not afraid to cross the aisle to take on our community’s most pressing issues. He’s taken on Big Tobacco and Big Tech to protect our kids, and has been a strong voice for our local small business community as it faces total extinction.
We don’t need another partisan in Sacramento. We need more independent leaders like Cunningham who put our community above petty politics.
John Texeira, Paso Robles
Cunningham out of touch
Jordan Cunningham has inundated the airwaves of KSBY-FOX TV news, mailboxes and now our email with his Assembly bid of “fighting for the Central Coast.”
But Mr. Cunningham is out of touch with issues that concern his constituents: COVID infection rates, business and school closures, unemployment, police violence, Black Lives Matter, plastic pollution, health care, climate change and rampant wildfires. These issues don’t even get a mention.
Although teen vaping, human trafficking and the protection of our right to privacy are worthy issues, Mr. Cunningham doesn’t acknowledge that his community members have lost their lives and livelihoods to COVID. Mr. Cunningham recently had the opportunity to make a difference in our region by voting in favor of Senate/Assembly Bills 54 and 1080 to reduce plastic packaging and single-use products, he didn’t vote at two opportunities.
He received over 100 emails and phone calls urging him to support this legislation, and yet he chose not to vote and support the rest of California’s efforts to change the way plastic is made. The Central Coast voters deserve better representation. I will cast my vote for Dawn Addis who will vote on all bills to improve our lives and our environment.
Janine Rands, San Luis Obispo
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 2:23 PM.