Christine R. Sarmiento

Neutral

As a nurse, a mother of five, and an immigrant who has navigated this country's healthcare system firsthand, I believe the most personal healthcare decisions belong between a patient and their provider, not a politician. As Governor I will uphold California's reproductive health protections and ensure every Californian has access to compassionate, affordable care regardless of their zip code, income, or immigration status.

As a nurse and public health professional, I have seen the full spectrum of circumstances behind this decision. Survivors of crime. Women with serious medical conditions. Mothers struggling with mental health. Families experiencing homelessness. These are real people in real pain who deserve compassion, not judgment. This decision belongs with the patient and her provider, not with a politician in Sacramento.

Neutral

I approach this statement with humility. As a nurse I have sat with patients at the beginning of life and at the end of it, and both experiences have left me with profound respect for the weight of this question. I do not believe a rating on a scale captures the full complexity of what this statement means in the real world, which is why I choose to sit with it rather than reduce it to a position.

Neutral

This question sits at the intersection of science, ethics, and deeply held personal values, and I do not think it is my place as a candidate to draw a definitive line where scientists, ethicists, and families themselves have not reached consensus. What I do believe is that these decisions deserve serious, ongoing dialogue rather than political shortcuts.

Disagree

California has made a clear commitment to protecting access to reproductive healthcare for its residents and for people who travel here from states where that access has been restricted. Enforcing the Comstock Act would directly undermine that commitment and compromise the ability of California providers to serve their patients. As Governor I will defend California's healthcare protections against federal overreach.

I support revisiting minimum wage regularly to keep it fair. However, every change carries real consequences for workers and businesses alike, and those impacts must be thoroughly vetted by an impartial party before any decision is made.

Agree

My priorities to eliminate government waste: First, full transparency on where every tax dollar goes, including hidden fees and compounding charges Californians never agreed to. Second, tie all funding to measurable outcomes with zero tolerance for programs that cannot show results. Third, coordinate fragmented programs to eliminate duplication. Fourth, strengthen fraud consequences. Fifth, cut red tape that costs taxpayers without serving them.

Separation of church and state means no single religion should dictate government policy. Every Californian deserves equal representation regardless of faith. That said, spirituality is woven into the foundation of this country and celebrated in our Constitution. The core teachings of most spiritual traditions, compassion, honesty, service, and justice, are also the core of good governance. We can honor both.

Disagree

No. I believe no individual or business should be compelled to act against their sincere moral or religious beliefs. In nursing, we are recognized and protected in our right to decline participation in procedures that conflict with our conscience. That same principle should extend to all. Declining must always be done with dignity and respect, because belief is not a license for cruelty but a conviction exercised with grace.

B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options.

Neutral

As numbers perhaps, but not with private informations

Agree

All relationships matter. There may be moments where boundaries are necessary, but the default should always be to pursue understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect, whether between individuals or between nations. A strong relationship is always worth the effort.

Disagree

As a nurse I am bound by both ethical and legal standards. To practice with integrity I must work within the rules, even when I disagree with them. I believe our immigration policies are long overdue for meaningful reform, and I fully support that work. However, completely ignoring federal law is not a sustainable solution. The answer is to fix the law, not to selectively enforce it based on geography.

Neutral

The data I have reviewed suggests the Department of Education has not produced the improvements its funding would suggest. That said I want to be honest that I would need to examine this more thoroughly before taking a firm position. What I will say is consistent with everything else I believe: significant funding must come with significant and measurable results. If it cannot demonstrate real impact, that has to change

Neutral

Before taking a firm position I want to ask the question that does not seem to get asked enough: why are foreign governments funding American education, and what is their stated mission for doing so? Funding always comes with influence. Until we have full transparency on the intention behind that funding and can verify it serves American students first, I would approach it with serious caution.

Strongly Agree

Strongly agree. Parents are almost always the best advocates for their children and that authority must be respected and protected. Government's role is not to replace parents but to serve as a safety net for the children who need protection from abuse, neglect, or trauma. For the vast majority of families, parents should be making these decisions. Government should empower them, not override them.

Neutral

This depends heavily on the age of the child, the involvement of qualified mental health professionals, and most importantly the genuine wishes of the person. As a nurse I believe that anyone not yet equipped to make fully informed, life altering decisions for themselves deserves time and support to reach that clarity independently, with professional guidance, before any irreversible steps are taken.

Neutral

I believe religious institutions must be free to define and perform marriage according to their own faith traditions without government interference. At the same time, legal marriage is defined by the Supreme Court and I respect that ruling. As a nurse I have witnessed firsthand the real consequences when a devoted partner of decades is denied the legal right to make medical decisions for someone they love. That matters.

Neutral

I believe adults have the right to make their own choices, including how they spend their money. That said, expansion must come with strong consumer protections, responsible gambling safeguards, and appropriate sin taxes that ensure the industry contributes meaningfully back to the communities it operates in.

I was raised by devout Catholic parents whose faith was lived every single day. My mother, despite our poverty, organized a nonprofit to feed those less fortunate and later built a chapel beside our home where she invited priests for mass and organized processions. My father chose our apartment specifically for its proximity to a church, the same apartment I moved into when I arrived in America at 18. As a teenager I wrote a prayer I still say every night. I pray mostly in gratitude because it never seemed right to only come to God with wishes. I ask to be used as a tool to spread His message of goodness and love in the world. At the end I surrender everything back to Him and trust that His will be done.

Neutral

I completed training to volunteer at a polling location last election and learned firsthand that systems already exist to allow people to vote provisionally while their identity is further reviewed. I believe everyone eligible should be able to vote. That said, requiring photo identification would go a long way toward removing the perception of fraud, whether real or not, and restoring public trust in our elections. Both access and integrity matter.

Disagree

I do not support reparations based solely on race. Assigning guilt or financial responsibility based on skin color contradicts the very principles of equality we are fighting to uphold. People should not be held accountable for the sins of their ancestors. I believe in addressing systemic inequity through access, opportunity, and investment in underserved communities, not through payments tied to racial identity.

Neutral

This requires nuance rather than a blanket answer. In sports, I believe competition should remain based on biological sex. In shelters, data shows this community faces higher abuse rates in male facilities, so safety must guide policy. Bathrooms should reflect physical presentation. Locker rooms present unique privacy concerns and ideally a separate safe space serves everyone best. Safety and dignity for all must lead every decision.

Neutral

I believe we have a responsibility to protect our environment but I also believe the data driving our policy decisions must be accurate, transparent, and free from political motivation. There are legitimate questions about whether some climate data has been overstated. Like everything else I approach this with balance. We cannot ignore environmental harm but we also cannot impose excessive burdens on working Californians based on inflated fears.

No single source can meet California's growing demand. We need a realistic mix: nuclear with strong safety standards, fossil fuels during transition, and expanded wind and solar.

Moderate

I do not fit neatly into any of these categories and I think that is exactly the point. I am fiscally responsible, socially compassionate, and politically independent. I answer to people, not to a label.

no

no

The goal of the criminal justice system should be to be fair and effective. Fair means every person regardless of their background, income, or identity is treated with equal dignity under the law. Effective means the system actually reduces crime, rehabilitates those who can be rehabilitated, and protects communities. A system that is fair but ineffective fails victims.

Strongly Agree

Neutral

I will be transparent: I am not deeply versed in Sharia law. What I do know is that any legal framework incorporated into American governance must align with our Constitution, our civil rights protections, and our commitment to protecting the vulnerable. Any system that permits the marriage of children or condones violence against women is fundamentally incompatible with American law and values. Full stop.

I support the Second Amendment and the right of law abiding Californians to own firearms. However that right must come with responsibility. No one with a violent criminal history or a documented risk to themselves or others should have access to a weapon. Thorough background checks, mental health screenings, and consistent enforcement of existing laws are the smart and practical path forward.