PRIORITIES
OUR VISION
Defending Reproductive Freedom
Ellen is a steadfast defender of reproductive freedom and the right to make personal healthcare decisions without government interference. She will fully fund Planned Parenthood and fight back against the Trump Administration’s attempts to criminalize reproductive care. And Ellen will work to protect and expand access to abortion, contraception, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including medication abortion.
Ellen also supports strong legal protections for providers delivering reproductive and gender-affirming care and will work to ensure California trains and supports providers to meet the needs of people who come here seeking care they can no longer access in their home state — including patients experiencing miscarriage who are denied treatment elsewhere.
Fully Funding Public Schools
With the Trump Administration threatening to defund public schools, strengthening our education system is one of Ellen Evans’ top priorities. As a mom, Evans supports strong, stable funding for public schools, community colleges, and higher education, and for high-quality job training programs, with safe and welcoming schools for all students, including immigrant and LGBTQ+ youth.
Protecting Civil Rights
Ellen has spent her life fighting for civil rights. As a college student during the height of the AIDS Crisis, she protested President Reagan’s inaction, including being arrested outside the White House after a friend was diagnosed with HIV. She later rushed to marry her wife during the brief window when marriage equality was legal in California, went on to serve as Vice President of Equality California Institute, and helped guide the organization through the difficult years after Proposition 8. In the State Senate, Ellen is committed to fighting back against Trump’s attacks on immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities, and communities of color — including protecting our schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods from ICE.
Creating Jobs & Supporting Small Businesses
As a former union member, Ellen Evans believes people who work hard, raise families, and contribute to their communities deserve the opportunity to succeed here in California. In the State Senate, she will partner with labor unions and small business owners to expand workforce development programs and create good-paying jobs. Ellen will fight to build an economy that supports working families while helping small businesses grow and thrive.
Lowering Costs for Working Families
Ellen Evans knows too many families are being priced out of the communities they call home. That’s why she’s focused on making California more affordable so people can stay and build stable lives here. In the State Senate, she will work to build more housing that people can afford, create a pathway to homeownership for first-time buyers, and expand rental assistance and protections while protecting the supply of new housing units. Ellen will work to expand access to affordable healthcare and lower everyday costs so families can keep up with housing, groceries, and utilities.
Preventing Wildfires
Wildfire preparedness and disaster resilience are central pillars of Ellen Evans’ public safety agenda, and she will bring real, on-the-ground experience to Sacramento. Ellen will fight to prioritize fire prevention, mitigation, and preparedness over short-term fixes. Her focus includes vegetation management, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, coordinated emergency response, and rebuilding communities safer and stronger after disasters. She will also fight to ensure the availability and affordability of fire insurance.
Fighting Climate Change
Ellen Evans knows climate change is an immediate public safety, public health, and economic issue rather than an abstract environmental concern. She supports aggressive action to address climate change, protect biodiversity, and reduce the risk of climate-driven disasters. Evans believes the transition to a clean energy economy must produce good-paying, union jobs and include robust workforce training.
Reducing Homelessness
Ellen Evans has watched broken systems repeatedly fail people in her neighborhood, cycling them between the street, emergency mental health holds, and jail without delivering lasting stability. As a neighborhood leader, she worked to protect local housing stock and return units to the long-term rental market by securing enforcement of Los Angeles’ short-term rental ordinance, helping prevent displacement and housing instability. In the State Senate, she will fight to build more affordable housing, cut red tape, and expand community-based mental health care, crisis response teams, and supportive housing. Ellen is committed to ending the revolving door by delivering real, permanent solutions that keep people housed and restore safety and dignity for everyone.
