To every California voter — Republicans, independents, no party preference, moderate Democrats, and every Californian who still loves this state: If you’re a Democrat who feels like your party has abandoned you, cheated you and left behind the values you once believed in, you’re not alone. Many Californians feel the same way. If you love your state, city and country, you still have the power to help make things right. 

I know many voters who already had very little hope left in California elections. What has happened recently may have discouraged them even more from participating in future elections, including the General Election this November. 

I suppose we should all thank Gavin Newsom and Rob Bonta for accomplishing something few thought possible: They’ve managed to unite many Republicans, independents, and even lifelong Democrats in one thing: growing frustration with the direction California is headed and whether Sacramento is still listening to the people. 

For the past six years that I’ve been involved in politics, I’ve found common ground with voters from every background who all agree on one thing: California is heading in the wrong direction. Because of that, many voters have developed the mindset that their votes don’t matter anymore. I understand why they feel that way. You don’t have to be a politician to see what many Californians find frustrating. The average, common-sense voter looks around and sees rising crime, homelessness, unaffordable housing, businesses leaving, families moving away, and a government that seems disconnected from the people it serves. It’s gotten so bad that even many lifelong liberals have begun questioning the direction California is........

© Santa Clarita Valley Signal