San Diego

National, Local Elected Women and Community Leaders Rally for Toni Atkins

 National and local elected women and community leaders came together to rally for Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, supporting her bid for State Senate.

Atkins, who is running for the 39th State Senate District seat, is the first LGBT woman to serve as Speaker of the California State Assembly. She is the third woman to hold that position.

State Controller Betty Yee, Assemblymember Shirley Weber and community members came out to Market Creek Plaza on Euclid Avenue to talk about why they thought Atkins should be re-elected. 

“We need her leadership we need her commitment we need her effectiveness in the state legislature,” Weber said.

Her courage, commitment and tenacity has proven a key part of her leadership, Weber told those gathered.

“I want to say that’s it’s also in many ways, in my mind, it’s a selfish thing on my part that I’m supporting her for State Senate because this community needs a senator who’s going to fight for them,” Weber said, as the crowd behind her cheered. “This community needs a senator who’s going to be present, who’s going to be conscious of the issues faced in this district.”

Yee, who also spoke at the rally, said many parts of Atkins’ time in office, including her work on affordable housing and her collaborative efforts, have earned her the trust of the community she serves.

“She is someone who has really made affordable housing a cornerstone of her public policy work and she knows from firsthand experience right here in the San Diego region how important that issue is,” Yee said.

Atkins said she wants to fight for equal pay for women and immigrants, equality and better educational funding, in addition to other issues, when she is elected. “We have turned the corner” as California becomes more prosperous, Atkins said, but so many do not feel the progress yet.

“It’s not enough to support the status quo, you got to be willing to get in and do the fight and take the risk and sometimes we aren’t successful, but we don’t stop, we go back,” said Atkins, who spoke at the end of the rally.

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