U.S. House of RepresentativesCandidate for District 20

We deserve representation in Washington that pays attention to us and puts our communities first instead of corporate lobbyists.  

I’m a public school teacher, mother, and grandmother, and I’ve spent the last 20 years serving my community in Bakersfield.  I’ve seen firsthand what happens when career politicians ignore us.

People need leaders who will work with others to deliver results rather than blocking progress.

After meeting my husband at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, we moved to Bakersfield in the late 1980s to live on the apple orchard where John worked and we raised three children on that farm. 

I’ve helped neighbors and families through struggles, especially recently.  I know we agree more than we disagree, and when we disagree we can still work together.  Some politicians in Washington either don’t understand that or don’t care because it helps them to be divisive.

I’m a teacher and a problem solver.  I’ll work with anyone to get the results we need, including:

• Reducing prices for goods and fixing our supply chain so more is manufactured here;

• Expanding access to affordable healthcare;

• Honoring our veterans by giving them the services they deserve;

• Protecting the retirement security seniors have earned;

• Creating opportunities for good-paying jobs;

• Ensuring our farmers have the water they need to succeed and feed America; and

• Strengthening education so every child can succeed.

I also pledge to hold regular community meetings in the district to hear directly from you.

I’d be proud to earn your vote.

MarisaWoodForCongress.com 

As a tireless advocate for my students my top priorities have always been my kiddos and my community. While I am new to the political arena, I am ready to take the reins and send Kevin McCarthy home. You may not know this about me, but I have been advocating for the Fairfax School District students and families as the resources they so desperately need have been put at risk due to a corrupt board. This same advocacy is exactly what I WILL bring to DC--to speak up for those that have been forgotten or taken advantage of--We MUST do better. 

I promise that every vote I make; every legislation I advance will be grounded in these questions--am I meeting the needs of the constituents who depend on me? Am I ensuring all those in the workforce are earning a dignified wage? Am I providing access to quality, affordable healthcare to ALL the folks in my district? Am I advocating for the homeless? Am I promoting quality education and mentoring for the youth who are our future? Am I working with legislators across the state to manage our shared precious resource--water? Do I support or advance legislation that moves forward with clean energy solutions while ensuring that those in the Fossil Fuel workforce are trained and able to transition into a new field? 

As a teacher of junior high English for 21 years, I have been privileged to spend every day inspired by the youth in whom our future rests. More than 8 out of 10 of my students receive Free or Reduced Lunch, which is 10% higher than the County and 30% higher than the State; 3 out of 10 of my students have English as a second language; 10% are from Migrant families; 13% are homeless. My  students have never ceased to amaze me with their ability to adapt and push through challenges. When I say I am fighting for struggling families, it is not a political tagline! I have 21 years of faces and hearts to whom I am dedicated. The Pandemic has been a challenge like none of us have ever experienced before.  Students face many obstacles as they return to class, with learning loss being only the tip of the iceberg. Students struggle emotionally to recover from a frightening and uncertain pandemic, they are worried whether there will be food on the table as many of their parents/guardians have been out of work; they are searching to discover and build their self-esteem amid constant social media pressures to be “perfect,” they are navigating the social structures of being back in the classroom surrounded by peers after a year of solitude.  We MUST do better.

Water is a precious resource here in the Central Valley, and I will commit to working with legislators across the state to equitably distribute the water we all need-- water to live,water to grow crops, and water storage, not to mention preventive measures to combat forest fires. We MUST do better.

Technology and clean energy solutions must play a major role in reshaping the fossil fuel industry, a mainstay of the Central Valley. I believe that leaders can build a plan with equitable and responsible  solutions that take oil extraction into efficient energy and provide a future for the countless workers. We MUST do better.

We CAN do better for our Communities. I will be your advocate. I will fight for working families and children. I look forward to learning about the issues that matter the most to you; to earning your respect, support, and endorsement. 

If you want to learn more about me, visit my website or Facebook.