Democratic Candidate for Assembly District 1 Shares Background and Priorities

SACRAMENTO — The Mountain Messenger recently invited candidates for state Assembly District 1 to respond to questions about their backgrounds, priorities, and approaches to representing the district. The responses we received from incumbent Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick (R, Alturas) and Republican Darin Hale of Anderson were published on May 12. A third candidate, Dianna James, a Democrat from Mt Shasta, had not responded to our invitation by the time of publication but did so last week. Her statement appears below.

Dianna James #

Please describe your background and the experience and insights you would bring to the legislature. #

I’m a fifth-generation Californian and proud Mount Shasta resident with 25 years advising governments worldwide on democratic governance, institutional reform, and accountability. I’ve worked with USAID and international organizations across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East — helping countries build functional institutions and fix broken systems.

Today I’m watching the same dysfunction at home. We don’t need leaders who accept corporate funds and then sit on their hands when neighbors need help with utilities or insurance — too afraid to tackle the power centers that ensure citizens’ voices remain ignored. We don’t need elected officials without fiscal responsibility who spend on wasteful programs our neighbors can’t see or feel. And we can’t tolerate political movements whose only response to every challenge is to tear government down completely.

We need leaders who put citizens’ bang for buck first, who elevate and incorporate citizen voices not just during elections but throughout the year — and who know how to make government actually work. That’s exactly what I’ve spent my career doing.

What do you see as the most important issues facing the First District? #

My district survey made the priorities clear: wildfire prevention and forest management, skyrocketing utility and insurance costs, healthcare access, housing affordability, rural broadband, water rights, and local jobs. Above all, constituents feel ignored — 85% say their current representative doesn’t represent them, and over 75% feel pessimistic or very pessimistic about our district’s future. Those numbers should alarm every elected official in Sacramento. It’s time for that to change.

Which issues or areas of legislation would be your highest priorities if you are elected? #

My priorities don’t reflect culture wars or a personal agenda — they reflect what I’ve heard directly from my constituents. Families in fire country shouldn’t pay the highest energy rates in the state, so wildfire resilience and utility relief come first. I’ll fight for aggressive forest management, defensible space funding, and utility accountability.

My family had a small business. It transformed our family, strengthened our community, and gave me the opportunity to pursue an education. I know firsthand what a thriving local economy can do for a family and a town. I’ll prioritize rural economic development, small business support, and workforce training — because I want the same opportunities for anyone with the grit and determination to build something here. Our young people should be able to stay, build careers, own homes, and raise families in the communities they love.

The First District is big and diverse. If you’re elected, how will you stay in touch with and effectively represent constituents across the area? #

Representing eleven counties across 27,000 square miles requires more than showing up at election time. I will hold regular town halls in every county — not just the population centers. I’ll maintain a responsive constituent services office that treats every call seriously. I’ll use digital tools to stay connected between visits and travel the district consistently. I surveyed constituents across AD-1 before I was even on the ballot — that commitment to listening doesn’t stop on election day. It’s how I intend to govern.

Is there anything else you would like to say to voters in this district? #

I am not a career politician. I’m your neighbor — a fifth-generation Californian who loves this region and is deeply alarmed by what’s happening to it and to our democracy. We deserve better than a choice between fiscal recklessness and political destruction. We need leaders with real experience fixing broken systems, who answer to people — not corporations, not ideology.

This campaign accepts no corporate funds — none. We run on small donations averaging $50, because this campaign belongs to the people of Northern California. I’m asking for your vote on June 2nd.

The people of AD-1 are tired of being ignored, underinvested in, and underestimated. That ends now.