SD 24 State Senate Debate: Questions & Answers Summary

Santa Monica Democratic Club candidate debate between John Erickson (West Hollywood City Council Member, former Mayor) and Brian Goldsmith (small business owner, journalist, and Democratic consultant), the two remaining candidates for California’s 24th State Senate District (which includes Santa Monica).

This summary covers the moderated debate portion only (not the club’s ballot-measure presentations or endorsement vote). Questions are grouped by topic in the order they were asked.

1. Record and Trust

What has each candidate actually done, as a candidate for state senate, to demonstrate they should be trusted to represent Santa Monica in Sacramento?

Erickson pointed to his record as a West Hollywood council member and former mayor, including a $31 million budget surplus he says he generated as mayor and reinvestment in public safety and social services. He cited endorsements from teachers’, nurses’, and firefighters’ unions, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, four of five LA County Supervisors, and several Santa Monica-area elected officials.

Goldsmith argued that local-government experience like Erickson’s is already well represented in Sacramento (he said roughly 70% of current state senators have it). He said he instead brings experience as a journalist who has challenged those in power, a small-business owner who has dealt firsthand with government regulation, and someone active in efforts opposing Trump administration policies affecting California.

2. Housing Production vs. Protecting Existing Affordable Housing

How would each balance the state’s push for more housing with protecting existing affordable and rent-controlled housing, and what protections would they require before supporting a state housing mandate?

Goldsmith said he would evaluate each housing bill individually rather than voting a fixed position, asking whether it is right for the district. He cited his opposition to SB 79, a state bill he described as overriding local zoning authority, as an example of standing up to his own party’s leadership when he believed a bill was wrong for the district.

Erickson said he supports building housing near transit and commercial corridors but wants stronger renter protections alongside it — including expanding rent control and repealing the Costa-Hawkins and Ellis Acts (see below). He emphasized local control, noting he is president of the California Contract Cities Association.

3. Costa-Hawkins and the Ellis Act

Do the state’s Costa-Hawkins and Ellis Acts give cities enough authority to protect renters, and if not, what changes would each candidate support?

Erickson said he supports fully repealing both Costa-Hawkins and the Ellis Act and expanding rent control statewide. He referenced a bill along these lines (from Assemblymember Ash Kalra) that did not advance in the legislature this year.

Goldsmith said he does not support repealing either law outright, noting that three past statewide ballot initiatives to overturn Costa-Hawkins failed by wide margins. He said he prefers to pursue protections he believes are achievable, including extending the Tenant Protection Act and expanding the renters’ tax credit, and would oppose any bill that weakens existing rent control in Santa Monica or West Hollywood.

Follow Up Question: When asked whether they would support allowing rent control on older multi-family buildings after a set period, rather than exempting all new construction indefinitely, Erickson said yes. Goldsmith said he is open to “modernizing” Costa-Hawkins but wants to review specific bill language before committing.

4. Homelessness

Why has the LA area struggled to sustain progress on homelessness, and what should Sacramento do differently given the billions already spent?

Goldsmith cited roughly $24 billion in state spending on homelessness since 2019 with uneven statewide results. He pointed to cities like San Francisco and San Jose that have reduced unsheltered homelessness using scaled-up temporary/modular shelter, and called for stronger state oversight and outcome-based accountability for service providers, plus more emergency rental assistance to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. He also said that once shelter and services are available, anti-camping laws should be enforced.

Erickson pointed to a program he created in West Hollywood, WeHo CARES, which pairs 24/7 behavioral-health and substance-abuse outreach with an interim housing project; he said it corresponded with a 54% drop in homelessness in West Hollywood over 11 months. Both candidates said they supported LA County’s decision to pull funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) over accountability concerns.

5. Proposition 36

Now that Prop. 36 (the 2024 measure toughening penalties for repeat theft and drug offenses) has been in effect, what has it gotten right and wrong, and where should the line be between treatment and punishment for addiction?

Erickson opposed Prop. 36 when it was on the ballot, as did the state Democratic Party. He said the state has not adequately funded the treatment programs the measure relies on, shifting costs to cities, and cited local crime data he says shows crime trending down regardless.

Goldsmith supported Prop. 36, noting it passed with about 63% support in the district and roughly 70% statewide. He said it struck a reasonable balance. Giving prosecutors discretion to charge a felony on a third theft offense, and creating a treatment-mandated felony option (drug treatment instead of prosecution) for repeat hard-drug offenses. He said the shortcoming has been in funding and implementation, not the underlying policy, and disputed Erickson’s crime statistics, citing a reported 25% rise in violent crime in West Hollywood from 2020–2025. The candidates did not reconcile these competing crime figures during the debate.

6. Film and Television Production

What should Sacramento do to bring production jobs back to California, and what is the state currently getting wrong?

Both candidates named this a top priority. Goldsmith highlighted his endorsements from entertainment-industry unions (IATSE, Teamsters) and his role in the coalition that won an expanded state film tax credit last year, which he called a floor, not a ceiling. He urged opposition to SB 122, which he said would roll back some of last year’s tax-credit gains.

Erickson called for removing the cap on the tax credit, expanding “above the line” and “below the line” incentive programs, investing in arts education, and streamlining local film permitting (citing a permit-free pilot program he created in West Hollywood). He also said state and local leaders should push back on corporate media mergers he believes threaten union production jobs.

Follow-up: the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger: Neither candidate supports the merger as proposed. Goldsmith said he wants to see a fair settlement that addresses the state attorney general’s concerns without the company relocating jobs out of state. Erickson said he supports the attorney general litigating rather than settling.

7. AB 2564 (Surveillance-Based Pricing)

AB 2564 would bar retailers from using personal data gathered through surveillance technology to charge different customers different prices for the same product. Would each candidate vote for it, and what is the state’s broader role in regulating this kind of AI-driven pricing?

Goldsmith said that once it was clarified the bill bans this practice, he could support it, but wants to review the final language to avoid unintended effects on legitimate loyalty programs or first-time customer discounts. He said he would support a bill that clearly bars using someone’s income or status to set different prices.

Erickson said he would not vote for the bill as described. His answer focused on distrust of corporate promises generally, citing a past dispute over a West Hollywood minimum-wage ordinance, and opposition to surveillance technologies such as license-plate-reading cameras used by local police, and said AI needs careful regulation so it isn’t used against consumers or working people.

8. Coastal Protection, CEQA, and Development

When environmental protections and the push to speed up housing and infrastructure conflict, how would each candidate decide which takes priority (discussed in the context of AB 1740, which addresses Santa Monica’s coastal development authority)?

Goldsmith said he views development proposals through a climate and environmental lens and evaluates case by case whether a bill genuinely streamlines permitting or overrides local planning; he noted his endorsement from California Environmental Voters.

Erickson pointed to AB 1740, which — after amendment — gives Santa Monica more say over coastal-zone development in partnership with the Coastal Commission; he supports that outcome and cited his endorsements from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. Goldsmith separately highlighted his work helping build a coalition for a state electric-vehicle tax credit after the federal EV credit was eliminated.

9. Santa Monica Airport and the Great Park

With the airport scheduled to close by the end of 2028 and the city planning a large public park on the site, what would each candidate do as state senator to help realize that vision?

Erickson said he supports the closure and would pursue state budget support to help fund the site’s conversion to open space, citing his experience securing state park and streetscape funding in West Hollywood.

Goldsmith also supports the closure, said he has met repeatedly with the Great Park Coalition, and wants a sustainable, self-funding revenue model for long-term maintenance (citing the Central Park Conservancy in New York as a model).

Follow-up: Both candidates said they would oppose any state effort to require or encourage housing on the airport site without a vote of Santa Monica residents.

10. Wildfire Liability and Utility Costs

Governor Newsom has proposed reducing utilities’ liability when their equipment causes wildfires, arguing the current system drives up electricity rates; consumer advocates say this shifts costs to ratepayers and fire victims. Who should bear the cost, and how should California keep insurance and electricity affordable while helping survivors rebuild?

Goldsmith said the party responsible for the damage — the utility — should bear the cost, not ratepayers. He proposed a locally driven rebuilding and recovery authority that coordinates government agencies and pools property- and sales-tax revenue to streamline reconstruction, citing the Palisades and Malibu fire recovery.

Erickson criticized rising utility bills and said utilities should be held accountable rather than passing costs to customers while protecting shareholder returns; he called for breaking up PG&E and cited reliability concerns with Southern California Edison in his district. He cited endorsements from LA County supervisors and firefighter unions.

11. Immigration Enforcement

How far should California go in restricting what federal immigration agents can do in the state, and what would each candidate do to protect Californians from enforcement abuses?

Both candidates said they oppose current federal immigration enforcement tactics and would use legislation and litigation to limit state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Erickson said he wants to end government contracts with private security firms that also work with ICE, citing a West Hollywood contract he is pushing the city to reconsider. Goldsmith raised the same West Hollywood contract as a point of difference, noting other cities have declined to sign similar contracts with that vendor. Both noted state legislators have limited direct authority over federal immigration policy and framed their role as using state-level tools like funding restrictions, contracting rules, and legal challenges to limit the state’s involvement.

12. Campaign Financing

With this race being one of the most expensive legislative races in state history, what should voters know about each candidate’s funding, and what safeguards would they put in place against donor influence?

Goldsmith said his campaign has more than 1,000 individual donors, mostly from the district, and that he has also contributed personal funds. He said he has publicly declined positions sought by the apartment industry, some education groups, and pro-development (“YIMBY”) organizations.

Erickson said he is not self-funding and lives in a rent-controlled apartment, and cited roughly $10.6 million in outside spending against him from groups including the utility and apartment industries. He argued the amount of outside money in the race, on both sides, is itself a concern for voters.

13. Leadership Style

Setting policy aside, why will your leadership and personality be effective in Sacramento?

Erickson pointed to his voting record as a sitting council member as something voters can review directly, and to coalitions he has built around minimum wage, housing, and public-safety measures, including some Republican support locally.

Goldsmith emphasized coalition-building across the ideological spectrum within the party (citing endorsements from both more progressive and more moderate primary rivals), a plan to create an ongoing “local leaders council” for consultation, and a leadership approach centered on listening before acting.

14. Lightning Round

Public education: Goldsmith called for a stronger, science-based curriculum and opposes promoting students who haven’t met grade-level standards. Erickson called for fully funding schools and ensuring teachers and schools have needed supplies and programs.

Transportation without a car: Erickson called for expanding Metro service regionally, citing his work on local transit financing tools as mayor. Goldsmith agreed and added support for biking infrastructure, while cautioning against cost overruns like California’s high-speed rail project.

Persuading people who disagree with you: Goldsmith said he tries to be consistent and let his record speak for itself. Erickson said results matter more than likability, citing bipartisan work on retail-theft (“smash and grab”) legislation.

A Ben Allen (the outgoing senator) vote you’d have handled differently: Erickson cited frustration with abstentions on housing bills. Goldsmith said abstaining functions the same as a “no” vote, and that some legislation could have better accounted for small-business impact.

Closing Statements

Both candidates thanked the club and reiterated core themes: Goldsmith emphasized partnership, listening, and a promise to consult local leaders in Sacramento; Erickson emphasized his direct local-government track record and personal story as motivation for public service.