Candidates for office, clockwise from top left, Adam Shiff (U.S. Senate), Sean Elo-Rivera (District 9), Steve Garvey (U.S. Senate), Terry Hoskins (District 9), Donald Trump (President), Todd Gloria (Mayor), Stephen Whitburn (District 3), Butch Ware (President), Coleen Cusack (District 3), Larry Turner (Mayor), Kamala Harris (President) respond to questions regarding health and reproductive rights. Illustration by Luke Bradbury/City Times Media

WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAY: Healthcare, reproductive rights on the City College Community Agenda, November 2024

Debates, forums yield insights on issues important to you

Vince Outlaw, Multimedia Journalist

November 4, 2024

When pharmacy major Ramon Almaraz identified “Healthcare and Reproductive Rights” as one of the City College Community Agenda issues he wanted candidates to address ahead of the November 2024 election, he added a specific question relevant to fellow San Diego City College community members.

“What is stopping us from being more compassionate for people that cannot access health(care) very easily?” he asked.

To address community members’ questions and provide insight into candidates’ plans to address Healthcare and Reproductive Rights, City Time Media analyzed statements made by candidates for U.S. President (Democrat and Republican parties, Green party), U.S. Senator, San Diego Mayor, and San Diego City Council Districts 3 and 9 during debates, forums and speeches.

Healthcare and Reproductive Rights were identified by 50% of the respondents to the City College Community Agenda survey as an issue they would like to hear candidates talk about.

In the surveys, which are still available in both English and Spanish, some of the respondents took the additional step of providing questions and comments further indicating exactly what they wanted to hear.

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Nadia, foreground left, and Nyhia watch former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris at the presidential debate watch party presented by the San Diego City College political science program on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo by Vince Outlaw/City Times Media

President of the United States

Butch Ware, GP:

“If we treat the drug problem in America as a problem to be solved with public health solutions rather than carceral state solutions, one of the auxiliary benefits of that approach would be that you would disempower Mexican cartels because they’re no longer drug dealers.”

“In every single school of Islamic laws, Shia or Sunni, abortion is permitted right up to before the moment of birth if the woman’s life is endangered because, because a bundle of cells and a fully grown woman are not the same thing … Most Muslim scholars said that the ensoulment, the time when the soul is breathed into an embryo, is at 120 days … Under our current system, where many of our states are criminalizing basic medical care for women, rights that Islamic law would guarantee to women are being violated. So in point of fact, if you’re really conservative and actually concerned about Islamic values, then you should be voting for a more permissive environment on women’s health.”

Nadia, foreground left, and Nyhia watch former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris at the presidential debate watch party presented by the San Diego City College political science program on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo by Vince Outlaw/City Times Media

United States Senator from California

Rep. Adam Schiff, left, and Steve Garvey, right, compete to be California’s next senator. Source: campaign websites

Larry Turner, left, and Todd Gloria, right, compete for the city’s top job. Source: Campaign Websites

San Diego Mayor

The candidates did not address this issue in the debate analyzed.

Larry Turner, left, and Todd Gloria, right, compete for the city’s top job. Source: Campaign Websites

Coleen Cusack, left, challenges incumbent Stephen Whitburn, right, for representation of District 3. Source: campaign websites.

San Diego City District 3

The candidates did not address this issue in the debate analyzed.

Coleen Cusack, left, challenges incumbent Stephen Whitburn, right, for representation of District 3. Source: campaign websites.

Sean Elo-Rivera, left, and Terry Hoskins, right, compete to be the next San Diego District 9 City Council member. Source: campaign websites

San Diego City District 9

The candidates did not address this issue in the debate analyzed.

Sean Elo-Rivera, left, and Terry Hoskins, right, compete to be the next San Diego District 9 City Council member. Source: campaign websites

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