The three Republican candidates for the 40th Assembly District primary participated in a locally hosted debate Thursday evening, answering submitted questions as well as each other’s.
Candidates Andreas Farmakalidis, Elizabeth Wong Ahlers and Rickey Tracy Hayes II shared their views on American manufacturing, home ownership, taxes and political theory at the Valencia Northbridge Clubhouse. The event was hosted by the Santa Clarita Valley Congress of Republicans, a local political group.
Of the three, the candidate with the most votes in the June primary would go on to compete in the November general election, presumably against the Assembly seat’s current holder, Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth. The primary is a “top two” primary, meaning the top two candidates move on to November. Schiavo is the only Democrat in the race.
The format of the debate gave each candidate ample room to express their views on a range of issues that are top-of-mind for voters going into elections in the spring and fall this year. The candidates each gave an opening statement, answered submitted questions – with time for rebuttals – cross-examined each other, and finally gave closing remarks.
In his opening statements, Hayes, who told the audience Thursday he’s been building infrastructure line as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union for several years, billed himself as a different kind of problem solver for political issues.
“Understand, when I say I know what I’m talking about when it comes to infrastructure, but understand, Sacramento had a lot of issues right now,” Hayes said. “A lot of people (are) working on political theory, right? This thing doesn’t run on political theory. It runs off reality. It’s called common sense.”
Farmakalidis and Ahlers both come from teaching backgrounds.
Ahlers has a doctorate in applied theology, and on her campaign website she lists UCLA and various California community colleges as schools where she’s taught English.
Farmakalidis’ website says he was educated at the Berklee College of Music, has various graduate degrees and founded the music school California MusicBox.
Ahlers, a sixth-generation Californian, was a member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council from 2022 to 2024 and previously ran for the 25th State Senate District in 2024 as a Republican.
“I represent business, education, cost of living, transparency, these are the core conservative values in California, with the overarching safety issue that crashes all around … These are the core Republican values I have always stood for.”
Farmakalidis, an immigrant from Cyprus, is chair of the North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. Throughout Thursday’s debate, he emphasized the importance of his experience in business organizations and community service for political know-how.
“We deserve leadership that understands the points to the Chamber of Commerce. I work with families, students and business. So I know that the businesses are struggling. I know that the families are struggling, and I know basically that everybody is struggling,” Farmakalidis said. “The system does not work, not for us, not for them. The cost of living is too high. The gas prices are insane.”
All three candidates repeatedly gestured to Sacramento as a catch-all for California’s political issues – particularly in the face of a two-decade supermajority by Democrats.
“Is it better after two decades of Democrat rule in Sacramento, or is it worse?” Ahlers said. “So what we need to do is look at the fundamental conservative principle of free market, less regulation, less governmental control and intervention that’s sending businesses out of the state.”
When it came to California’s notorious priciness that’s plagued residents for decades, the solution that candidates repeatedly alluded to was the same: Relaxing the state’s environmental regulations, which Hayes said hampers housing development as well as efforts to bring down oil prices.
“Kids, believe it, because they can’t afford to go to work, gas is still $6, right? That’s because it’s like a grand a month just to get to and from work,” Hayes said. “So the first thing you do is you get rid of some of the environmental protection so we can open up new refineries here, right? … We’ll give them tax breaks that’ll bring our gas down immediately, not tomorrow, not yesterday.”
Tackling the insurance fallout from extreme wildfires that’ve plagued California in recent years also drew business-driven solutions. Farmakalidis said he was interested in bringing more insurers into the state.
“One of the things that we are talking (about) now and talking to the chambers coalition (about) is free market insurance, which lowers the prices if we bring more insurance companies into California … that’s No. 1,” Farmakalidis said. “One of the things that we are actually advocating right now is to have a fire safety council (for) the entire state, community service staff, they can certify your property, and that’s going to lower your insurance.”