David Mandel
David Mandel (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.
Mandel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
David Mandel was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lives in Sacramento, California. Mandel earned a bachelor's degree from New York University in 1974 and a law degree from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1984. His career experience includes working as an activist, an attorney, and a magazine and newspaper editor.[1] Mandel has been affiliated with Sacramento Jewish Voice for Peace and Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestine.[2]
Elections
2024
See also: California's 7th Congressional District election, 2024
California's 7th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 7
Incumbent Doris Matsui and Tom Silva are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Doris Matsui (D) | |
 | Tom Silva (R) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 7
Incumbent Doris Matsui and Tom Silva defeated David Mandel in the primary for U.S. House California District 7 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Doris Matsui (D) | 56.5 | 89,485 |
| ✔ | | Tom Silva (R) | 30.9 | 48,943 |
 | David Mandel (D) | 12.7 | 20,057 | |
| Total votes: 158,485 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Max Semenenko (R)
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
David Mandel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mandel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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A Sacramentan since 1985, I have been involved for more than five decades as a participant and organizer in struggles for justice and peace in the United States and abroad. An elected member of the state and county Democratic Party central committees, I have led efforts to pass resolutions, legislative stances and platform planks supporting Palestinian human rights while also working alongside fellow progressives on worker rights, single-payer healthcare, greatly expanded affordable housing, stopping climate change, ending racism, patriarchy and predatory capitalism, and getting dirty money out of politics, among other priorities. I am not a career politician, but for decades I’ve been an advocate for honesty, peace and social justice, as a partner, father and grandparent, in my work as a journalist and an attorney for the disadvantaged and oppressed, and as a dedicated volunteer with numerous organizations carrying on the fight for a better world. I have campaigned for many like-minded candidates will work to mobilize the best parts of the movements they inspired, joining with the growing number in Congress determined to create a better country and world, while I continue to help building people’s movements in our neighborhoods, at workplaces and in the streets.
- Ceasefire Now! Freedom & Justicefor All Palestinians: Use U.S. leverage to enforce an immediate, permanent cease-fire in Gaza, enabling negotiations to free all Israeli hostages and all Palestinian political prisoners, many being held without charges or evidence. Rush massive humanitarian aid to Gaza, then employ multilateral diplomacy to rebuild it. Demand self-determination for Palestinians, full human rights under international law, and an end Israeli occupation and apartheid with military “aid” and diplomatic backing against the will of most of the world. Use diplomacy to insist on full equality for all and restorative justice to bring peace and safety to Israeli Jews and Palestinians alike.
- Environment & Climate: Commit to aggressive environmental protection and climate change initiatives, including transitioning to renewable energy, ending fracking, and advocating for sustainable, environmentally responsible trade policies. End our dependence on fossil fuels and break the influence of the energy lobby. Promote sustainable trade based on environmental responsibility. Address the environmental impact of militarism.
- Healthcare for & All Public Health: Recognize healthcare as a fundamental human right, pushing for universal, single-payer healthcare systems, and restructuring the healthcare sector to prioritize public health over profit. Bring down the cost medication and regulate the for-profit pharmacudical industry. Restructure the healthcare sector to prioritize public health.
I personally have been passionate about peace for Israeli Jews and Palestinians and working towards this goal for decades. join the demand – supported by a large majority of Americans -- for an immediate cease-fire and massive amounts of humanitarian aid, to be followed by a diplomatic process to ensure self-determination, equality, human rights, restorative justice and safety for Palestinians and Israeli Jews alike.
I am not a career politician, but for decades I’ve been an advocate for honesty, peace and social justice, as a partner, father and grandparent, in my work as a journalist and an attorney for the disadvantaged and oppressed, and as a dedicated volunteer with numerous organizations carrying on the fight for a better world. I have campaigned for many like-minded candidates will work to mobilize the best parts of the movements they inspired, joining with the growing number in Congress determined to create a better country and world, while I continue to help building people’s movements in our neighborhoods, at workplaces and in the streets.
At the moment, I most look up to Bernie Sanders. Though I don't agree with everything he’s done and every stance he takes, he has been an important voice of conscience and clarity in a time of rampant corruption and abuse of power. For many progressives and leftists, young and old, the Bernie Sanders campaign was the first time they felt that it was possible to have a President (and a government on the whole) that might represent the will of the people without being held to corporate interests. I plan to carry that torch, to be an unwavering voice for justice and progress, and provide solidarity not only to my fellow progressives in Congress but to every American.
The most important characteristics for an elected official are honesty, transparency, and an unwavering dedication to the interests of the working people.
I would be a successful representative because of my curiosity, persistence, and commitment to service. I have an innate appetite for learning about issues and how they affect people firsthand, delving into the details and seeking the full picture so I can fight for solutions that not only solve the problem, but serve the needs of those most impacted. I have a track record of being a persistent fighter for justice in my work as a journalist, as an attorney for the disadvantaged and oppressed, and as a dedicated volunteer with numerous organizations carrying on the fight for a better world.
I remember when I was 5 years old, my parents sat me down in front of the TV where some old man was droning on and on. Later I realized that this was the inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
My very first serious job was as a typesetter my junior and senior years of college. I worked at that job for around 18 months, and it helped spark my passion for journalism and speaking truth to power.
Usually it's whatever Beethoven quartet I've played lately!
I believe that the United States' greatest challenge in the next decade will be mobilizing to aggressively take action to prevent climate catastrophe for America and the world. Every other struggle, from the fight for racial equality to pursuing international peace, is intertwined in the fight for our climate. In one of Bernie Sanders' early debates in 2016, he was asked what the biggest security challenge facing the United States was. While other candidates answered Russia, China, or terrorism, Bernie answered "climate catastrophe". I agree wholeheartedly. We cannot have a safe and secure state while our lands are eroding, natural disasters destroy entire communities, and increasingly scarce water and arable land lead to violent clashes.
I plan to model myself after Representative Rashida Tlaib. She stands as a beacon in the darkness and a leading voice of moral clarity on all issues of human rights, including calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Last June, I, along with 100 Jewish Voice for Peace members from around the country visited Washington to lobby for, among other things, the Palestinian Children and Families act, which would stop U.S. funds from being used to arrest kids, demolish homes and support illegal settlements; against a number of measures that falsely label criticism of Israel as antisemitism; and for a resolution recognizing the historical fact of the Nakba – the expulsion of most Palestinians from what became Israel in 1948. It has continued ever since, now more horrifically than ever before, in Gaza. My meetings on our lobby day were with California members and staff, butI was back in the area a couple of days later and decided to see if I could meet the person who I consider my my real representative -- who truly represents my interests: Rashida Tlaib. To my good fortune, she took the time to chat for 15 minutes or so, about Palestine, politics, and our families. I came out starstruck.
There are plenty of causes to fight for in Washington: Green New Deal, healthcare, housing, education as human rights for all, cut the military budget progressive tax policy … and much more. Rashida is leading on all of these issues too, and I plan to join her. I will stand beside Rashida Tlaib in her fight for justice, freedom, and dignity for every living human being.
In the last few months, as I have traveled around the district meeting with members of my community, my life has been changed by the stories I have heard from my Palestinian neighbors about their experiences in the last few months of Israel's relentless attack, as well as over the years. One man I spoke to lost 74 members of his family just in the last four months. And though our neighbors are grieving, our local representatives refuse to even meet with us. None of our region’s representatives stand on the right side of this issue and other measures, let alone use their power and privilege to speak out on Palestine.
Although I have long campaigned for justice, peace, and freedom for Palestine, hearing these stories in recent months has strengthened my resolve. Sacramento, and the United States as a whole, deserves representatives who are committed to fighting for human rights at home and abroad.
Wellstone Democrats of Sacramento, California Progressive Alliance, Green Party of Sacramento, Our Revolution
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Campaign website
Mandel’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Ceasefire Now! Freedom & Justicefor All Palestinians Foreign Policy & International Justice: Environment & Climate Social Justice & Equity: Domestic Policy & Human Rights: Healthcare for & All Public Health: Fair Market Economy & Labor Rights: Governance & Democracy Reform: Public Safety and Gun Control: |
” |
| —David Mandel’s campaign website (2024)[4] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House California District 7 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Mandel for Congress, "Biography," accessed January 27, 2024
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 5, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mandel for Congress, “Platform,” accessed January 27, 2024
