The three leading candidates vying for retiring Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat appeared in Stockton over the weekend to support Rep. Josh Harder’s reelection campaign.

Harder said that though Representatives Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff were at his event at Lindley House, it was also a chance for voters to speak to the candidates.

“This isn’t about me,” Harder said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for these three candidates, one of whom will almost certainly become the next U.S. senator from California, to hear exactly what they need to hear from the Valley.”

All three candidates had similar answers when it came to what issue voters were talking about.

“Mostly concerns about the high cost of housing,” Schiff said.

“The top issue in California is the cost of housing,” Porter said.

“Who in the world can afford to live in California on 15 dollars an hour?” Lee said. “That’s a shame and a disgrace!” 

The representative from Oakland noted that 20 million of California’s 39 million residents are one paycheck away from poverty.

“I was talking to members of labor unions earlier,” Lee said. “Some are working three jobs just to survive. Living in cars, young people, the student debt crisis.” 

“We need to double the Pell Grant that students receive,” Lee added. “So there are a lot of issues in California that are extremely important today, but I have the experience and have worked on these for decades.”

Porter, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, wants to prioritize housing affordability for renters and owners.

“We need the federal government to make a big investment in housing,” Porter said. “Sometimes I think the federal government forgets about California. They take us a little bit for granted, and as a senator, I want to make sure that stops.” 

Schiff said childcare is also at the top of his list.

“If they can’t afford childcare, then they can’t afford to work, and that is a huge impediment to our economy,” Schiff said.

The candidates also spoke about former President Donald Trump’s fourth indictment.

“…For a lot of people, this is about making sure there is a system of justice, and that we are still a country of moral law,” Porter said.

“He is not above the law,” Lee said. “He is not immune from being brought to justice. He needs to and should provide compensation for those of us who were sitting there on the floor of the House on January 6.”

Schiff led the impeachment team during the former president’s first impeachment trial.