Meet Chris Rogers
For as long as I can remember, it has been my mission to serve the community where I was born and raised. The North Coast is incredibly unique: a rugged and rural landscape, with small cities and vast open spaces – not a place for one-size-fits-all solutions. Our next Assemblymember must know how to roll up their sleeves and deliver for the people they serve.
I was born in this district – it’s my home and where my wife and I are starting our family. I was elected to the City Council in 2016 after nearly a decade of helping to represent the north coast as Senior staff for Senator Mike McGuire and other legislators. I ran because, like many, I was struggling to live in the place that I loved. I wanted to help build a more livable community for my family and my neighbors.
Shortly after taking office, Santa Rosa was hit with one of the most devastating wildfires in California’s history. The Tubbs fire took 3,000 homes and dozens of lives. And for me, public service became about moving barriers to getting people home and rebuilding our community. As a Councilmember and Mayor, I have led this community through four wildfires, a drought, flooding, and a pandemic. We showed resilience – and what decisive leadership can do during times of crisis.
During my tenure as Mayor, I accomplished what hadn’t been achieved in nearly a decade: balancing the budget. I prioritized people by expanding access to affordable childcare and launching a groundbreaking first-time home-buyers program for low-income workers. I championed initiatives like free public transit for veterans, seniors, and youth while safeguarding the rights of seniors in mobile home parks. We created a “baby bonds” program – starting an education savings account for every low income baby born in our city, and switched all city buildings over to 100% renewable energy.
These are not easy times for ordinary people like us – and our next representative needs to understand what it takes for working people to live in the communities up and down Highway 1 and 101. Our next Assemblymember needs to have shown they can deliver real solutions on housing, homelessness, and drought.
Our next representative should know our concerns and have shared our experiences. I am proud of where I come from, and I would be proud to be our voice in the halls of Sacramento.
For our communities,
Chris
