The midterm election is nearing, and since Representative Ed Royce is not seeking reelection, California District 39, the district Yorba Linda is in, is electing a new member into office on November 6, 2018. Gil Cisneros is the democratic nominee, and his team has answered a few questions to give more insight on his campaign:

What will be a priority if you were to be elected?

In Congress, my priorities will be to improve the quality of our education system, and to expand health care access.

Education is an issue that I’m very passionate about. Because of an ROTC scholarship, I was able to put myself through school, and I became the first in my family to graduate from college.  Education provided me with life changing opportunities, and I want to ensure that all students have that opportunity. My wife Jacki and I continue to work hard through our Foundation to ensure students can achieve their dreams, and I’ll continue that hard work in Washington. In Congress, I will advocate for higher investments in education, by fighting for children and students to have access to equal opportunities and debt- free college.

I believe that healthcare should be a right and not a privilege. Every family living in America should be able to afford medical treatment when needed. Families deserve to be protected and it is unfair to be millions in debt, simply for receiving life-saving medical treatment. In Congress, I’ll defend the Affordable Care Act and I will fight to fix and strengthen it, not repeal it.

Given the horridly burdening financial expectations behind purchasing a holistic college education, what are your thoughts on lowering tuitions?

Education changed my life, and I want to make sure that students can afford it. I understand that when you provide students with the tools they need to succeed, anything is possible.

Republicans in Congress, President Trump, and Betsy Devos only want to slash education funding further. Instead of cutting education, we should be investing in education. In Congress, I will be an advocate for students and fight to ensure that all students have access to quality early childhood education, affordable higher education, and fight to revamp our student loan system to bring down costs.

I believe we need to allow students the ability to refinance their student loans. I believe we need to bring Pell Grants in line with the actual cost of tuition. And I believe we need to provide students with more opportunities to clear their debt through service, like the Peace Corps.

Young Kim is a minority that supports President Trump, an unusual political association for a minority. What is your opinion on Young Kim?

Congressman Ed Royce has been a rubber stamp for President Trump’s agenda, and Young Kim is Royce’s hand-picked successor. She can’t be trusted to stand up to the Trump administration. Kim voted against Planned Parenthood, against equal pay for equal work, she supports Trump’s efforts to repeal health care, and she supports Trump’s tax plan that cuts big breaks for corporations and billionaires while raising taxes on many middle-class Californians. She supports The President’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. She even refused to call him out for his heartless and cruel ‘zero tolerance’ policy. She has praised the President, saying he’s who our country needed to appear and we should applaud him.

The Republican campaign has made your reputation an important target of their prerogative, making accusations of sexual harassment. What do you have to say in defense?

I speak for both myself and my campaign when I say I believe in the MeToo movement and that allegations of misconduct should be heard and believed until disproven otherwise. In this case, that standard has been more than met — the claims in Paul Ryan Super PAC’s negative ad are blatantly false.

The past few weeks, seeing the pain of Dr. Ford and so many women and the dismissiveness of both Judge Kavanaugh and Washington Republicans, I felt it was important to reach out to meet with Melissa Fazli. I have defended the truth against millions of dollars in false attacks that both lie about the claims made and weaponize her story. I believed it was important to listen to her and to open up a line of communication. We sat down and heard each other, found a clear case of misunderstanding, and are both ready to move forward.

How can students under the age of 18 participate in politics?

Students under the age of 18 can participate in politics by volunteering in their communities, and most importantly staying vigilant of what is going on in the news. If students disagree with something that is happening around them, they can start by joining local advocacy groups, or political or organization campaigns. Volunteering at a young age always pays off because students may become more civically engaged, and gain practical work experience.

Finally, why is it especially important that younger demographics participate in elections?

I think that it is important that younger demographics participate in elections because every vote counts. Key issues in every election increasingly relate to the concerns of young voters and students, and they should have a say of who represents them in Washington. Young people account for half of our voting population, and they have the ability to sway an election, and create a national impact.

Register to vote 15 days before election day! If you’re still 17, you can still register if you turn 18 by November 6. Register on this website: https://registertovote.ca.gov.