Pointing to a great need to improve education in her district and in the rest of California, Democratic State Senate hopeful Marggie Castellano spoke with La Prensa San Diego about her candidacy and stance on issues going into the Nov. 6 Midterm Election.

“There has to be equity for all and the most important thing missing is is a complete access to education and that is where we need to begin,” she stated. “If the opportunities are not present, our communities will not be ready to advance and that is where imbalances and injustice begin, it is a vicious cycle.”

Born in Peru, Castellano has been active as a business leader and environmental advocate for over 25 years. During this time, she has collaborated in a number of causes in the political, business, and environmental realms, cause for a Sierra Club endorsement and the backing of the California Democratic party going into the Midterm Election.

She stressed that in California, with the fifth largest economy in the world, it is illogical that students are not given a quality education at the K-12 level and that higher education is unaffordable for developing professionals.

“In education, (California) is near the bottom among other states, 10 points from the bottom, and in the world we are even further from fifth place,” Castellano said, adding that California students deserve the best campuses, curricula, teachers, and access to bilingual programs.

The 36th State District, which she competes for, is composed of the northernmost communities in San Diego County and the Southernmost communities Orange County, has a Republican lean. Despite this, Castellano has made support for immigrant communities loud and clear, something incumbent Patricia Bates hasn’t done.

“The current senator does not represent the values of my community and something we have to touch on is how much immigrants give to this country, we pay our taxes and pay so that the economy of the region and the State of California grows,” she pointed out, adding that Bates did not support the “Sanctuary Law” which prohibits use of state funds for federal immigration enforcement.

With the election around the corner, Castellano invites all of those looking for a positive change in education, environmental issues, immigration, transparency, and workers’ issues to vote.

“It is time to act,” she declared.