Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Amaris Samara Dordar
Current job title: Attorney
Political party affiliation: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: Los Angeles
Campaign website or social media: amarisforsenate.la
Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Balancing California’s budget requires a combination of responsible spending and fair revenue, not austerity that harms working families. My approach is rooted in common sense: protect essential services while addressing structural inefficiencies.
On the revenue side, I support tax fairness measures, including closing corporate loopholes and ensuring the wealthiest entities pay their fair share. I also support policies like a wealth tax and making polluters pay, consistent with my commitment to economic and environmental justice.
On the spending side, we must audit inefficiencies, reduce bureaucratic waste, and prioritize investments that lower long-term costs—such as housing, mental health care, and wildfire prevention. These are not expenses; they are cost-saving strategies over time.
I would also push for performance-based budgeting, ensuring programs demonstrate measurable outcomes—especially in homelessness and healthcare.
We cannot balance the budget on the backs of working families. My plan protects critical services like healthcare, housing, and education while building a more sustainable and equitable fiscal foundation.
For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
A non-starter for me is cutting essential human services—especially housing, healthcare, and mental health programs.
These are not optional programs. They are lifelines. Cutting them would increase long-term costs, worsen homelessness, and strain emergency systems. For example, reducing funding for supportive housing or mental health services would lead to higher costs in emergency care, incarceration, and public safety systems.
My campaign is grounded in the belief that housing is a human right and healthcare is essential. Cutting these programs would directly contradict both economic logic and moral responsibility.
I also oppose cuts to wildfire prevention and climate resilience, which are critical to protecting lives, property, and the state’s economy.
Instead of cutting core services, we should:
• Eliminate wasteful spending
• Increase accountability in program delivery
• Ensure fair revenue contributions from corporations and high earners
“Common sense” means we don’t solve deficits by creating bigger crises.
What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The three most pressing issues are housing affordability, cost of living, and climate resilience.
1. Affordable housing and unhoused individuals: I will champion a comprehensive housing package that expands affordable housing, strengthens rent control, and creates social housing. Housing stability reduces homelessness and economic pressure across the board.
2. Cost of living and economic pressure: Families are being priced out. I support living wages, tenant protections, and reducing corporate price manipulation—especially in housing and essential goods.
3. Climate and wildfire resilience: California must invest aggressively in wildfire prevention, clean energy, and infrastructure. Climate policy is also economic policy—it creates jobs and reduces long-term disaster costs.
As a senator, I will focus on integrated solutions—housing + healthcare + climate—because these issues are interconnected. My goal is measurable outcomes: fewer people unhoused, lower costs, and safer communities.
What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I champion a statewide social and affordable housing expansion paired with stronger tenant protections.
This includes:
• Expanding rent control
• Creating a California Social Housing Authority
• Investing in community land trusts
• Cracking down on corporate landlord practices
Housing is the largest driver of cost of living in California. If we lower housing costs, we relieve pressure on families immediately.
Impact timeline:
• Short-term: Tenant protections (rent caps, eviction protections) provide immediate relief.
• Medium to long-term: Building housing supply stabilizes prices and prevents displacement.
This policy directly aligns with my core platform: housing as a human right and economic dignity for working families.
There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
California should continue to protect its residents while upholding constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status.
I support strong sanctuary policies and limiting harmful federal overreach. Fear-based enforcement undermines public safety because it discourages people from reporting crimes or seeking services.
At the same time, I believe the state can strategically coordinate with the federal government where it benefits residents—such as funding, legal pathways, and workforce protections—but not at the expense of civil liberties.
As a state legislator, my role is to:
• Protect due process and civil rights
• Ensure access to healthcare, education, and legal support
• Support immigrant workers and prevent exploitation
California should lead with dignity, legality, and practical outcomes, not fear.
Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
To lower healthcare costs, I support a multi-layered approach:
• Move toward single-payer healthcare, which reduces administrative waste and bargaining fragmentation
• Cap prescription drug prices and increase transparency
• Expand preventative and mental health care, which reduces emergency costs
• Invest in community clinics and workforce expansion
We must also address insurance practices that drive up premiums, including administrative overhead and lack of pricing transparency.
Lowering costs requires shifting from reactive care to preventative, accessible care—which is both more humane and more cost-effective.
Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, I support expanding healthcare coverage to ensure everyone—including non-citizens—has access to care.
Public health is interconnected. When people lack access, costs rise across the system.
To fund expansion, I support:
• Progressive revenue measures (wealth tax, corporate accountability)
• Cost savings from single-payer efficiencies
• Redirecting funds from inefficient administrative systems
If expansion is phased, we must still guarantee baseline access through community clinics and emergency care programs.
Healthcare is not just a moral issue—it’s economic. Covering more people reduces long-term costs for everyone.
As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
To prevent homelessness and make housing affordable, I would:
• Expand affordable and social housing
• Strengthen tenant protections
• Fund community land trusts
• Enforce anti-speculation policies
To incentivize development:
• Streamline approvals for affordable housing
• Use public land for housing
• Provide incentives for nonprofit developers
• Require affordability in new developments
We must also hold corporate landlords accountable and prevent bulk-buying practices that drive up prices.
The goal is clear: build faster, protect tenants, and keep people housed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The commission’s caution reflects a real tension: we must avoid supply shocks while transitioning away from fossil fuels.
I support holding oil companies accountable for excessive profits, but we must also:
• Prevent refinery shutdowns that spike prices
• Invest in clean energy alternatives
• Expand public transit and EV infrastructure
Balancing climate and affordability means a managed transition, not sudden disruption.
We can protect consumers today while building a cleaner, more stable energy future.
In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, I strongly support increasing funding for behavioral health treatment.
If we are expanding penalties, we must also expand treatment pathways—otherwise we are criminalizing illness.
To ensure accountability:
• Require data reporting and outcome tracking
• Fund evidence-based programs
• Tie funding to measurable results
Treatment must be accessible, effective, and transparent.
What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The state must ensure access, protection, and expansion of gender-affirming care.
I will:
• Protect providers and patients from discrimination
• Expand funding for LGBTQ+ healthcare and housing
• Ensure inclusive education and workplace protections
If other states restrict care, California should act as a safe haven, including legal protections and access for those seeking care.
This is about healthcare, dignity, and human rights.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, the state has a role—especially in protecting minors.
I support:
• Age-appropriate design standards
• Limits on addictive algorithms for youth
• Stronger data privacy protections
• Transparency requirements for platforms
The goal is not censorship, but safeguards against harm, particularly for mental health.
Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
California should lead in AI, but with guardrails.
I support:
• Worker protections and retraining programs
• Transparency in AI use
• Ethical standards for deployment
Innovation and worker protection must go hand-in-hand. We can lead globally without leaving workers behind.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Even if crime is declining, people must feel safe.
My approach:
• Invest in root causes (housing, mental health, economic stability)
• Expand non-police crisis response
• Strengthen community-based safety programs
Safety comes from stability—not just enforcement.
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
A hidden talent of mine is language and cultural fluency. I speak multiple languages—including Spanish, Hindi, and Mandarin—and I use that ability to connect with diverse communities across Los Angeles.
It’s not just about communication—it’s about understanding people across cultures, building trust, and bringing communities together. That skill has shaped my work as an attorney, my service with the U.S. Department of State, and my approach to public leadership.