Reinette Senum is a force to reckon with.
This, you pick up on in in the first five minutes in a room with her. Or in this case, amidst an intimate meet and greet at my home paired with music, wine and pasta. Those in attendance, a small collection of San Diego La and Orange County natives.
This is where the allure of Senum shines. She is warm, engaging, animated, opinionated, curious, determined, listens well, and is quick to accept the second glass of wine handed to her with a big flashy smile in return.
Easily my type of woman. Whom I keep describing as the kind of politician we all desperately “deserve” at the moment. Particularly after a battered run with Gavin Newsome where so many of us on both sides are still emerging (post pandemic) feeling resentful and frustrated by much of his handling of it. The prolonged school closures, the back and forth opening and closing of local businesses, parks and beaches while his own children continued their in person attendance at private schools up north and his wineries remained consistently open for business in spite of strict closures ordered elsewhere. I know because I called a few times to ensure this gross hypocrisy was in fact real. On each of those phone calls I was invited to drop in “anytime” for a tour of his winery, while seeing our local beaches roped off and our beloved small town businesses and restaurants going under.
I think it’s safe to assume too many of us are disillusioned by the direction our state is headed. Stemming from lack of leadership, trust and vision. With crime on the rise, housing market though the roof and the homeless epidemic spreading like wildfire into all corners of suburbuan neighborhoods with no working tactics on the table to count on or refer to.
We need someone different. Someone new with fresh persepctive. Who is willing to approach these failings with urgency.
Our next vote speaks directly to each of these pressing issues and the solutions we are seeking for not only us, but for our children, and a state I think we all agree is still worth fighting for.
Reinette Senum might not fit your typical left or right political categorization but for me it’s a refreshing turn seeing how a growing majority of us count ourselves in the same political limbo. Unable to align with the extremities on either end.
I see her candidacy as a reflection of a growing discord for those who no longer see themselves and their views fully embraced by the left or the right anymore.
So this here is your introduction to Reinette. To familiarize yourself with her name and face. To see if she’s someone you think might honor your voice as a voter. A respected “alternative” for those who are tired of the cycled suits we keep voting in. She is a hard working woman who lives with her partner in Nevada city, pushing a grassroots campaign alongside a crew of incredibly strong women powering her path on minimal funds while battling constant censorship thanks to the dirty games big party players continue to lean on.
She cares about our children, the planet, local farmers and small town voices.
I’ll be following her journey as the election gets closer, but wanted to offer a glimpse of her as a candidate today. One who will sit down in your living room or back deck for a small group of people to personally pledge her position and her visions as Governor.
As woman who will look you straight in the eye when you speak, drink you wine, eat your pasta, befriend your town and make you believe again in the beauty of old school political gatherings. Built on common goals, meant to revive hope.
Where the people are the focus, and the promises unpaid.
What would you say are the top pressing concerns for our state right now?
From what I have heard on the campaign trail; homelessness, crime, education/children, and fires. Over the course of the last few weeks, we are dealing with unprecedented gas prices that are having far-reaching effects on Californians even being able to make ends meet. This is going to have huge implications. In addition, Californians feel completely unheard and represented by their elected officials. They are horrified by the massive push of bills while most people don’t have the bandwidth to deal with their daily lives.
How has media censorship affected your campaign?
The amount of blacklisting we have witnessed with my campaign, and other candidates’ campaigns, reflects something from the Bolshevik era. We talk about election integrity during the actual voting period, but we never talk about the fact that if you can’t hear about the candidates to begin with, how can it be a fair and transparent election? We are less than 2 months out before ballots for California's primary elections are to be sent out, and the media is barely mentioning this. During last year's recall, two months before the election, all we heard was recall, recall, recall in every headline, and above the fold. Today, there is almost no coverage. Why is that? Could it be those in power don't want Californians to realize they have another chance to start the process in removing Newsome? In addition, the technocrats’ current ability to throttle or push a candidate’s campaign is unprecedented. We have had social media experts look into my gubernatorial campaign’s social media analytics and it’s clear our posts are being suppressed while Newsom’s campaign is being promoted by an additional 50%. Who is making this decision?
Being an independent candidate, what would you say is your biggest obstacle and your great asset?
The greatest obstacle is that I don’t have a political machine behind me that includes a list of donors, small and large, a functioning and well-oiled machine, reinforcement from the technocrats, established communication channels, Super PAC funding, deep pockets, and ownership of the media.
Many of the campaign regulations are very outdated and support only big money candidates. In order to simply gain access to the California voter rolls (names and contact info of CA voters) costs a half million dollars.That is before anything is even printed or mailed to the electorate. And it has been this way since 1974, a political candidate cannot receive more than a $99 cash donation, and yet a political candidate can receive unlimited amounts of dark money through Super PACs that can raise funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups without any legal limit on donation size. The nominal $99 cash donation limit still stands today and has not been adjusted to inflation. So, the big political players have access to unlimited funds available to them via Super PACS, while the smaller political candidates are limited to personal donation limits of $32,400 and outdated $99 cash donations.
Great asset:
The greatest asset I have is that I don’t have the aforementioned political system dictating my campaign that limits true representation of the people. Ever since the 2010 Supreme Court ruling of Citizens United vs. the FEC, political representation has been hijacked. It has been made clear that anyone serving either party is limited by the ideology and greed by the money that has infiltrated both sides. By voting for a candidate with no party affiliation, we actually have a chance to make the changes neither corrupt party will make. By not being tethered to a corrupt political system I have the ability to truly serve the people and the planet, the ability to call out corruption, and provide real, tangible solutions for a disenfranchised and frustrated voter base on both sides. The opportunity to do this over the years was not available, but now, after the public has become much more keenly aware of the infiltration of corporate and big money in our elections, they have clearly told me, they are done. From what we can tell, this is the first time California has a real chance to elect somebody representing the people and not a party.
What do you love most about this state?
It’s diversity of everything: the geography, the climate, the farms, ranches, and orchards. The incredible fresh food, the people, the races, and religions, thought-forms, incredible lifestyle, and biodiversity. In addition, Californians have always had the ability to lead in imagination and innovation: It’s in our Californian-bones. In spite of the woes that we face, we still have great influence around the world, however, today, this comes with an added danger when seeing the tidal wave of unconstitutional bills being pushed through the state. In the past, we were exporting creative-trailblazing, today, we are on the verge of exporting tyranny and dangerous leadership.
What does a vote for RS as Governor guarantee?
A future for our children’s children. As it currently stands, we have robbed Californian children of their future. The opportunities that we all had as children are no longer available today. That is why this campaign comes with a clear goal, the 7th Generation Principle; every decision made today should serve seven generations from now. This child-centric gubernatorial campaign allows us to drop our differences and caustic words, and focus on our children’s children like the Iroquois nation originally did for hundreds, if not thousands of years. This principle allows us, as a people, to shift California culture in such a way that supersedes politics and an election cycle. By widely adopting this principle, we are less dependent upon government meddling, and able to set a gold standard in how we show up in community and on a personal level.
In addition, a vote for RS is a vote for a governor willing to veto unconstitutional bills, reduce taxes and bureaucratic red tape, restore the rule of law, reduce California’s largest humanitarian crisis, homelessness, as well as end the unfettered crime spree and endless fires throughout California. It’s time Californian’s are able to return to a prosperous and bountiful life. The only reason this is not happening in the 5th largest economy in the world is BECAUSE of our leadership (or the lack thereof).
Onward!
Reinette Senum
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Meet Reinette Senum