Harmesh Kumar
Harmesh Kumar (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent California. He is on the ballot in the primary on March 5, 2024.
Kumar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2024
See also: United States Senate election in California, 2024
General election
The primary will occur on March 5, 2024. The general election will occur on November 5, 2024. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California
The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. Senate California on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Sharleta Bassett (R) | |
 | James P. Bradley (R) | |
 | Eric Early (R) | |
 | Steve Garvey (R) | |
 | Denice Gary-Pandol (R)  | |
 | Laura Garza (No party preference) | |
 | Sepi Gilani (D) | |
 | Don Grundmann (No party preference) | |
| Forrest Jones (American Independent Party of California) | |
 | Harmesh Kumar (D) | |
 | Barbara Lee (D) | |
 | Sarah Sun Liew (R) | |
 | Gail Lightfoot (L) | |
 | James Macauley (R) | |
 | Christina Pascucci (D) | |
 | David Peterson (D) | |
 | Douglas Howard Pierce (D) | |
 | Katie Porter (D) | |
 | Perry Pound (D) | |
 | Raji Rab (D) | |
 | Jonathan Reiss (R) | |
 | John Rose (D) | |
| Mark Ruzon (No party preference) | |
 | Adam Schiff (D) | |
| Stefan Simchowitz (R) | |
 | Major Singh (No party preference) | |
| Martin Veprauskas (R) | |
| Eduardo Berdugo (Independent) (Write-in) | |
 | Danny Fabricant (R) (Write-in) | |
| ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Paul Anderson (G)
- Carson Franklin Jr. (D)
- Barack Obama Mandela (R)
- Zafar Inam (D)
- Renee Martinez (Independent)
- Lexi Reese (D)
- Peter Yuan Liu (R)
- Joe Sosinski (Independent)
- Roxanne Lawler (R)
- James Shuster (R)
- Frank Ferreira (Independent)
- Rommell Montenegro (D)
- Jeremy Fennell (D)
- Zakaria Kortam (R)
- John Pappenheim (R)
- Jacob Farmos (D)
- Joshua Bocanegra (D)
- Alexander Norbash (D)
- Dominick Dorothy (D)
- Jehu Hand (R)
- Dana Bobbitt (Independent)
- Fepbrina Keivaulqe Autiameineire (Vienmerisce Veittemeignzce USA)
- Jessica Resendez (D)
Endorsements
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2018
- See also: California gubernatorial election, 2018
Kumar sought election to the office of governor of California in 2018. Kumar was not included in the certified list of candidates in the election.[1]
2016
Elections for the California State Assembly took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 25, 2016, for candidates filing with signatures. The deadline for candidates using a filing fee to qualify was March 11, 2016.[2] Incumbent Susan Bonilla (D) did not seek re-election.
Tim Grayson defeated Mae Torlakson in the California State Assembly District 14 general election.[3][4]
| California State Assembly, District 14 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Tim Grayson |
61.53% | 107,653 | |
| Democratic | Mae Torlakson | 38.47% | 67,300 | |
| Total Votes | 174,953 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Mae Torlakson and Tim Grayson defeated Debora Allen and Harmesh Kumar in the California State Assembly District 14 Blanket primary.[5][6]
| California State Assembly, District 14 Blanket Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Mae Torlakson |
32.35% | 34,535 | |
| Democratic | Tim Grayson |
31.58% | 33,712 | |
| Republican | Debora Allen | 26.06% | 27,826 | |
| Democratic | Harmesh Kumar | 10.02% | 10,694 | |
| Total Votes | 106,767 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released July 30, 2023 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Harmesh Kumar completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kumar's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a clinical psychologist, I contemplate the potential of my medical background to contribute significantly towards addressing the escalating challenges of mental illness within our society. This pervasive issue is increasingly affecting various facets of our community. I have amassed nearly four decades of invaluable experience in my field. Throughout my career, I have been fueled by a deep-seated passion to serve those who have been overlooked and underserved. It pains me to witness the extensive suffering endured by individuals and families in our state. Regrettably, I believe that much of this suffering can be attributed to the emotional strains imposed upon our citizens by politicians and the perpetuation of a dysfunctional system that primarily serves the interests of its beneficiaries and the elite, rather than the ordinary people and small business owners who form the backbone of our society.
- Promote real mental health to support the families, local communities, and reduce crime and recidivism
- Mitigate the alarming levels of gun violence
- Alleviate the pervasive issue of homelessness
I am personally passionate about education and healthcare policies but I also believe that they can be further improved upon. I believe that every individual should have access to quality education regardless of their background, and that affordable and accessible healthcare and mental healthcare is essential for the well-being of all citizens. These areas of public policy are particularly important to me, and I actively follow and support initiatives that aim to improve education and healthcare systems in our society. I will also continue to make improvements on these policies in due if I am elected.
As a licensed clinical psychologist in California, I have amassed nearly four decades of invaluable experience in my field. Throughout my career, I have been fueled by a deep-seated passion to serve those who have been overlooked and underserved. It pains me to witness the extensive suffering endured by individuals and families in our state. Regrettably, I believe that much of this suffering can be attributed to the emotional strains imposed upon our citizens by politicians and the perpetuation of a dysfunctional system that primarily serves the interests of its beneficiaries and the elite, rather than the ordinary people and small business owners who form the backbone of our society.
These emotional pressures have given rise to social chaos, fueling a distressing cycle of anxiety, depression, gun violence, domestic strife, and homelessness. Recognizing the urgent need for change, I have made the decision to enter the political arena. My primary objective is to ensure that mental health services are accessible to all, a cause that I am determined to secure adequate funding for. By taking this crucial step, we can begin to mitigate the alarming levels of gun violence, alleviate the pervasive issue of homelessness, and prevent incidents of police brutality.
Thus, I implore the esteemed voters of California to join me in effecting the transformative change we so desperately need. Together, we can lay the foundation for a society where mental health services are readily available to all, catalyzing a cascade of positive outcomes that will not only heal our collective wounds but also uplift the lives of every citizen in our great state.
The core responsibilities for someone elected to the U.S. Senate seat include legislation, representation of constituents, oversight of the executive branch, involvement in the budget process, treaty ratification, advice and consent on presidential appointments, participation in impeachment trials, and providing constituent services. Senators draft, propose, and vote on laws, advocate for their state or district, oversee government agencies, allocate funds through budget and appropriations, ratify treaties, confirm presidential appointees, conduct impeachment trials, and assist constituents with federal matters.
I want to serve the people that are not being served right now
In 1993, after completing my post doctoral training under Dr. Ruff, associate professor at UCSF and director of neurobehavioral services at Saint Mary's Hospital San Francisco, I founded the first non profit mental health agency named Neurobehavioral and Psychological Institute (now called the Hume center https://www.humecenter.org/ ) to served the underserved. It is still serving a larger community in San Francisco Bay Area. I served there until 2004.
Let it be by The Beetles
It sets the policies for the national and international level by selecting judges, ambassadors, and chiefs of Army, Air Force, and Navy. The senate seat is also sets the agenda for any and all immigration policies. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge. I will be honored to be a part of this process.
Long-time politicians may become entrenched in their positions and be less open to new ideas or approaches. This can lead to increased partisanship and difficulty in finding common ground. Some argue that career politicians may lose touch with the everyday concerns of their constituents, potentially leading to a lack of representation. Seasoned politicians might be resistant to adopting innovative solutions or fresh perspectives, potentially hindering progress on certain issues.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of a senator does not solely depend on their previous experience in government or politics. Other factors such as personal qualities, commitment to public service, ability to listen to constituents, and willingness to collaborate with colleagues also play crucial roles in determining a senator's success.
I think the filibuster is a parliamentary procedure in the United States Senate that allows a senator, or a group of senators, to delay or block a vote on a bill by continuously speaking or by making lengthy speeches. The filibuster is not a formal rule written into the Constitution but is based on Senate precedents and rules.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedofficiallist - ↑ California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed April 18, 2017
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for the November 8, 2016, General Election," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "2016 General Election results," accessed December 23, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," accessed August 22, 2016
