![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/img-26-04-14-4D999.jpg\" "\\"The")
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The 6th Congressional District for California in the U.S. House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
With science under attack in Washington, D.C., we believe it\u2019s a good time to send a doctor to Congress. Dr. Richard Pan<\/a> served ably in the California Senate, where he stood up to death threats and personal attacks for defending the science of vaccinations.<\/p>\n Pan\u2019s wealth of knowledge and experience earns our endorsement in the race for California\u2019s 6th Congressional District.<\/a><\/p>\n In a crowded field of Democrats \u2014 and one well-known former Republican \u2014 Dr. Pan stood out with well-informed, substantive answers and a long history of service in the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n Other Democrats in the race include Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho<\/a>, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero<\/a> and Lauren Babb-Tomlinson<\/a>, chief public affairs officer at Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte. The ballot also includes current Rep. Kevin Kiley,<\/a> who recently changed his affiliation from Republican to independent. He will appear on the ballot as \u201cNo Party Preference.\u201d<\/p>\n State congressional districts will be altered with the passage of Proposition 50<\/a> to benefit Democrats. The newly drawn 6th Congressional District will include Rocklin, Roseville, Citrus Heights, the city of West Sacramento and a large part of northern and eastern Sacramento.<\/p>\n Kiley has gone from a safe 3rd District before Prop. 50 to a far less safe 6th.<\/p>\n But given the makeup of the district and California\u2019s \u201ctop two\u201d primary system, Kiley could proceed to the general election in November. He is a formidable opponent, tough and smart. Kiley\u2019s answers to some of our questions were better than those of some of the Democrats running against him.<\/p>\n However, we believe Pan is the most well-rounded candidate for the job. During our interview, we found that even when Pan disagreed with Kiley, it was a thoughtful and respectful disagreement, compared to some of the other candidates. Pan\u2019s moderate stance on many issues could also be appealing to independents and right-of-center voters who may be troubled by Kiley\u2019s support for H.R.1,<\/a> President Donald Trump\u2019s controversial budget bill that became law. Trump dubbed it his \u201cbig, beautiful bill.\u201d<\/p>\n Kiley touted the tax relief H.R.1 brought to his constituents, while Pan was concerned about estimates from the Congressional Budget Office that HR. 1 will result in $911 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years. The<\/a> CBO also estimates that an estimated 10 million Americans will lose their healthcare coverage by 2034.<\/p>\n The clear contrast between Kiley and Pan on this issue swung the endorsement for Pan because we believe the damage done to working-class people in California by H.R. 1 outweighs the tax benefits to higher income earners.<\/p>\n Locally, as a pediatrician, Pan founded Communities and Physicians Together<\/a>, a grassroots program partnering pediatricians with local neighborhoods. He also co-founded the \u201cHealthy Kids Healthy Future\u201d<\/a> program, which ensures health, dental and vision coverage for more than 65,000 children in the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n In 2015, Time magazine called Pan a \u201chero\u201d<\/a> for introducing legislation that increased school vaccination rates and halted the state\u2019s measles outbreak. In 2020, Pan worked to reduce the spread of COVID, and faced physical assault, harassment and stalking at his home and business.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing thousands of (measles) cases in South Carolina and Texas. Well, not here in California,\u201d Pan told us. \u201cThat\u2019s because of the work that was done.\u201d<\/p>\n All the Democrats vying for the California 6th District framed their candidacies as voices against Trump, with District Attorney Ho vowing to be a fighter, as one example, and Guerrero pitching herself as the district\u2019s most effective adversary. None could match Pan\u2019s credentials as a defender of science.<\/p>\n Pan\u2019s presence in Congress would be a step toward opposing Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump\u2019s Health and Human Services secretary, as they continue dismantling public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which faces severe budget cuts \u2014 up to 53% \u2014 in the next budget year.<\/p>\n Dr. Pan has been working for and serving Sacramentans for decades. Now, it\u2019s time to send him to Congress.<\/p>\n BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> What are editorials, and who writes them? <\/p>\n Editorials represent the collective views of the editorial boards of McClatchy Media\u2019s California opinion teams.<\/p>\n They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members or the views of reporters in the news sections of The Sacramento Bee and its sister publication, the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions.<\/p>\n In Sacramento, the board includes Executive Editor Chris Fusco, California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writers Robin Epley, Tom Philp, LeBron Antonio Hill, Cathie Anderson and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer.<\/p>\n In San Luis Obispo, it includes Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.<\/p>\n We base our opinions on reporting by our colleagues in the news section, and our own reporting and interviews. Our members attend public meetings, call people and follow-up on story ideas from readers just as news reporters do.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.<\/p>\n Tell us what you think <\/p>\n You may or may not agree with our perspective. We believe disagreement is healthy and necessary for a functioning democracy. If you would like to share your own views on events important to California, you may write a letter to the editor (150 words or less) using this form<\/a>, or email an op-ed (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com<\/a>. Due to a high volume of submissions, we are not able to publish everything we receive.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 6th Congressional District for California in the U.S. House of Representatives. 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