Patterson Irrigator

While many people sat in shock, glued to their television sets, during the events of Sept. 11, Turlock resident Angela Raeburn saw the event as a calling.

Raeburn, who grew up in Brooklyn, could not believe her eyes when she saw the Twin Towers obliterated in her home state, and she knew she had to make a difference.

So, she went to the University of Bradford in England to learn about peace studies and conflict resolution and received a Congressional Black Caucus fellowship to serve in Washington, D.C.

Now, she hopes to enact change closer to home as a candidate next year for the 26th District Assembly seat. Raeburn will greet local residents Friday at an event at the Patterson Library, hosted by the Central Valley Democratic Club’s West Side committee.

“Democracy is not for lazy people,” Raeburn said. “It requires that people be informed.”
Though Raeburn has never held elected office, she is no stranger to politics.

She began her legislative career in 1993 in the Wisconsin State Assembly as legislative aide to a Milwaukee Democrat, working on bills regarding welfare reform and the information superhighway.
In 1999, she became the contracts manager on the CALWORKS legislation at the Human Services Agency in Stockton. She was recruited by Head Start Child Development at that time.

Then, she had her Sept. 11 experience, leading her to study in Belgium as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and then in the United Kingdom as a Rotary World Peace Fellow.

Last year, she worked under Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., as part of the Black Caucus Fellowship.

Raeburn said she has had an interest in politics since college, when she learned that decisions made by federal leaders were affecting student financial aid packages.

“From the time I was young, I’ve been very active politically,” she said.

Though it is early in the Assembly race and there is still time to declare candidacy, Raeburn and Republican Bill Berryhill of Ceres are the only ones to throw in their hats thus far.
Berryhill, a Ceres farmer and school board member, is more of an “insider” in Central Valley politics, Raeburn said.

Berryhill’s brother, Tom Berryhill of Modesto, is a state assemblyman representing the 26th district, and his father, Clare Berryhill, was a state assemblyman from 1969 to 1970 and a state senator from 1972 to 1976.

Berryhill’s consultant, Carl Fogliani, said he has many friends and supporters on the West Side, and likely will have events in the area as the campaign moves forward.

Raeburn, who is black, said some people have told her she is an outsider and that the Central Valley is racist. She said she knows she will face challenges, but she will not let them keep her from running.

One of Raeburn’s goals is to offer more constituent services, particularly in parts of the district she feels have been neglected.

“Patterson is not on the radar of these guys,” she said. “I mean, who cares about Patterson? Who cares about Turlock? I really want to know what people have to say about everyday life.”

She said she hopes to work together with Republicans on issues such as health care.

Too often, she said Democrats and Republicans oversimplify these issues or try to come up with “either/or” solutions, rather than reaching agreements in which everyone wins.

She describes her time in Washington, D.C., as “the most frightening experience ever,” as she witnessed this trend firsthand, often directly contradicting what she learned in conflict resolution classes.

“Everything they tell you to do in conflict resolution, it was the opposite,” Raeburn said with a laugh.
Raeburn also said she is upset that state legislators have failed to pass a state budget.

Despite her aims to work for compromise, she readily admits she will not agree with everyone on every issue.

For instance, she said she disagrees with the federal solution of building a fence that only covers one-third of the U.S. border as a way to control illegal immigration, and does not think a wall is a good solution.
“I think building a wall is complete insanity,” she said.

When it comes to education, another issue she hears a lot about on the campaign trail, she said the issues are complex. Teachers often are forced to be nurturers, she said, as a result of the breakdown of the family. They must deal with increasing diversity of language and culture, she said. Raeburn said she would take time to listen to educators before advocating any solutions.

She said the biggest issue facing the Central Valley is growth, with potential impacts on education, law enforcement and water use, and she hopes for proper planning and compromise on development issues.
Raeburn said politicians too often worry about re-election as soon as they get into office, and she says she does not plan to worry about keeping her seat.

“I’m admitting I’m naïve, but maybe we need a little bit more naivety as well,” she said. “ … People need honesty; they need you to tell the truth.”

Kris Santos, chairwoman of the Central Valley Democratic Club’s West Side Committee, described Raeburn as a candidate with a “vision of hope” who will represent a variety of voices.

“She has such an astounding background to prepare her for a political future,” Santos said.

To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at
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