War or Peace? Forum for Congressional Candidates in the Central Coast

As we move towards the June 2nd primary election for Congress, let our votes express our common humanity. We are sponsoring a Candidates Forum on “War vs. Peace: U.S. Foreign Policy” on Saturday April 25, 2026, 2:00-4:00 pm at the Quaker Meetinghouse, 225 Rooney St., Santa Cruz, CA. All candidates for the District 19 have been invited.

PLEASE JOIN US! It our belief that no candidate, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, should take their seat for granted.

We are pleased that the forum will include four candidates for District 19, currently represented by Jimmy Panetta.

Sean Dougherty (Democrat) is running for California’s 19th Congressional District to fight for families, not corporate PACs. A software engineer and Santa Cruz resident for nearly a decade, Sean and his wife are raising their toddler in the community they love. Born in Illinois to a nurse and an engineer, he understands working-class struggles firsthand — including the burden of medical debt and student loans. Sean is committed to ending endless wars, guaranteeing healthcare, and building a just, sustainable future for all. https://seanforcongress.org/

Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera (no party affiliation) is a Professor at Hartnell College. She teaches Business, Technology, Physical Science and Engineering. Outside the classroom she is a community leader and organizer in Monterey County. She is also a Board Member at CHISPA Housing and the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries. Prior to teaching, Ana Luz was a Software Engineer, an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and an Earthquake Engineer, researching the seismic hazard of nuclear power plants. Ana Luz has science and engineering degrees from UC Berkeley and grew up in North Monterey County. https://sites.google.com/view/analuzforcongress/platform

Tuka Gafari (Republican) I was born and raised in California with my parents who immigrated from Iran. My wife immigrated from Iran. The beauty of this area is amazing. We enjoy being part of the community. There is no left or right, but we together need to move forward with differences to become stronger. I want to help represent We The People. http://www.vote4tuka.com/

Thomas Coxe (no party affiliation) seeks to address the root cause of our national issues, corruption. As envisioned by our first President, the country stands divided between just two political parties, leaving politics a zero sum game for sale to highest bidder. Thomas, a lifelong independent, owns and runs a small contracting company in Santa Cruz county. He has three children with his lovely wife, and they enjoy getting out into the beautiful parks and wild spaces unique to California’s Central Coast. https://www.coxeforcongress.com/

We look forward to seeing you at our War vs. Peace Foreign Policy Candidate Forum on Sat April 25, 2-4pm at the Quaker Meetinghouse, 225 Rooney Avenue, SC, Ca.


Central Coast Advocates for Peace in the Middle East
https://centralcoastadvocates.org/