Assembly District 14 covers Berkeley, Albany and parts of Oakland. On Nov. 3 it has a matchup you rarely see in a top-two race: a Democrat against a Green. Incumbent Buffy Wicks is listed on the Secretary of State's certified list as "Assemblymember/Mom." Mark Rendon (spelled Rendón in his campaign materials) is listed as a Green Party "Teacher."

The two housing plans

The race comes down to two different ideas about the housing crisis.

Wicks: build more, faster. The Daily Californian reports that Wicks wrote the bill that became Proposition 1 on this ballot, which would authorize $11.25 billion in bonds for affordable rental housing. Policy from her AB 609 was folded into AB 130, which exempts housing built on previously developed urban land from review under the California Environmental Quality Act. She has endorsed Proposition 45, which would speed up CEQA review for more projects.

Rendón: use what's empty. According to his campaign website, as summarized by the Daily Cal, Rendón argues that California's crisis isn't a shortage. He points to more than 1 million vacant housing units and about 180,000 homeless people. He would sponsor a bill to create a state bank that buys vacant properties for affordable housing.

Health care and money

Rendón is running to pass CalCare, a single-payer "Medicare for All" plan for California. He alleges on his website that Wicks killed the CalCare bill last year. He says he takes no corporate or PAC donations. The Daily Cal reported that Wicks' campaign had raised $1.57 million this cycle. Neither candidate responded to the paper's requests for comment.

Who they are

Wicks was elected in 2018 and has chaired the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee since 2023. Rendón is a former music teacher in the Oakland Unified School District and a former member of the Oakland Education Association. His endorsements include the Alameda County, Contra Costa County and California Green parties, the OEA and the California Democratic Socialists of America.

The numbers

  • June 2 primary (Ballotpedia): Wicks 81.2% (105,311 votes), Rendón 10.0% (12,939), Republican Borgar Solnordal 8.8%.
  • 2024: Wicks beat fellow Democrat Margot Smith, 68.5% to 31.5%.
  • 2022: Wicks beat Republican Rich Kinney with 88.4%.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.