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California voters could cast the deciding votes this November that flip control of the U.S. House. If Democrats win a majority, they could block President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, grill his cabinet officials and launch investigations into his administration.

The road to a House majority runs through California. Democrats are on offense after voters last year approved new congressional maps that forced nine incumbent Republicans into more left-leaning districts. Three are designed to flip, and two others favor Democrats.

Most national investment will focus on two remaining tossup races — one in the Central Valley and one in San Diego.

Several incumbent Democrats also face challenges from younger, progressive candidates who say it’s time for new leadership. While incumbents traditionally have the fundraising advantage, newcomers are betting that voters want change.

Before the November election, California’s open primary system narrows each race to the top two vote-getters regardless of party — meaning many contested congressional races pit Democrats against each other.

Here are the races CalMatters is watching closely before the June 2 primary.

Congressional District 22: Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties

In the Central Valley, two Democrats are fighting for the chance to take on Rep. David Valadao, the vulnerable Republican incumbent whose only election loss came in 2018 during Trump’s first term.

As the sole remaining GOP congressmember who voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6, Valadao brands himself as a moderate despite frequently voting in line with his party. He cast the deciding vote for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which cuts an estimated $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years while extending tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

Both Democratic opponents are attacking that vote as a “betrayal” of the nearly two-thirds of his constituents who rely on Medicaid for health insurance and SNAP for food assistance.

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a physician who has spent most of her career in hospitals and clinics that rely on Medi-Cal, has positioned herself as a moderate willing to buck her party. She was stripped of a notable committee position for refusing to support an anti-oil and gas bill. She’s backed by powerful labor groups including SEIU California and the California Labor Federation.

First: Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains speaks during a caucus meeting at the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Last: Randy Villegas speaks to a crowd at Bakersfield College on April 15, 2026. Photos by Jungho Kim and Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

But Bains has faced stiff competition from Randy Villegas, a college professor and school board trustee running as a progressive with support from the Working Families Party, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Sen. Bernie Sanders. The son of Mexican immigrants, Villegas emphasizes his working-class roots and boasts that his campaign doesn’t take corporate PAC money, unlike both of his opponents.

Valadao leads in fundraising, with close to $2.9 million on hand as of April 15. Villegas trails with nearly $719,000, while Bains has about $700,500.

Congressional District 48: San Diego and Riverside counties

Further south, Democrats are jockeying to flip a Republican seat vacated by Rep. Darrell Issa, who announced his retirement in March after Prop. 50 redrew his district.

Issa endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a moderate Republican who Democratic strategists say will be tough to beat given his weaker ties to Trump.

Two Democrats have emerged as frontrunners: San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Obama aide who has lost to Issa twice before. Palm Springs businessman Brandon Riker is also competing for the seat after shifting districts post-Prop. 50.

Von Wilpert and Campa-Najjar have traded sharp criticisms. She called him anti-LGBTQ for questioning whether she could win votes outside gay-friendly Palm Springs; he accused her of racism for questioning his name changes and residence.

Riker leads in fundraising with about $1.08 million cash on hand, followed closely by Desmond with about $1.06 million. Von Wilpert has about $545,800, while Campa-Najjar has about $456,400.

The next Nancy Pelosi?

Congressional District 11: San Francisco

After nearly 40 years in Congress, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last November she would retire at the end of her current term. She has declined to formally endorse a successor.

Three Democrats are now vying to replace her as San Francisco’s next member of Congress, a position that the winner could hold for decades given the city’s liberal bent.

State Sen. Scott Wiener leads in name recognition and fundraising, touting his record of passing controversial bills like those to speed up housing construction by bypassing state environmental regulations. He has staked his campaign on legislative accomplishments and promises to bring that same diligence to Congress.

State Sen. Scott Wiener addresses lawmakers at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Wiener caused controversy by initially refusing to call the Gaza conflict “genocide,” then reversing course with a lengthy explanation on social media. He subsequently stepped down as leader of the Legislative Jewish Caucus. By San Francisco standards, he is rather moderate. He has about $2.62 million in cash on hand.

Saikat Chakrabarti, a former tech entrepreneur who made billions as an engineer at Stripe, is marketing himself as a political outsider who can shake up Washington — much as he did running Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s 2018 upset campaign and serving as her chief of staff. He’s largely self-funding and has contributed nearly $5 million already.

Trailing both is Connie Chan, the progressive San Francisco supervisor who appears to have informal support from Pelosi herself, plus endorsements from U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. She only has $156,600 in cash on hand with only a month until primary day.

A battle of the ages

Congressional District 7: Sacramento, El Dorado and San Joaquin counties

While Pelosi decided it was time to step aside, some of her peers have not. One exciting race is in the 7th Congressional District, where incumbent Democrat Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, faces Mai Vang, 41, a left-leaning Sacramento City councilmember.

Vang is Matsui’s first serious challenger in the 20 years since Matsui succeeded her late husband in office. She is supported by the progressive Working Families Party and has criticized Matsui for her lack of availability to constituents and accepting donations from corporate PACs and wealthy donors. Vang has about $315,000 in cash on hand.

Matsui has insisted that experience and institutional knowledge are critical as Democrats try to get as much federal funding as possible in the second Trump administration, saying it’s a bad time to throw out expertise. She has about $1.05 million.

The formerly solidly blue district primarily encompassed the city of Sacramento until it was redrawn under Prop. 50 to include more rural and conservative areas in El Dorado and San Joaquin counties, though it is still considered a solid Democratic seat.

Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang during a caucus meeting at the California Democratic convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Jungho Kim for CalMatters

Congressional District 4: Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Lake and Colusa counties

Another longtime incumbent, Rep. Mike Thompson also faces a younger progressive and political newcomer.

Eric Jones, 35, a philanthropist and former venture capitalist, is centering his campaign on the affordability crisis. He casts Thompson, 75, as out-of-touch with the financial struggles of younger generations on housing and retirement.

Nonetheless, Thompson earned the endorsement of the California Young Democrats, as well as from the California Democratic Party, SEIU California and the California Federation of Labor Unions.

Jones seeded his campaign with about $350,000 of his own money and has more than $1.45 million cash on hand, largely from big-dollar donors. Thompson has $2.56 million.

More races to watch

Congressional District 3: Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties

Democratic incumbent Rep. Ami Bera moved to this district after voters passed Prop. 50 with the goal of unseating Rep. Kevin Kiley. But Kiley decided to run in Bera’s former district, and days later he left the GOP to become an independent.

Bera faces two Democrats and two Republicans.

Democrat Heidi Hall, a Nevada County supervisor, launched her campaign before the gerrymandering when the district was far more conservative and Kiley was her opponent. Hall said she was frustrated by Bera’s blatant political opportunism. She criticized him for not living in the new district (he lives in Elk Grove) and lamented how he, with the incumbency advantage, had bigfooted what would’ve been a clear path to victory for her post-redistricting.

Democrat Chris Bennett, a disabled Army veteran running as a progressive prioritizing housing affordability and reforming campaign finance, also switched to run in this district.

The two Republicans are Robb Tucker, a small business owner and fellow Nevada County supervisor and perennial candidate Christine Bish.

Steven Walker works on his ballot at the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections office in Sacramento on Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Congressional District 6: Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties

Bera’s departure from the 6th District prompted a flurry of Democrats to run in it, including former state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, the presumed frontrunner. He faces Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, former Planned Parenthood executive director Lauren Babb-Tomlinson and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, all Democrats.

Kiley is also competing for this seat as an independent.

Congressional District 14: Alameda County

The race for former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s seat was already crowded before his alleged sexual abuse was reported in early April. State Sen. Aisha Wahab is endorsed by the California Democratic Party and has emerged as the frontrunner.

She faces five other Democrats in the safely Democratic district:

• Victor Aguilar, a San Leandro city councilmember
• Matt Ortega, a Democratic digital strategist
• Rakhi Singh, an educator and nonprofit attorney
• Melissa Hernandez, a healthcare services director
• Carin Elam, a businesswoman and nonprofit director

Voters in this district will go to the polls again June 16 for a special election to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s term, following his resignation. Some Democrats are rallying behind a caretaker candidate who is not in the race to take over next year, Democratic former state Sen. Bob Wieckowski.

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Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka will be performing a traffic signal light replacement project at the above location in Eureka beginning Friday, May, 2026 at 9 a.m.

The eastbound and westbound travel directions on Buhne Street will have new traffic signal lights featuring a protected left turn traffic pattern. This new traffic signal configuration at Buhne Street and S Street will service eastbound Buhne Street travel lanes singularly and then terminate, followed by the service of westbound travel lanes, indicated with new left turn signals lights featuring protected left turn indicators.

The intersection will be in all-red flash while the reconfiguration is being performed. The intersection will also have signage on Buhne Street notifying users of the new signal work reconfiguration.

The patience and cooperation of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity of the of the Buhne and S Streets is greatly appreciated while the traffic signal reconfiguration is being implemented.

The City of Eureka realizes that this disruption is an inconvenience, but maintaining the City’s streets infrastructure is vital to the health and safety of our residents.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On April 29, 2026, at approximately 1 p.m., an officer with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding near the intersection of I and Buhne Streets.

The driver was identified as Ernest Rocha, a 65-year-old Arcata resident. A records check revealed that Rocha was on probation.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle conducted pursuant to his probation terms, officers located approximately 12.5 grams of methamphetamine, along with pepper spray and bear spray.

Rocha was taken into custody and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a controlled substance for sale, transportation of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of pepper spray, and violation of probation.

Every year, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury spends time studying up on various questions or controversies involving local government, and at the end of the year publishes its findings. It’s a wonderful institution.

And though the current Grand Jury runs through the end of June, it’s kicking things off early with a report on the Eel River Conservation Camp, the Redway-area institution that houses convicted felons nearing the end of their sentence and employs them in various productive, outdoorsy activities — most notably, fighting wildfires.

This year the Grand Jury takes us inside for a tour of the conservation camp, which is run by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. And it’s no exaggeration to say that the GJ really likes what it found!

From the report:

Overall, the Grand Jury was impressed with the condition, operation and function of the Conservation Camp during our inspections. The Grand Jury observed that safety precautions were in place, safety equipment was up to date, and inmates appeared healthy, adequately clothed, housed and fed. Inmates seemed at ease, cooperative with, and respectful of, each other and staff, proud of the work they do, and of the skills they are acquiring.

In sum, the Grand Jury has one and only one recommendation to improve conditions at the Conservation Camp: Get a better internet connection!

But you can read the full report below for a more complete look at how the camp operates and what it aims to accomplish, and you can check out the Grand Jury’s summary in press release form underneath that.

Note: The next Grand Jury year is coming up fast, and they’re always looking for more citizens to sign up. If you have some free time that you’d like to devote to good governance, they’d love to hear from you.

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DOCUMENT:

• “Fighting Fires, Changing Lives: Eel River Conservation Camp Civil Grand Jury Report,” April 30, 2026 (PDF)

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Press release from the Humboldt County Grand Jury:

Fighting Fires, Changing Lives - Eel River Conservation Camp

“Without a doubt, if there is a program within the state that can help somebody go from an incarcerated life to never coming back to an incarcerated life, this is the program that can do it.”

– Fred Money, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, quoted in the Sacramento Bee Article on the “Importance of Fire Crews,” 05/31/24.

The Civil Grand Jury Report, “Fighting Fires, Changing Lives - Eel River Conservation Camp” was published today on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury website.

The Grand Jury is required by state law to “inquire into the condition and management of the public prisons within the county.” Beyond the need to know whether these institutions are well run and pose no threat to our community, isn’t it important to know how your tax dollars are being spent and whether this investment of your money is benefiting you?

Among the Grand Jury’s findings:

The Eel River Conservation Camp meets or exceeds goals for contributions to the community, leading to a healthy, trusting relationship between the camp and the community.

Basic job skills are learned and practiced, making Eel River Conservation Camp inmates more employable and thus benefitting themselves, their families and their communities.

Through training, education, and on-the-job work experience, inmate employment opportunities post-incarceration increase, helping the Eel River Conservation Camp recidivism rate decline.

The Grand Jury Responsibilities:

The Humboldt County Superior Court annually appoints 19 county residents as grand jurors to serve as citizen watchdogs over local government.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has jurisdiction over Humboldt County districts, cities, agencies, and departments and examines all aspects of county and city government to ensure honest, efficient government in the best interests of the people.

The Jury receives and investigates complaints from individuals concerning the actions and performances of county or public officials. Additional information about the Civil Grand Jury, complaint forms, and juror applications can be found on the website.

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PREVIOUSLY: Five Old-Growth Redwoods Were Cut Down in Lower Redway. How Could That Happen?

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The removal of a massive old-growth redwood tree in Southern Humboldt is currently underway. 

The towering 252-foot tree — estimated to be between 350 and 370 years old — is one of several “hazardous” old-growth redwoods removed from a residential parcel on the corner of Oakridge Drive and Briceland Road in Lower Redway in recent months, sparking outrage among some neighbors and environmental advocates, though the action appears to comply with state law.

This afternoon, a handful of locals gathered at the corner lot with signs that read “Stop Logging Old Growth” and “Honor the Elders,” hoping against hope that their efforts would stop the centuries-old tree from being cut. (A video of the protest signs can be seen in this video posted to Facebook.)

Redway resident Sue Maloney told the Outpost that six sheriff’s vehicles had shown up at the property this morning to deter a group of protestors from parking within the work zone. “We parked too close to the fence, thinking we could stop them from sending the limbs down, but we were told to move our vehicles.”

Maloney shared the following video from the scene:

Asked how Scarlett responded to their presence, Maloney said, “We’ve talked to each other a little bit, and he said, ‘I don’t have any problem with you guys being here,’ but we’re clearly on opposite sides of the issue.”

Reached by phone this afternoon, Scarlett declined the Outpost’s offer to comment on this story. We’ve reached out to his attorney, Tonya Farmer, for comment as well, but we’ve yet to hear back. 

Since the first round of old-growth redwoods was chopped down at the end of last year, Maloney and several other long-time environmental advocates have called on county officials to take immediate action, expressing concern that the case sets a dangerous precedent for old-growth trees throughout Lower Redway.

“We’ve had several conversations with [Humboldt Planning Director] John Ford and [Second District Supervisor] Michelle Bushnell, as well as the director of CalFire and [Hank Seemann], the deputy director of environmental services,” Maloney said. “It’s a lot of run around about who has jurisdiction, and ‘We’ll meet with you in the future!’ but, in the meantime, this tree [is being] climbed to be cut.”

The Lower Redway Q Zone is depicted in yellow. | Map: County of Humboldt

Maloney and others were under the impression that the trees were protected by a county-designated “Q Zone,” a special zoning ordinance created in 1996 to safeguard old-growth redwoods near the John B. DeWitt State Natural Reserve. Under the county policy, trees exceeding 12 inches in diameter can only be cut “in an emergency situation” when trees are “threatening people or property.” 

As the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CalFire has permitting and enforcement jurisdiction over timber operations on timberland pursuant to the Forest Practice Act of 1973. The county also has a hand in the permitting process, but it’s taken a step back in recent years due to a provision in the act that precludes the county from requiring permits that would supersede an exemption from the state.

A request to clear up the confusion around state versus county jurisdiction and potentially increase protections provided by the Q Zone was placed on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors’ April 20 agenda, but the item was removed from the docket at the beginning of the meeting without explanation.

As previously reported by the Outpost, last year, Scarlett secured a hazard tree exemption for the removal of “approximately five” old-growth redwoods at his Lower Redway property. The trees were inspected by CalFire Supervising Forester Lucas Titus, who made the following determination in his report:

“During the inspection approximately five trees/clumps were identified all within 30 feet of structures as having the defect and site conditions indicative of tree failure. These identified trees have already damaged the roof and deck of the main habitable structure and caused damage to the adjacent shed and adjacent property and continue to pose a safety threat.”

The county issued a stop-work order last month to prevent the remaining old-growth redwood from being cut down, but that order was lifted last month after an arborist determined the tree “poses a threat to multiple residential structures and the people who reside there, as well as the power lines and roads that are in the vicinity.” 

“Mitigation options such as pruning would be unfeasible without retaining a high level of risk due to the lack of remaining canopy and the severe trunk damage the tree has suffered,” according to a March 24 report written by Stephen Hohman, an arborist with Hohman and Associates Forestry Consulting, Inc. “It would be unreasonable to expect the residents of this house to continue to live at this address without addressing the risk posed by this tree. Therefore, I would recommend the immediate removal of this tree due to the potential of severe consequences that would result in the case of this tree’s failure.”

When we spoke earlier this afternoon, Maloney said the tree was in the process of being topped, and suspected it would be taken down in the next day or two.

The Outpost’s request for comment from CalFire and Planning and Builder Director John Ford was not returned before publication. We’ll update this post with their responses if we hear back.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Hospice of Humboldt Just Doubled Its Capacity for Inpatient Care, and It Aims to Double Palliative Care By Next Year
• CalMatters: Sham Hospice Schemes Are Bilking Medicare — and Harming California Seniors

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Yesterday, the Outpost published a CalMatters story about a recent wave of billing fraud, particularly in Southern California, in which fake or low-quality hospice operators are defrauding Medicare at the expense of both patients and taxpayers.

Fortunately, the local community is served by the highly regarded Hospice of Humboldt, which provides comprehensive end-of-life care, palliative care and bereavement services from its picturesque campus at 3327 Timber Fall Court in Eureka as well as out in the community. 

Nevertheless, employees of our local hospice have been fielding questions from the public, especially donors, about whether and how this fraud could impact Hospice of Humboldt.

In a phone interview this morning,  CEO Dianne Keating said the best tool to differentiate between a quality organization like Hospice of Humboldt and an exploitative or phony one is the Medicare Care Compare website. Operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the site allows patients, families and caregivers to search for and compare Medicare-certified healthcare providers, including hospices.

“Hospice of Humboldt does an amazing job providing end-of-life care,” Keating said. “I mean, we have an amazing Hospice House, incredible palliative care program, and we do whatever it takes to meet patients and families where they are and serve them. But we don’t want to get entangled in this southern LA County challenge, because we’re nothing like that.”

Rep. Jared Huffman also offered his appreciation and support for our region’s hospice organizations.

“End-of-life care is a deeply personal and important experience, and families deserve to know their loved ones are in good hands,” Huffman said in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful the majority of hospice care centers in our region provide top-quality services for communities on the North Coast. I encourage constituents to use the federal government’s website to confirm that your local provider is above board and applying the best care.”

On the Medicare Care Compare site you can:

• Search local hospice providers by ZIP code or city
• Confirm whether a hospice is medicare-certified
• Compare hospices side-by-side
• Review quality scores and performance data
• See family/caregiver satisfaction results from surveys
• View contact information and service areas

Here’s the link again.

Keating encouraged anyone with questions to contact Hospice of Humboldt. 

“I’m happy to answer any questions [and] give anybody a tour,” she said. “I mean, if they come and see our facility and talk about our services, they’ll understand that we put everything back into our mission, and we are a completely mission-driven organization.”

PREVIOUSLY:

• Amazon Confirms Plans for a Distribution Warehouse in McKinleyville

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A volatile meeting held last night to discuss the proposed Amazon distribution warehouse in McKinleyville drew a large crowd, almost everyone in it fiercely against the project.

Roughly 200 people flocked to the four-hour meeting, filling up Azalea Hall; attendees lined the walls and sat in almost every seat. Hosted by the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department, it was put on to discuss the department’s permitting process and share information about the project, as well as to give people a chance to share their opinions on the idea. 

Two representatives from Amazon attended the meeting: Sonya Kinz, a developer for a sub-contractor, and Stephen Maduli-Williams, an Amazon senior economic development manager. When John Ford, the county’s planning director, announced them, they were booed. Hostility towards Amazon was a common theme throughout the meeting. Heckling was constant. 

“There’s no decision, on the part of the county, in terms of what happens [with the project],” Ford said early in the meeting. “We’re here to hear you. We’re here to understand. I think Amazon has the same objective.” A few dozen people laughed.

The land the facility would be built on is zoned for industrial use, which allows warehouses. But because the property is in the coastal zone, Amazon needs a Coastal Development Permit to construct anything. The county’s planning commission is the entity tasked with deciding if they’ll grant it. Although California’s Coastal Commission can appeal their decision, they’d be appealing it to themselves, and the outcome would be a summary judgement based on the existence of a “substantial coastal issue,” Ford said. The planning commission will decide in February next year if they’ll grant the permit, though the decision can be appealed to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Coastal Commission.

The complicated process prompted many questions about the county’s relationship with Amazon. Some commenters questioned the county’s motives, theorizing that the government gave Amazon some kind of tax incentive that incentivized it to build a warehouse here. Ford and Maduli-Williams, the Amazon representative, explained that wasn’t the case. 

Maduli-Williams also presented a slideshow. He emphasized that the warehouse was much smaller than other last-mile Amazon warehouses — about 40,000 square feet vs. more than 150,000 in other communities — and that though the facility was open at all hours, it wasn’t necessarily going to be active around the clock. Vans wouldn’t run day-and-night either. He claimed that the warehouse would create 227 jobs, about 115 of them full-time. Annual payroll would be roughly $8 million; about $30 million would be invested in McKinleyville. Maduli-Williams said the average wage would be $22 an hour, and workers would receive benefits as well.

The meeting almost ended 45 minutes in when rowdy attendees, champing at the bit to speak and share their opinions, interrupted Maduli-Williams’ presentation, yelling and shouting. Ford wasn’t pleased.

“What we’ve done tonight is come out for your benefit,” he said. “And I know some of you know everything —” he was shouted down for a moment “— Would — would you — You know, I get letters with all kinds of expletives, and I’ve been flipped off before, and I expected more from McKinleyville, frankly.” The crowd jeered.

An older woman, who said she was Yurok, got up on the mic and appealed to the common order and the traditions of local tribes, who she said, wouldn’t act like this.  The rabble-rousers quieted, and Maduli-Williams finished his presentation. But the back-and-forth between the crowd and the presenters (both from the government and from Amazon), continued through the rest of the meeting.

“If you’d like to talk to a sheriff’s deputy, that can be arranged,” Ford later said to one woman in the crowd. “This is really not a good representation — can you stop yelling, please?”

Another woman insinuated that they should burn down the warehouse.

“I’m concerned that there’s an epidemic of warehouse fires sweeping this country,” she said. “My concern is that building this warehouse presents a 100% increase in risk of warehouse fires in this community. Did y’all know,” she said to the audience, “that anyone can buy a drip torch at our local hardware store? It’s a great way to support local businesses.” People cheered.

The line of people who wanted to comment on the project stretched back to the rear wall and wrapped around the inside of the building. Many of them brought up the infamously poor working conditions prevalent at many Amazon facilities, the beautiful, sensitive surrounding scenery, the damaging and unsustainable effects shipping millions of packages worldwide every day has on the environment, Amazon’s relationships with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and labor unions, and the money small business owners lose out on when competing with Amazon. Maduli-Williams said the site in McKinleyville was selected because it was zoned for industrial use, and because the company sees demand for their services here in Humboldt.

Several commenters talked about a recent death of an Amazon worker at a facility in Troutdale; employees were reportedly instructed to keep working while a man died on the warehouse floor. Maduli-Williams called the Troutdale incident “misinformation,” and said that the man who died was being given space so trained “CPR professionals” could work on him.

Besides one woman who said she wanted the facility built to bring jobs to the county, everyone that shared their thoughts was firmly against it.

“Humboldt County needs jobs, and I completely understand the impulse to allow a new employer to move into the area,” a woman named Isabelle said. “I ask everybody to consider what kind of employers we’re allowing into our community. Humboldt needs jobs, jobs with living wages, good health benefits for all employees, and safe working conditions. What we don’t need is people like Jeff Bezos, a man with a vested interest in continuing to make our country a worse place for the working class, while getting rich off of our labor [with] unrealistic work quotas, dangerous warehouse conditions, union busting and driving out local business in the name of shareholder profit. Where do we, as a community, draw the line? I think what we are learning is that we draw the line here…I care about my neighbors. I care about other working class people. And I care about Humboldt County, and I urge you all to do the same.”