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Dozens of local organizations and leaders are standing together!

Tessa Lynn Hodge for Congress

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Healthcare Affordability &amp; Access

Good Jobs &amp; Livable Wages

Lowering Costs for Homeowners &amp; Renters

Protecting Our Environment

<h3>The change we need.</h3>Our High Desert, mountain, and rural district is forgotten in D.C. Our incumbent lives in D.C. He flies his private jet the few times he does visit us. He couldn't care less about us.

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“Residents are tired of the same old partisan politics. It's time we prioritize the well-being of people over party differences."

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Our incumbent Rep. Jay Obernolte has forgetten about us. We need a representative who will put the people first.

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<h1>Tessa's Story</h1><img src="https://run.imgix.net/3d168e21-fedf-4224-a39e-27cd57192ee3/6e9a2544-de4c-430e-a718-55b87280a0cf/6e9a2544-de4c-430e-a718-55b87280a0cf.png?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C2048%2C1365&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h2>Lifelong commitment to our community.</h2>The High Desert and District 23 are my home. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’m passionate about helping our community thrive.I am Tessa Lynn Hodge, and I’m running for Congress to represent California’s 23rd Congressional District in the 2026 election. As a born and raised lifelong resident of this district, I’m deeply connected to its values and its people.&nbsp;My roots in this district run deep. My grandfather served in the Air Force for 22 years before retiring to the High Desert and later ran a small print shop in Victorville. My grandmother worked as an RN for over 30 years with the majority of them being at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Apple Valley. The legacy of service in my family has shaped me in so many ways. I have also been shaped by the community itself and by the opportunities and challenges that this vast district offers.I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with almost a decade of experience working with vulnerable populations, from children in foster care to students in need of mental health services in our school districts. I’ve also worked in San Bernardino County incorporating state and federal legislation into county policy and guidelines for county workers. I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of legislation and policies on real lives, and I know that now is the time to advocate for meaningful change. After years of serving my community as a social worker, I’m running for office because I believe that to create lasting change, we need to address the root causes of inequality, injustice, addiction, poor mental health and poverty at the policy level.The current representative, Jay Obernolte, is out of touch with the needs of the 23rd District. His focus on partisan politics is a disservice to the hardworking families in our community. I’m running to be a voice for my community, to ensure that every person, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive.

This campaign is about more than just replacing one politician with another. It’s about building a future where every voice in our community matters, and every person has the chance to succeed. Together, we can create a community that works for all of us.

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The treatment of our active service members and veterans under the current administration has been unacceptable. The firing of thousands of veterans under the guise of 'waste, fraud, and abuse,' along with efforts to cut the deficit, is not only shortsighted but also a betrayal of those who served to defend our Constitution and democracy. Additionally, cuts to the Veterans Administration, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, will severely impact the care our veterans rely on, increasing wait times and decreasing service quality. Our veterans deserve better.Our active-duty service members also deserve better. The current administration’s reckless rhetoric—such as talks of annexing Canada and Greenland, and referring to Gaza with hostility—has alienated our allies and placed a target on America’s back. If these actions come to fruition, it will not be those who speak such words who pay the price, but the brave men and women of our armed forces. While the current administration plays the strongman, it will be the lives of those in uniform that are on the line.

Veterans and Our Military

America is a nation of immigrants - built by generations of people seeking freedom, safety, and opportunity. The current administration pledged to focus their deportation efforts on violent criminals, and instead, have unleashed armed agents to target workers, families, and long-term residents who pay taxes, contribute to our economy, and call this country home. That doesn’t make us safer - it tears communities apart.I support bold, common-sense immigration reforms that restore humanity and fairness to our system. That includes creating a clear pathway to legal status for long-term residents, protecting workers from exploitation, and keeping families together. These kinds of reforms were once bipartisan - even President Reagan called a fair pathway to legal status “a matter of basic fairness.” I believe it still is. In Congress, I’ll fight for policies that reflect our values and strengthen our communities - not divide them.

Humane Immigration Policy

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Under the current administration, our communities are made more vulnerable with every environmental rollback. The 23rd District needs someone who will stand up to polluters who threaten fragile local ecosystems and make it harder for people to live healthy lives. Industrial expansion and heavy freight traffic have pushed asthma rates higher, made our air harder to breathe, and put families at risk. Wildfire seasons get worse every year, yet federal leadership continues to cut clean-energy projects and stall action that will save lives, property, and our local environment. I will fight for stronger emission standards, major federal funding that creates clean energy jobs in our district, and be a steadfast champion for public lands like Joshua Tree and other irreplaceable natural treasures. We can create jobs and grow our local economy without sacrificing our health, our air and water, or the beautiful open spaces that define our district.

Protecting Our Environment 

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with years of field experience, I can personally attest to the urgent need for mental health care reform. Too often, individuals can only access mental health services once their insurance deductible is met, but then are forced to stop therapy when the deductible resets in the new year. This limits the time available to address issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. Insurance companies must be held accountable to provide the services people are paying for. Poor mental health not only affects individuals’ physical health and quality of life but also has a significant economic impact, costing the U.S. $282 billion annually due to lower employment rates, decreased productivity, and reduced consumer spending. Additionally, we must expand access to high-quality training for mental health professionals to ensure there are enough qualified providers to treat severe mental health and co-occurring disorders.

Prioritizing Mental Health

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I grew up in this district. I know what it’s like to wait weeks for care, to drive hours just to see a doctor, and to worry about the cost of something as basic as a checkup. That’s the reality for too many families in our rural communities.Now it’s getting worse. House Republicans have cut the limited funding keeping our hospitals and clinics afloat, and four hospitals in our district are now at risk of closing.I’ve worked inside these hospitals as a medical social worker. I’ve talked with nurses, doctors, and staff on the front lines. The truth is simple: we are in a healthcare crisis, and we’re nearing collapse. We don’t just need more access to care, we need to invest in training the next generation of healthcare workers to fill the hundreds of thousands of open positions nationwide.As your representative, I will fight for a single-payer healthcare system so everyone gets the care they need, no exceptions. I will take on a system where CEOs profit by denying care to the very people it’s supposed to serve.Healthcare is a right. It’s time we treat it that way.

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The rising cost of housing is pushing families out of neighborhoods they’ve called home for decades and making it harder for young people and small businesses to plant roots in our communities. If we want vibrant local economies and inclusive neighborhoods, we must prioritize housing affordability.That means investing in a diverse range of housing options - from affordable rentals to pathways to homeownership - to meet the needs of working families, seniors, and young professionals. In Congress, I’ll fight to make housing more accessible and affordable, because no one should be priced out of the place they call home.

Lowering Costs for Homeowners and Renters

The 23rd District needs more than just another car wash - it needs good paying, skilled jobs. With abundant space and access to two major interstates, the 23rd is uniquely positioned to attract new businesses and create high-quality jobs. By increasing local employment opportunities, residents won't have to commute long distances to other parts of Southern California, keeping more money in our community and boosting the economy. We can make that investment through federal legislation, improving our infrastructure and bringing in the kinds of jobs that will allow our residents to live, work, and stay here long-term.

Bringing Good Jobs &amp; Livable&nbsp;Wages

Simply put, the Department of Education cannot be eliminated. It plays a vital role in ensuring equitable access to education. The 23rd District includes many rural areas; Phelan, Yucca Valley, Lake Los Angeles, Searles Valley, and Newberry Springs, among others. The Department of Education supports rural schools through programs like the Rural and Low Income School Program (RLIS) and the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (SRSA). Without the Department of Education, the 23rd would face significant funding cuts, putting many of our schools at risk of closure.

Public Education

True strength isn’t about the weapons you wield or how intimidating you appear. It’s about the relationships you build, the promises you keep, how you treat the less fortunate, and your ability to negotiate fairly and calmly. Under the current administration, our national security is at risk. The U.S. has alienated its allies, damaged its integrity, and shown weakness by neglecting those who need help the most. These actions put American lives in jeopardy, opens us up to global criticism, damages crucial relationships, and increases the likelihood that China or Russia could step into the void left by our retreat becoming the next world leader. I believe in protecting American lives through rebuilding tarnished relationships with our allies, helping to lift up other countries and showing them that America is a friend, and not through talking a tough game that American soldiers must then play.Let me be clear: I will not take money from AIPAC, J Street, or any PAC that seeks to influence U.S. policy in ways that conflict with my commitment to human rights and accountability. What is happening in Gaza is a genocide. Civilians are suffering, families are being displaced, and lives are being lost. The United States is enabling and continuing to fund the genocide of the Palestinian people and it must stop. I will be a voice in Congress calling for an immediate ceasefire, to cease funding to Israel, and for the elimination of anti-BDS legislation.

National Security and Foreign Policy

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