Three State Representative seats are vacant due to the resignations of Cassie Kendrick, Astra Lillegard-Marino, and Emilie Lillegard-Marino. We’re still early into the Summer 2024 term, and as such, the Legislature has called for a Special Election. The campaign will run until July 12, at which point voting will open until July 15. This is a living post, and will be edited as the election continues should any candidate radically change their platform or withdraw from the race.
Here are the candidates, listed in order of registration.
James Hill
James Hill is a former Senior Public Defender and a current court clerk. “I’ve regularly dealt with the interpretation of legislation and legal instruments, and more recently I’ve turned my eye to politics seeing the need for [my candidacy], particularly when seeing a massive walk-out like this,” Hill tells Shout News. “I feel it’s unreasonable of me to sit on the sidelines and not do anything about it.”
Hill cites the main issue facing San Andreas as “a lack of stability. We see an awful lot of issues coming from the government, and the government is meant to be a stabilizing force for the entire state. Seeing this turmoil in the governor’s cabinet and the legislature causes great concern for our citizens, and I think it’s critical to ensure we get the right people in to stabilize the government.”
Hill’s first goal upon entering office would be investigating concerns related to the recent 4th of July event. “There’s been some eyebrows raised among me and my friends, seeing the FOIAs filed by Matt Murdank, and I believe the people need answers.” As for a broader goal, Hill aims to speak for the people, tackle laxer punishments for first-time offenders, and decrease the criminalization of the public.
Hill has chosen to run on a “shared ticket” with Bill Smith; the two endorse each other and encourage those convinced by one candidate’s platform should vote for the other. After the debate, Mr. Hill asked Shout News to update his profile to include a work-in-progress bill he is writing, one that he says “has not been scrutinised and is likely to be amended prior to submission for legislative consideration:”
Yuri Devlin
Devlin is a two-time State Representative, as well as a business owner who is heavily invested in the San Andreas community, particularly in Paleto Bay. In conversation with Shout News, he identifies the main issue as a critical “lack of leadership. Everything starts with the Governor, and how they conduct themselves and their cabinet, and if they aren’t able to hold the people they picked for their cabinet accountable, then the people below them don’t feel like they need to hold the rest of their department accountable.”
He has a uniquely-suited resume to the job, as Devlin has been appointed to a Legislature mid-term during both of his Congresses, which gives him experience with jumping on mid-Congress. “I will be transparent with what’s going on with the legislature and the government as a whole, but also to be a steady hand that brings a guiding presence to the legislature when it might need it, during the most tumultuous time in the state’s history.”
Devlin was released from Boilingbroke Penitentiary earlier this year after serving a 30-year sentence for murder. An appeal on the verdict is currently in the legal system, with no conclusion drawn yet.
Shout News has asked Mr. Devlin for a photograph and will update when one is provided.
Maxine Finch
Maxine Finch has lived in San Andreas for almost three years; she is a former politician, head of the Board of Education, and journalist. Previously, she served as a State Representative in the eighth congress, and ran as a Lt. Governor candidate in the ninth congress.
(Editorial disclosure: Maxine Finch is an independent journalist whose work runs on Shout News. Becks Lawson and Maxine Finch served together in the eight congress, and ran as a Governorship ticket in the ninth congress.)
In conversation with Shout News, Finch mentions that she “has a mindset that I think will prevent me from stepping down or resigning.” She believes the largest issue affecting the state of San Andreas is a lack of consequences — on both sides of the law. “I’m not saying that the law isn’t being enforced, or the DoJ, police, or judiciary aren’t doing everything right,” says Finch. “But with criminals, the punishments don’t stick, and there’s no rehabilitation. [The Department of Human Services] has stepped up to offer assistance in that result, but overall, the way the entire state is built discourages them from changing who they are.”
She adds, “It’s not just the physical lack of consequences, but also the perspective that no one seems to be punished effectively. People are afraid to report on cops and criminals alike because, for most, it feels as though there are no repercussions for people’s actions. While there certainly are repercussions, the way in which people handle charges or complaints no longer seems to carry enough weight to reassure the vulnerable or helpless.”
Upon entering office, Finch says that she would continue working on bills related to San Andreas Medical Services and the legislative overhaul, as well as provide oversight for any other changes that need to be made to the body of legislation.
Wyatt McKenzie
Wyatt McKenzie is a long-time citizen of the state with a long history in both government and private business. “I’ve been in town for a hot minute,” he tells Shout News in conversation. “I’ve done [Department of Commerce and Labor], been Secretary of State, and own one of the largest businesses in the state with McKenzie Enterprises.”
McKenzie said he was driven to run by the current state of the Legislature and the government as a whole. “I think the biggest thing is having a functional government. And I don’t think we have that now,” he says. “I don’t think we have for a very long time. I don’t think I’ll be the one to fix that, but I think that we can start to move away from running for the memes, having people resign after three weeks, and really bring a sense of gravitas to the role. It’s not a respected role in our community anymore and we need to get back to that.”
“I don’t have a million ideas, but I want to take the current situation and turn it into something productive and helpful — not the dumpster fire we’re dealing with,” says McKenzie. His immediate goal is legislation on non-profits, followed by a plan to increase both transparency and productivity.
Wyatt McKenzie’s press site can be found here, with more information on his platform.
Rachel Scilly
Rachel Scilly is a one-time Governor candidate, a former EMS Lieutenant and businesswoman, and a social worker. She’s lived in San Andreas for three years after emigrating from England in 2021. While Scilly praises the progress of previous Congresses, she states that the government has many complex issues to tackle that can’t be overcome with just one bill.
“We’ve had leaps and bounds, especially in the last year. I know we previously had a lot of very pressing issues, but I think the Legislature has done a good job tackling the majority of those,” says Scillly in conversation with Shout News. “I think that the ones that have lasted out are hard and don’t have one single solution, and they’re the ones that unfortunately that are vague.”
Scilly notes police accountability as one of these issues that has taken up a large part of the public’s consciousness. If elected, Scilly pledges to take her time to learn the role and its responsibilities. “My immediate action is going to be learning,” she says. “This will be my first political role and I don’t want to come in thinking I have all the answers and all the solutions. I haven’t had a chance to see behind the scenes, so my first action is going to be onboarding, learning the role, and seeing what the complexities are.”
Bill Smith
Bill Smith is an ex-pat who has only been in the state of San Andreas for about a month and a half, and works as a supervisor for RideXShare. “Previously, I was a member of the local government scene in England,” he tells Shout News. “I’ve taken up a keen interest in local transportation. I meet with a lot of people on a daily basis and talk to them as you would a cabbie, or in my case, a pilot.”
He continues, “People are really upset, asking — what’s going on with [the Department of Commerce and Labor]? What’s going on with [San Andreas Flight Agency]? Why can’t I reach these departments? It really grinds my gears to see these issues, so it’s recharged my energy for public service and thrust me into the political arena.”
Smith stresses that his main priority in office would be to create a minimum level of service from the government. He praises agencies like the Judiciary and Public Fefenders, and says that SAFA, DoCL, or DHS should have that level of staffing and availability. “It’s letting the people of San Andreas down and its not acceptable,” he says. Whereas other candidates focus on the Legislature or Executive, Smith is focusing on the less examined departments.
Smith is “co-running” with James Hill, with both candidate endorsing the other throughout the campaign.
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