Priorities

• Access to affordable healthcare:  Given that Donald Trump and the Republicans are dismantling Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, we in California must become more self-sufficient in health care coverage, and medical research.   As a cancer survivor Suzanne will be especially focused on cancer treatment and research.  Cancer is the number 1 cause of death for San Diego County residents.
• Mental Health:  Increased support and funding for the California’s Regional Centers for the Developmentally Disabled.  Increased support and funding for PERT officers (Psychological Emergency Response Team) in all police departments.  Funding and support for more beds in the region’s psychiatric units. 
• Autism:  Suzanne’s family has experienced the financial hardships, overwhelming amount of treatment required, and joy of raising a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  Suzanne supports peer reviewed science to find the cause of and medical treatments for ASD.  Suzanne is a scientist and supports the Autism Science Foundation.  Suzanne does not support the Republican agenda to remove science from ASD research. 

Suzanne with her sister Karen celebrating another cancer free day

• Suzanne Till will work to build an economy that works for everyone and makes life affordable for hard-working families.  As a high school teacher Suzanne knows that everyday California families can no longer afford the average California home.  As she has done to support affordable potable water in East County, Suzanne will continue to push Sacramento to pass legislation and funding promoting affordable housing, water and energy.
• Housing:  For example, the U.S., especially California’s housing market favors Wall Street investors and multinational corporations not working families. In the first quarter of 2025, nearly 27% of all US homes were purchased by investors. In other words, 265,000 homes were owned by investment corporations, not families, seniors and young people who should be owning and living in these homes. Suzanne supports Assemblymember Alex Lee’s Bill, AB 2584 to limit corporate ownership of single family homes for use as rentals or investment.    
• Water:  Suzanne opposes the City of San Diego proposed 63% water rate increase and 31% sewer rate increase.  These unprecedented rate increases are unnecessary. In fact, Padre Dam Municipal Water District (where Suzanne is Vice President and Director) has a five year strategic business plan with a guaranteed 0% rate increase between 2023-2027.  
• In 2024, the California energy grid was powered by 100% clean energy for 219 days!   Suzanne will be the strongest proponent to continue our efforts for a clean and affordable energy based economy.

• As a United States Marine Corps veteran, Suzanne has a great respect for California’s military and veteran communities. 
• Suzanne will work to provide more support for veterans and their families, especially for mental health care, such as PTSD and drug use due to self-medication. 
• All veterans must have access to housing, healthcare, and employment. 
• Suzanne supports women in combat and leadership roles in the US military.  She agrees with former Defense Secretary Ash Carter: “We cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country’s talents and skills.”

Suzanne with a family friend at Camp Pendleton.

• Suzanne experienced the Cedar Wildfire disaster of 2003.  Under Suzanne’s leadership Padre Dam MWD now has smart, reliable water infrastructure to fight wildfires in the Padre Dam Municipal Water District service area.  All water agencies and CALFIRE need financial support to build infrastructure to fight wildfires, in the yearlong fire season we have in Southern California.  Restoring and filling Lake Hodges is an essential step to reduce fire risk in North County. 
• Homeowner’s insurance rates are skyrocketing due to lack of data on climate change trends.  Suzanne has a PhD in Water Resources Geography, a discipline that covers climate change and data science.  Suzanne will work with data scientists at UCSD, USD, CSU San Marcos and SDSU to develop climate, water resources and fire models.  This data will result in stabilized homeowners’ insurance rates. 
• Scripps Ranch is a community under high fire risk.  One problem is the lack of brush management along Pomerado Road.   This road contains invasive flammable plants such as eucalyptus trees and this brush.  The City of San Diego has not been conducting annual brush management.  All non-native trees should be removed and thick brush maintained.  California Coast Live Oak trees which are fire resistant should be planted near the creek.  In addition, a second fire station at the intersection of Pomerado Road and Avenida must be funded and completed.  
• Evacuation routes:  Pomerado Road and Highway 67 are critical emergency response and evacuation routes.  Suzanne will work to obtain highway infrastructure funding to first study best engineering and traffic management practices for these routes.  SDSU and UCSD have award winning civil/structural/geotechnical engineering departments that can start these studies immediately. 

• California’s climate is changing. In fact, a major source of water for CA State Senate 40th District residents, the Colorado River, is drying up.  In addition, the 40th District is home to numerous water storage reservoirs supporting San Diego County.  Many of these reservoirs cannot even be filled to full capacity, due to a history of poor maintenance.  
• As Director and Vice President of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Suzanne Till is working to complete Advanced Water Purification Program (AWP), delivering a local purified water supply source for up to 500,000 residents of East San Diego County.  Suzanne’s leadership secured an impressive $935 million of government funding for the AWP resulting in 2500 good paying jobs for East San Diego County.  For more information see: https://eastcountyawp.com/
• According to the California constitution, all water resources are owned by the people of California.  Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to control California’s water infrastructure. Suzanne will work with all legislators to protect California’s water resources from Donald Trump’s illegal grab for California’s water. 

Suzanne at CO River, Intake pipe for Colorado River water.  The Colorado River provides 70% of water supplies to most of the CA 40th District.

• As a parent and a high school teacher, Suzanne understands that quality public education supports a thriving local economy and democracy.  Laying off teachers, counselors and librarians (as done by the Grossmont Union High School District in May 2025) does not support our children’s future.   
• Suzanne supports smaller class sizes and more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, more arts education and increased teacher pay.
• ICE and DHS cannot be on or near our schools.  All educators and staff must be trained to protect our students from ICE raids.
• Given that Donald Trump and the Republicans are dismantling the Department of Education,  we in California must become more self-sufficient to provide special education services for our children.  
• Our kids should learn in efficient green school campuses.  Suzanne will work to fund infrastructure improvement, including solar panels on all school campuses. 

Suzanne with her son Johnathon

Suzanne will be an advocate for tribal communities in the CA 40th State Senate District.  She understands the complex legal system of Reserved Water Rights.  She believes that tribal governments should have representation on the San Diego County Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) governing boards.