10th Assembly District race

Huber draws on life, lessons learned in Lodi

There wasn't much stability in Alyson Huber's life when she moved to a trailer park west of Lodi three decades ago.

Alyson Huber

She was a grade-schooler then, growing up largely without a father figure.

Her mother moved her and her sister every year to a new home "when the rent went up."

Today, the 36-year-old Lodi High School graduate is a business attorney and campaigning to serve in the state Assembly.

The Democrat is vying with former Lodi mayor and Republican Jack Sieglock to fill Republican Alan Nakanishi's 10th District seat. Nakanishi, also a former Lodi mayor, is termed-out. The district includes Lodi, Amador County and portions of Sacramento and El Dorado counties.

Huber, now a mother of four, believes the stable, family first values she learned in Lodi will help her lead in Sacramento.

"I don't have Jack's 26 years of experience in politics," said Huber, who now lives in El Dorado Hills. "I have experience as a working mother and as a business attorney fighting frivolous lawsuits that cost everybody money."

Indeed, this is Huber's first entrance into politics.

She said her lack of political experience may just be a plus. Instead of partisanship, she said, she aims to bring a problem-solving attitude to the Capitol.

She has received campaign donations from Republicans and even from attorneys against whom she has squared off in court. That shows, she said in a phone interview earlier this month, that she has the backing of those who don't always agree with her.

"I'm actually married to a Republican," she added, speaking of her husband, Tim.

Education, infrastructure and job creation are Huber's top priorities.

If elected to the Assembly, Huber said, she'd fight to "make high school relevant" for the state's students.

Too much emphasis is placed on ushering students to four-year colleges, she argued. Innovative vocational programs, ones that focus on agriculture and green technology, must be expanded to create new, high-paying jobs.

"We're not having any trouble getting low-paying jobs," she noted.

Huber has gained support from several powerful statewide unions, including the California Teachers Association and the California Professional Firefighters.

She trails Sieglock, however, in total campaign contributions this year. Sieglock has raised more than $500,000 since January, compared with Huber's $190,000.

Her larger donations include $7,200 from the California Teachers Association for Better Citizenship, and $7,200 from United Food and Commercial Workers 8 Golden State, a Roseville-based union.

When it comes to getting the state's budget passed on time, Huber said she'll avoid "the blame game" in Sacramento and seek common solutions.

The budget was held up this summer for months amid bickering between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

If elected, Huber said she'll draw on experiences from Lodi to help her lead. She notes that the community has already helped her climb high.

"That would not have been possible if not for the people in Lodi," she said.

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.