Thomas Cole is hoping to unseat Rep. Salud Carbajal in the 24th congressional district.

Carbajal enjoys massive institutional support from the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party and local Democratic political power brokers. Cole is the favorite among Republicans and has criticized Carbajal for not debating him in a public forum.

Thomas Cole

Cole is running on a platform of securing national borders and stopping “massive illegal immigration, creating energy independence and increasing funding for law enforcement.”

“I am against open borders, but a supporter of legal immigration,” Cole said in a statement to Noozhawk. “I am against sanctuary cities.  I am for safe streets. Crime is on the rise. Everybody knows this.”

Cole is facing an uphill battle against Carbajal, who has refused to debate him. He launched a video campaign calling Carbajal “a chicken.”

He is a retired developer and builder and founder of Analytics805, an election data research company.

“I believe we need to provide funding for more police – not less,” Cole said. “And I believe in not funding proxy wars all over the globe.”

Cole has accused Carbajal of being a member of the “radical left.”

“Salud supports government benefits to illegal immigrants over needs of U.S. citizens,” Cole said.  

Cole said he supports fracking done safely and that developing energy independence is a matter of national security.

“I support reducing inflation by lowering energy costs and ridding ourselves of wasteful government spending,” Cole said. “

He said schools are failing and that he is for school vouchers and school choice to give families an option of attending charter schools.

“Voters must ask themselves, is such a radical, left-wing, lifelong politician who lies about his opponent and refuses to debate to hide the positions he has taken on their behalf really worthy of representing them in Congress?” Cole said.

If elected, he said voters could count on him to be open, accessible, transparent and honest.

Salud Carbajal

Carbajal has served in the U.S. Congress since 2017. A Mexican immigrant who worked in the farm fields, Carbajal served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

His focus is on working families, education, child care, housing and energy.

“The biggest burden on Central Coast families, one that me and my own family face every week, is the rising cost of living,” Carbajal said. “Our communities are facing higher prices on essentials, housing, gas and home energy, education, child care, and more.”

He said his No. 1 priority is to lower costs for Central Coast families and small businesses.

“If re-elected, I will continue fighting to expand affordable housing, lower your health care, child care, and energy costs, and make the Central Coast a place that everyone can afford to call home,” Carbajal said.

Carbajal said he works to “defend the fundamental rights of all Americans, including the right to vote, the right to be who you are, and the right to make your own choices about your body, including choices about starting a family or having an abortion.”

Among his accomplishments, Carbajal said the Central Coast has seen more than $1 billion in new investments to provide more affordable housing options, expand clean water and high-speed internet connectivity, improve traffic and transit options, and create thousands of new good-paying jobs.

On the war in Gaza, Carbajal said he supports the work that the United States government is doing with its regional partners to “bring about a renewed ceasefire in Gaza, one that both sees the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and increased humanitarian aid to those who are facing dire conditions as the fighting continues between Israel and the terrorists who launched the horrific October 7 attack.”

He said he supports a sustainable, two-state solution.

“That comes from ensuring that civilians are protected, that international law is followed, and that military actions are limited to defending civilians and rooting out those responsible for breaking the ceasefires that started and have continued this conflict,” Carbajal said.