The next election for California’s Assembly seats is the 2024 Presidential Election. Last week, nearly 18 months before the election and about a year before the primaries, Christy Holstege, Palm Springs council member, has announced her challenge to Greg Wallis, the current Assembly District 47 (AD) incumbent.

In 2022, following the state’s redistricting of Assembly seats, most of the Hill communities were assigned to Assembly District 47. Nearly 70% of the voters in this district lived in Riverside County, the balance in San Bernardino County.

During the summer and fall, Republican Wallis and Democrat Holstege campaigned for votes to represent the district.

Finally in early December, the vote count was complete. Out of a total of 169,419 ballots submitted, Wallis had 85 more votes than Holstege. The 0.06% difference was the closest State Assembly race since 1994.

Last week, only four months after the count was completed, Holstege has announced her plans to challenge Wallis. When asked if the decision was hard after the tough and grueling campaign, she replied, “No! It was easy, I’m committed to the district and still the most experienced candidate.

“It felt hard to know I was so close, to come within 85 votes,” Holstege continued. “Look at the turnout; it was only 54%. Less than half the voters selected the candidate. It was heart wrenching for my supporters.”

Regardless of how she manages her campaign this time, Holstege acknowledged that the 2024 will be much different than the 2022 campaign. Next year’s will be a Presidential Election.

“A lot more voters will come out next year,” she noted.

In the press release announcing her candidacy, Holstege said she will hold a series of community listening sessions throughout the district.

“I’ll be coming to every corner of the district, including Idyllwild,” Holstege said. “I’m committed to being directly engaged with the voters. There was a lot of misinformation from my opponent last year.”

She specifically mentioned two opposition ads. One described her as “Bad for Healthcare.” Yet she feels that endorsements from the California Medical Association and nurses group refute that ad.

The second ad claimed Holstege was going to be bad for the economy. “I served as mayor of Palm Springs and we had strong economic growth,” she countered. In her press release, she added, “I have delivered real results to this region. From securing millions of dollars for injured workers and winning seniors Social Security benefits as a civil rights attorney, to obtaining $36 million for new housing and homeless services as a city councilmember, I have ensured that our residents get the resources they deserve.”

In her press release, Holstege also stressed, “Campaigns are not about one person, they are about people and the future of our region. As a mother to a young child, I care deeply about our future … Our community is diverse and inclusive. We deserve a voice in Sacramento that reflects our shared values.”

She is the first candidate to announce for the AD 47 race and currently the only Democrat seeking it. She acknowledged that she is not aware of any other candidates looming for the primary and doesn’t foresee competition then.

Holstege lives in Palm Springs with her husband, Adam Gilbert, their 2-year-old son Aden, and their dogs, Layla and Ollie. She earned her law degree from Stanford Law School and has been a member of the Palm Springs City Council since 2017, serving as mayor from 2020 to 2021.