Incumbent Congressman Jimmy Panetta faces challengers from the right and the left.

Adam Bolaños Scow has experience running campaigns – he worked on two successful fracking bans in San Benito County and in Monterey County – and helped Public Water Now on the strategy behind an initiative voters passed last year. But he’s never run himself.

That’s about to change as Scow enters the 2020 race for U.S. Congress, challenging the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley. “I never thought for a second I’d consider doing it myself,” says Scow, a recent transplant to Watsonville. “What’s driving me is survival – for humanity, and for the environment and the economy.”

With a background in environmental issues – Scow worked for Food & Water Watch for 13 years – his primary issue is climate change and the Green New Deal. His goal is 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.

He’s a Democrat who views Panetta as too centrist, and says climate-related bills Panetta has championed are too incremental. “We need to treat this like a war-time situation,” Scow says. “This might be our last chance to execute a bold plan and get our country off fossil fuels.”

Also in the race is Republican Jeff Gorman, who chairs the county GOP. “I believe many of the principles dear to the Republican minority are also important to the broader community,” Gorman says. “I look forward to a hearty debate.”

So too does Panetta, who touts his progress on a prescription drug pricing bill (HR 3) and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

He says practical policy proposals go further than more revolutionary ideas, even if the latter get more attention: “The ones you’re not hearing about in the press are the ones who are forging forward and looking for solutions, rather than looking for someone to blame.”

Scow expects to be out-fundraised, and pledges to accept only money from individuals, no corporations or PACs. In the first half of 2019, Panetta received more than $500,000, including small gifts from individuals and larger gifts, like $2,500 each from H&R Block and McDonald’s corporate PAC.