Amy Slavensky, a retired school superintendent from Fair Oaks, is challenging Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover for the District 7 seat that covers Folsom, Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova.

Slavensky, a Democrat, spent 40 years in California public education. She served as superintendent of the Amador County Unified School District and interim deputy superintendent of the San Juan Unified School District. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and administration from Claremont Graduate University. Hoover's campaign has not publicly responded to Slavensky's platform claims as of Sept. 30.

"I have 40 years of service in our California public school system," Slavensky told the Folsom Times in an interview published Sept. 28. "Honestly, that's longer than he has been alive."

Hoover flipped the seat from Democrat to Republican in 2022 and won re-election in 2024 by about 7 percentage points, according to the Sacramento Bee's voter guide. Slavensky is the second Democrat to challenge him.

The district sits entirely within Sacramento County. As of December 2025, it had 299,372 registered voters, with about 37% registered as Democrats and 33% as Republicans.

Platform and priorities

Slavensky named affordability, healthcare access and public education as her top three priorities. She said she supports "no new taxes" and wants more accountability in how tax dollars are spent.

On education, she called for reforming the state's school funding formula, expanding career technical education statewide and strengthening early childhood programs for children from birth to age five. She said California's average starting teacher salary is $58,000 and that school district budgets already dedicate 85% of spending to salaries and benefits. That leaves 15% for everything else.

She told the Folsom Times she would seek a seat on the Assembly Education Committee if elected.

Homelessness and local governance

Slavensky said she supports Senate Bill 802, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law requires Sacramento County and its cities, including Folsom, to form a joint powers authority (JPA) to coordinate homelessness response by January 2028. The city of Folsom and Sacramento County have opposed the legislation, CalMatters reported.

Slavensky disclosed a personal connection to the issue. She said her older brother died about three years ago due to circumstances of being unhoused, and that she and her sisters spent his final year trying to help him find housing and mental health support.

Unincorporated communities

Slavensky, who grew up in Fair Oaks and Carmichael, said unincorporated communities make up about 51% of District 7. They receive less funding and fewer services than the three incorporated cities, she said. She said she would work with the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on transportation, infrastructure and state resources for those areas.

Fundraising

As of the end of June 2026, Slavensky had just under $120,000 in cash on hand, according to the Sacramento Bee. Her largest contributor is the California Democratic Party, which gave her campaign $158,000, mostly after the June primary. The California Faculty Association endorsed her and contributed $10,000, the State Hornet reported.

Hoover had more than $712,000 in cash on hand as of the end of June 2026. The fundraising gap is steep. His largest contributor is the California Republican Party at $143,000.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.