Sandra Van Scotter

Sandra Van Scotter grew up around Chicago as one of eight siblings, with a Teamster father and a mother managing the busy household.¹ She moved to Ridgecrest in 2014 and is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of two.²

Van Scotter spent twenty years as a respiratory therapist in rural hospitals and university medical centers.¹ Her work included inpatient care and outpatient cardiac testing.² Today she works directly with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping them navigate Medi-Cal, Social Security and California's Regional Center system.²

Her family has also used Regional Center services.² She was appointed in 2022 to the local advisory committee for Kern Regional Center's Self-Determination Program.¹ The center serves people in Kern, Inyo and Mono counties, and her direct support work involves helping clients pursue their own goals for daily life.³¹

Van Scotter supports Medicare for All, stronger disability services and a pathway to legal status for undocumented workers already established here.⁴ She also emphasizes sustainable water policy and helping veterans understand and obtain benefits.⁴ She faces Republican incumbent Vince Fong in November's congressional election.⁵