Meet Tessa Lynn Hodge, a licensed clinical social worker, former Serrano High School student, and a lifelong High Desert resident who is making her first run for public office in California’s 23rd Congressional District, which represents over 764,000 people, including residents in the communities of Phelan and Pinon Hills.
Her decision to run for Congress was driven largely by what she witnessed firsthand, as a social worker providing community-based mental health services throughout the High Desert. As she met with clients, she began noticing a pattern.
“I, you know, started seeing that a lot of my clients were just in distress about what we were seeing from this administration. And having worked as a social worker for close to a decade now in the community, in our hospitals, in our schools, I really knew that what we were seeing at the federal level was going to impact us here at the local level,” she said. “And, you know, in our small rural communities, we get hit, and we get hit hard when things get bad at the federal level.”
That realization pushed her beyond one-on-one care and into the political arena to serve the greater community. “I was really motivated to run because I wanted to do something for my community,” she said “I wanted to do something more for my clients than what I could provide in just one-on-one therapy.”
Therefore, Hodge officially launched her campaign last summer at the Historic Route 66 Museum in Old Town Victorville, a location she said holds special meaning to her. She chose the venue not only to celebrate the district’s heritage, but also to encourage residents to recognize the importance of Route 66 as a lasting symbol of the region’s identity and history.
While running as a Democrat with endorsements from the California Democratic Party, California Young Democrats, Teamsters Local 1932, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and several other labor unions and local leaders, Hodge describes her campaign with a broader message: “PEOPLE over party.”
“We have to stop looking at things strictly down party lines and start asking what’s best for our communities,” she said. “And we may not agree on everything, but at the end of the day, you know, I’m born and raised here. This is my home, this is my community. I have lived in the High Desert my entire life, and I want this community to be successful.”
Despite running against the current representative Jay Obernolte in his third term, who has an estimated net worth of over $97 million, Hodge says her campaign is gaining momentum where it counts, by interacting with local voters and using grassroots outreach.
“We’ve been in the community talking to people nearly every day for over a year,” she said. “People are tired of millionaires making decisions for working families. And if someone is going to fight for you in Congress and fight to ensure that your needs are met and that you have a good quality of life, it’s not going to be the millionaire with their own private jet. It’s going to be the person that knows what it’s like to have to work hard and fight every single day for everything that they have.”
She points to her own experience growing up in the High Desert and her modest household as an example. “I’m a licensed clinical social worker. My husband’s a teacher. You know, we’re struggling right now with these gas prices, with the price of groceries,” she said “We are feeling this just like all of our neighbors, just like everyone else in our community.”
In fact, a central issue in her campaign is healthcare access, something she describes as reaching a breaking point in the High Desert.
“This election especially is so, so important and especially for our district, because our rural district is really facing a health care crisis,” she said, pointing to overwhelmed hospitals and long emergency room wait times at Desert Valley Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. Residents in rural communities like Phelan and Piñon Hills are already feeling the strain of limited healthcare resources, often traveling long distances for care or facing limited local options. “We need more hospitals, more doctors, more nurses,” she said. “If we don’t act now, it’s going to get very bad.”
Beyond healthcare, Hodge is also focusing on education funding, infrastructure, and economic development. By drawing on her experience as a school social worker, she highlighted the unique challenges rural students face, particularly in underfunded programs.
“The federal government is supposed to fund 40% of special education, but they don’t,” she said, explaining that local school districts are left struggling to fill the gap. “And so at the federal level, we need to make sure that we are funding education appropriately. And that includes ensuring that our rural districts have the services and the funding that they need to meet their very specific needs.”
She also emphasized the need for improved infrastructure to keep pace with rapid growth in the High Desert. While advocating for bringing higher-paying, career-oriented jobs into the district.
“We’re building more homes, but not expanding roads, hospitals, or utilities to support that growth,” she said. “That’s not sustainable and we need jobs people can build a life on, not just warehouses.”
As a first-time candidate, Hodge says one of the biggest priorities in her campaign is connecting with different voters, including Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Non-partisans.
“You know, I know the fact that I am a Democrat is instantly, you know, people are going to be like, oh, no, Democrat, not going to happen,” she said. “I would ask for people to give me a chance. Talk to me.” She encourages residents to engage directly with her campaign, even offering to attend small neighborhood gatherings. You can reach out to her through her website at https://tessaforca.com/ to learn more about her platform.
Other candidates on the ballot for Congress in California’s 23rd District, include incumbent Jay Obernolte (R), Karsten Nicholson (D), Pat Wallis (D), Karen Matthews (No party preference), and Eli Owens (No party preference).
Early voting in San Bernardino County begins May 4, with Election Day set for Tuesday, June 2. Voters will determine the top two candidates in California’s 23rd Congressional District race, regardless of party affiliation, who will then advance to the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.
Residents of San Bernardino County who wish to participate in the upcoming election can register through the county Registrar of Voters website at elections.sbcounty.gov. For the June 2, 2026 statewide primary election, the deadline to register for mail-in voting is May 18, 2026.
