As California’s State Senate contests begin to take shape, cardiologist and Santa Monica College Board Chair Dr. Sion Roy is making the case that Sacramento needs more problem solvers with real world experience, and fewer politicians focused on spectacle.
Roy, a practicing physician at Harbor UCLA and former president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, said his campaign is rooted in a simple belief: government should help people navigate the pressures they feel every day, from health care costs and housing to wildfire insurance and the survival of small businesses.
“What voters are asking for is practical leadership, people want results. They want to know their family can afford to live here, that they can see a doctor when they need one, and that government is focused on solving problems instead of performing politics,” said Roy.
As Chair of the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees, Roy has also helped guide one of the region’s most important public institutions, overseeing issues tied to student opportunity, workforce readiness, fiscal stewardship and community partnerships. Supporters say the role reflects an ability to balance budgets, build consensus and deliver results, experience directly transferable to Sacramento. “Community colleges remain one of California’s strongest engines of upward mobility,” Roy said. “They create pathways to careers, retraining and economic security, and they deserve leaders who understand their importance.”
Roy’s candidacy arrives at a moment when California faces rising affordability concerns and growing anxiety around access to care. He argues that one of his clearest points of differentiation is his medical background, particularly as relatively few physicians currently serve in the Legislature.
He said Sacramento needs leaders who understand how policy decisions ripple through emergency rooms, safety net hospitals, private insurance markets and working families. Roy warned that cuts to public health systems often shift costs elsewhere, ultimately raising burdens on taxpayers and those already paying for private coverage. “Health care is not an abstract policy debate for me,” Roy said. “I see every day what happens when families delay care, when hospitals are strained, and when people fall through the cracks. We need lawmakers who understand those realities firsthand.”
Roy is also placing wildfire recovery and insurance reform at the center of his campaign, shaped in part by personal experience after losing his home in the Malibu Palisades fire. While running for office, he said he remains personally committed to rebuilding and navigating the same difficult process many fire impacted families continue to face.
He described the rebuilding process as lengthy and complex, and said California must move faster on permitting, mitigation and policies that encourage insurers to return to high risk markets. “I am not speaking about recovery from a distance,” Roy said. “My family is rebuilding too. I understand the frustration, the delays, and the emotional toll. That is exactly why I am committed to fighting for faster solutions and smarter policy.”
He has been critical of the limitations many homeowners face under the FAIR Plan structure, arguing that too many families are paying more for less protection. Roy said the state should reward communities that invest in fire hardening and resilience, allowing insurers to better factor mitigation efforts into their risk models.
On housing, Roy said the answer cannot be one size fits all. He supports solutions tailored to the character and risks of individual communities, noting that density strategies appropriate in urban corridors may not be right for high fire severity zones. That localized approach extends to the economy. Roy said Democrats must reconnect with small business owners and create conditions for neighborhood restaurants, retailers and entrepreneurs to thrive amid inflationary pressures and global uncertainty.
Supporters say Roy brings a rare blend of medical expertise, civic leadership and cross-regional relationships across Santa Monica, Malibu and the South Bay. He has also secured backing from the California Democratic Party, a sign that his campaign is being taken seriously early in the race.
For Roy, communities want leaders who can diagnose problems honestly, bring people together and deliver treatment plans that work. In a season of loud politics, he is betting that competence may be the most powerful message of all.