Kristie Bruce-Lane
Candidate for State Senate District 40
Kristie Bruce-Lane is a businesswoman. She is also an elected water district official. She is the Republican candidate for California State Senate District 40. The election is November 3, 2026. She faces Democrat Mara Elliott. She advanced from the June 2026 nonpartisan primary. She got 72,709 votes (27.7%). She finished ahead of fellow Republican Ed Musgrove, who got 63,716 (24.3%). She finished behind Elliott. Bruce-Lane holds two bachelor's degrees. They are in nutritional science and crop science, with a biotechnology minor. Those are from Cal Poly, that is California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, earned in 1997. She built a career in agriculture and health care. That came before public service. Since 2020 she has served as an elected director for Division 4. That is on the Olivenhain Municipal Water District board. That district is in San Diego County. She says she returned $1.6 million to ratepayers there. She has also volunteered with a San Diego task force on homelessness. She founded the Thumbprint Project Foundation. Bruce-Lane earlier ran for State Assembly District 76, in 2022 and 2024. She lost both times. This is her first run for state Senate. She holds no prior state legislative office. Home: San Diego County, in the Olivenhain and North San Diego County area. Occupation: Businesswoman, with a background in agriculture and health care. She is an elected water district director. Prior office: First run for state Senate. She is a current director on the Olivenhain Municipal Water District board, since 2020. She earlier lost Assembly District 76 races in 2022 and 2024.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Bruce-Lane argues Sacramento's tax and regulatory policies are driving businesses and workers out of California and calls for reforms to restore economic vitality.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Bruce-Lane supports cutting taxes, opposing new fees, protecting Proposition 13, and reducing California's cost of living, which she says is 40% above the national average.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Bruce-Lane says homelessness should be addressed through its root causes (addiction, mental health, poverty) and enforcement of existing laws rather than relying solely on Housing First policies, with shelters as a tool rather than the end goal.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Bruce-Lane emphasizes enforcing existing laws to combat violent crime, keeping sexually violent predators away from communities, and supporting prevention programs for at-risk youth; her platform does not address gun policy specifically.
Source → - Criminal Justice & Courts
Bruce-Lane favors tougher sentencing for drug dealers involved in fatal fentanyl distributions while also supporting reentry rehabilitation programs, and has previously criticized the reclassification of felonies to misdemeanors as contributing to crime.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Bruce-Lane supports addiction and mental health treatment and support services as part of her homelessness and public-safety agenda, but has not stated specific positions on Medi-Cal or drug pricing.
Source → - Education & Schools
Bruce-Lane prioritizes improving elementary literacy and academic excellence, supports vocational education/job training, and calls for safe learning environments.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Bruce-Lane supports diversifying renewable energy sources and investing in sustainable infrastructure while working toward a clean environment.
Source → - Water & Natural Resources
Bruce-Lane, drawing on her tenure as an elected water district director, supports expanding water capture and storage capacity, promoting conservation, and mitigating drought risk while prioritizing affordable, high-quality drinking water and fiscal transparency.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Bruce-Lane supports stricter election administration measures including voter ID and citizenship verification, voter list audits, enhanced ballot signature review, and penalties for counties that fail to count ballots on time.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.