It could be a history making race in California’s State Senate District 19.

Both candidates have hit the ground running to span the new district that stretches from the Coachella Valley to the San Bernardino Mountains and up through the High Desert.

The incumbent, Republican State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh says she’s running for re-election in a new district with a large pool of new voters due to redistricting. 

She and her opponent, Palm Springs City Councilwoman and Democrat Lisa Middleton, both say cost-of-living and homelessness are among their top priorities to address if elected. 

Heidi Mayer, founder of an organization called Youth Hope that helps the homeless, runaway, trafficked and at-risk youth, says the issue is only getting worse in this region, particularly among youth.