Fil-Am’s bid for California Assembly offers hope for more representation

Joining Jessica Caloza at her recent “Get Out the Vote” event were Fil-Am elected and community leaders, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, former Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido and his wife Gloria. CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES –Filipino American millennial Jessica Caloza, who is running for a seat in the California State Assembly, has urged Fil-Ams to make their voices heard in the primary election on Tuesday.

Caloza, the leading candidate in Assembly District 52’s California Democratic Party pre-endorsement conference vote, said Fil-Ams have the opportunity to ensure representation in government.

She said Los Angeles County is home to half a million Filipinos and yet no Fil-Am, besides former California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, who is now California Attorney General, has been elected to a state-level position.

“Why? Because we’re not voting. That is a huge loss for our community, because it means that we don’t have a voice at the table for positions like the Assembly,” Caloza said. If elected, she will make history as the first Filipina to serve in the state Assembly.

Representation in the state Assembly is important because assemblymembers decide how taxpayer dollars are allocated and support bills that become law, she added.

Jessica Caloza, who is running for a seat in the California State Assembly, has urged Fil-Ams to make their voices heard in the primary election on Tuesday. CONTRIBUTED

Jessica said she will fight to defend access to abortion care, protect renters and build more affordable housing, ensure clean air and water for neighborhoods, keep communities safe from gun violence and invest in public schools to give every child a shot at success.

Her leadership vision has earned the crucial support of teachers, nurses, construction workers and housing and civil rights advocates.

Caloza has been endorsed by the largest and most powerful unions in California, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the California Nurses Association and the California Federation of Teachers.

She has also gained high-powered endorsements from several elected leaders in the House of Representatives, California Senate, California Assembly, county governments, city councils and school boards.

“I have built a diverse coalition that’s ready to win,” said Caloza, who finished first place in Assembly District 52’s California Democratic Party pre-endorsement conference vote late last year. She received 45 votes while the other three candidates received a range of 0 to 16 votes.

Representing working families

A first-generation immigrant who was born in Quezon City, Philippines, Caloza said she is grateful to have working-class parents who have inspired her to fight for working families.

Her mother, who worked as a cashier at gas stations and the 99 Cents store, attended vocational school and retired as a nursing assistant. Her father worked his way up from janitor to hospital orderly.

Caloza was the first in her family to graduate from college. After graduation from UC San Diego, she knew she wanted to be in public service. “I saw how government can change lives,” she said.

She has served in various roles in government, most recently as the deputy chief of staff to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Previously, Caloza served as a Los Angeles public works commissioner and also worked in President Barack Obama’s administration as an education policy advisor.

Jessica Caloza has also served as a community organizer on President Obama’s campaign and worked for social justice nonprofits that provided critical services to immigrants, working families and youth.

“My team and I have been working hard knocking on doors and phone banking every day to get my message out to the voters,” said Caloza, who thanked her supporters and asked them to continue reaching out to voters across Assembly District 52. “We’re almost at the finish line.”

The 52nd Assembly District includes parts of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glendale and Silver Lake.

To learn more about Caloza, click here.

Vote centers

More than 500 additional vote centers opened across Los Angeles County yesterday, including the first ever voting center in the nation located in a transgender support facility. The centers will remain accessible to voters until election day on Tuesday.

Candidates for the Los Angeles City Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education Offices 1, 3 , 5, and 7, and the citizen-led Measure HLA will be included on the ballot, along with three Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor seats, the county district attorney race, state legislative and congressional seats and the battle for the US Senate seat previously held by Dianne Feinstein.

Vote centers will open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. County residents can cast their ballots in person at the vote centers, or submit their filled out mail ballots.

All voters can cast their ballots at any vote center in the county of Los Angeles, mail in their ballot by Election Day, if postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days, or drop off their vote-by-mail ballot at any official drop-box or vote center.

The nearest official drop-box or vote center can be found on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s website.

Eligible residents who missed the Feb. 20 registration deadline can still vote at any vote center in L.A. County. Under the state’s election laws, conditional voter registration allows a prospective voter to conditionally register and cast a ballot.