Two Fil-Ams poised to make history in California legislature

Jessica Caloza and Christopher Cabaldon / CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES – Filipino American millennial Jessica Caloza and former West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon have made a final push to reach voters as they gear up to make history in the California legislature.

Caloza is running for the California State Assembly while Cabaldon is eyeing a seat in the California Senate.

If elected, Caloza will make history as the first Filipina to serve in the State Assembly.

Cabaldon seeks to become the first Fil-Am to serve in the California Senate.

“We are almost there. We are in the final stretch!” Caloza said. “My team and I have been working hard knocking on doors and phone banking every day to get my message out to the voters.”

Caloza said she is “incredibly grateful” for the Fil-Am community’s support throughout the campaign and for their help reaching out to the communities across Assembly District 52.

The district includes Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mt. Washington, Glassell Park, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, East Los Angeles and South Glendale.

Both Caloza and Cabaldon have garnered an impressive list of backers, including the largest and most powerful unions in California.

Caloza has also been endorsed by the Los Angeles Times, which described the Fil-Am millennial as having “a stronger grasp of the many issues facing the district and more experience for the job,” compared to her opponent Franky Carrillo.

“In the Obama administration, Caloza, 35, worked on higher education policy, immigration policy and gender equity issues. She also worked for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appointed her to the city’s Board of Public Works commission,” the LA Times said.

“She has a strong track record on reproductive rights as deputy chief of staff for California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and she has worked to reduce the state’s backlog of rape kits.“

Christopher Cabaldon

Cabaldon, a Democrat, is seeking to represent the 3rd District, which includes all of Napa and Solano counties, along with parts of Yolo, Sonoma, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.

“We are facing a pro-Trump Republican who is out of step with our district’s values and made clear during the primary that he will stand in the way of bold climate action, civil and reproductive rights, housing affordability and getting results to reduce homelessness,” he said.

Cabaldon said that if he wins, “we’ll be adding seats to the table. I’ll be the first Filipino-American to serve in the California Senate.”

“Given the historic prominence of the Filipino American community in Vallejo, Fairfield-Suisun, Yolo and the Sacramento Delta, it just makes sense that the 3rd District would be the place where history gets made and from where more of our stories will be told,” he added.

Cabaldon served as West Sacramento’s mayor for 22 years, worked in the Assembly for eight years as chief of staff to the Appropriations Committee chairperson and staff director for the Committee on Higher Education.

As mayor, Cabaldon transformed West Sacramento into “America’s most Livable City” and one of the world’s “21 Smart Cities to Watch.”