2022 Endorsements
IMMIGRANT POLITICAL POWER PROJECT VOTER GUIDE
Election Day: November, Tuesday 8, 2022
FEDERAL
Josh Harder
San Joaquin County
for California Congressional District 9
Derek Marshall
San Bernardino County
for California Congressional District 23
Christy Smith
Los Angeles County
for California Congressional District 27
A formative experience was her encounter as a peer tutor at College of the Canyons with Gabriel, an immigrant student. In the Newhall School Board, she worked to pass a bond measure to help disadvantaged schools in the district, and as an Assembly member, she led reforms that ensured equitable resources for all schools. Collaborated with CHIRLA, SALVA, and the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Priorities
- Expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare
- Improving public education and ensuring success for every student
- Taking on climate change and fighting for environmental justice
Jimmy Gomez
Los Angeles County
for California Congressional District 34
Robert Garcia
Los Angeles County
for California Congressional District 42
Emigrated to the U.S. from Peru with his mother at age 5, which shaped his views on immigration and moved him to understand the real impact of such policies. Long Beach has welcomed Cambodian immigrants and in 2021, at Garcia’s direction, opened its convention center as a shelter for migrant children who crossed the border alone. Residents donated resources and more than 100,000 toys and books.
Priorities
- Preparing for future pandemics and emergencies
- Defend our democracy
- Real opportunity for everyone, not just the wealthy
Jay Chen
Los Angeles County
for California Congressional District 45
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lou Correa
Orange County
for California Congressional District 46
Grandson of immigrants. His grandfather arrived in the United States in the 1930s, and he has family members who have been deported. His district represents the largest population of DACA recipients. A strong ally on immigration reform.
Priorities
- Immigration
- Immigration
- Immigration
Katie Porter
Los Angeles County
for California Congressional District 47
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
STATE
Gavin Newsom
for Governor of California
Rob Bonta
for California Attorney General
Born in Quezon City, Philippines, emigrated with his parents to California while just a baby. His parents worked for the United Farm Workers in Los Angeles, later moving to La Paz to work alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. In the Legislature, he fought to protect immigrant families from deceptive ICE tactics, writing the TRUTH Act, a first-of-its-kind bill requiring ICE to inform immigrants of their rights before questioning them.
Priorities
- Stop gun violence
- Protect civil rights
- Lift victims of crime and stop transnational criminal organizations
Ricardo Lara
for California Insurance Commissioner
His father arrived in 1962 with a quarter in his pocket and became a bracero in Fresno, later a factory worker, raising four children with his wife. Lara grew up in East Los Angeles, where his parents later naturalized. Helped make Health4AllKids, which lets children get MediCal coverage regardless of immigration status, the law of the state.
Fauzia Rizvi
Riverside County
for California State Assembly District 63
Sharon Quirk-Silva
Los Angeles/Orange County
for California State Assembly District 67
Considers immigration a personal issue. As a teacher, she had students who spoke five different languages at home. In the previous campaign, employed a DACA holder who is now a field representative in her office.
Priorities
- Use constituent feedback to prioritize issues
- Focus on solutions, not political scorecards
- Demand Sacramento treat Orange County fairly
Juan Carrillo
Los Angeles County
for California State Assembly District 39
In the Palmdale City Council, Carillo introduced proclamations supporting DACA/TPS that the Council approved unanimously. Pushed and won inclusion of a social justice element in the New General Plan.
Priorities
- Immigrant rights
- Housing
- Reliable public transportation
Pilar Schiavo
Los Angeles County
for California State Assembly District 40
MUNICIPAL
Karen Bass
City of Los Angeles
for LA City Mayor
Hugo Soto-Martinez
Los Angeles County
for LA City Council District 15
Son of undocumented immigrants. He was recruited to become a union organizer while in college to become a lawyer. At UNITE HERE Local 11, he soon focused on immigration, working with CHIRLA to develop a national know-your-rights training. Later, he developed a tactical team to respond to workplace audits. He has led actions for TPS holder port truck drivers and campaigns to turn green card holders into voters.
Priorities
- Eradicate homelessness by scaling up Project Homekey and requiring 30 percent set-asides for affordable housing in developer projects
- Fight climate change through retraining employees for clean jobs and cleaning up toxic dumps in low income communities
- Expand the LA Justice Fund with universal representation for deportation cases
Helen Tran
City of San Bernardino
for San Bernardino Mayor
Maria Brenes
City of Los Angeles
for School District (LAUSD) - District 2
Daughter of immigrants and the eldest of four children. Family moved to Tecate after her father suffered an accident, and she experienced the border first-hand, daily, as she crossed to attend school in East San Diego County.
Priorities
- Reimagine public education for more justice and equity, especially for highest-need students and students of color.
- LAUSD policy and budget rooted in racial justice
- Strengthen neighborhood schools as community hubs for academic achievement and the social safety net
Kelly Gonez
City of Los Angeles
for School District (LAUSD) - District 4
Kelly Gonez, a child of immigrant parents, is the current President of the LAUSD Board. While at UC Berkeley, she worked three jobs to pay her way through college. In 2014, President Obama appointed her as education policy advisor, leading efforts to support immigrant students, English learners, and unhoused or foster care students. She ran for school board and since 2017 has built strong partnerships with labor, led on progressive causes, and pushed for investments in public schools from all levels of government.
Priorities
- Universal access to high quality early education
- Equity in school policy and education efforts, in part through a student equity index
- Enhancing career and college readiness in part through apprenticeship programs
Bob Hertzberg
Los Angeles County
for Board of Supervisors District 3
Spent much of his political career supporting measures that help immigrants. Worked with community/labor leaders on dozens of campaigns in immigrant communities. He spent nearly a year working to defeat Prop 187. He served twice as California Assembly speaker and in 2020 led on SB960, which extends consumer protections to undocumented immigrants.
Priorities
- A comprehensive county emergency bill to streamline regulations and better target services funding.
- Reduce liability in latent defects law and revise county rules designating surplus property to speed housing construction.
- Create an integrated regional housing plan with shared accountability.