To my fellow leaders, activists, thinkers, organizers, and supporters:
First, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who, against the greatest odds, went all out for my 2022 campaign for California governor.
The primary election finished on June 7. We did this campaign with hardly any money and no mass media. We were able to speak at events and gatherings all over Los Angeles County, including Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, Pacoima, Panorama City, Sylmar, San Fernando, Pasadena, Altadena, Pomona, Alhambra, Claremont, and Venice. We did events in cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Avenal, Fresno, Merced, Santa Ana, and San Diego. We also visited and interacted in Salinas, Kettleman City, Huron, Pomo land in Mendocino County, and others.
We were part of the historic Left Unity Slate with the endorsement of the state’s Green and Peace & Freedom parties. I also got endorsed by the U.S. Justice Party, People’s Tribune, Tribuno Del Pueblo, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (Sacramento chapter), Association of Raza Educators (Los Angeles chapter), Americans for Democratic Action (Southern California chapter), San Francisco League of Pissed Off Voters, Knock L.A., Democratic Socialists of America (L.A. chapter), Progressive Asian Network for Action, and L.A. Poet Society.
As of June 16, we received 94,792 votes, 1.6 percent of the total vote for governor. We were seventh out of 26 candidates and third in San Francisco County and fourth in Los Angeles County. Final numbers will be released July 15.
This is quite an accomplishment. We had the most wonderful team of volunteers, led by my campaign manager, Ajay Rai. We didn’t just have my name on the ballot. We began to build among the most disaffected and discontented California residents. I particularly appreciate the efforts of the state’s Union of the Homeless and Oakland’s Homefulness Project/Poor Magazine. And, of course, without jeopardizing their nonprofit status, the volunteers from our amazing Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore who helped on their own time.
We articulated the seeds of a movement for shared well-being. I don’t know what we’ll call this, but we’ll continue along these lines as we mobilize and organize for a new California. We hope to have other campaigns linked to this movement, including but not limited to electoral campaigns. And an institute to train the revolutionary thinkers and fighters emerging out of these battles.
The ideas we put forth in my campaign have been decades in the making. They are ideas my wife Trini and I have shared for years on our Hummingbird Cricket Podcast (https://hchpodcast.libsyn.com), but also in the twenty years of building Tia Chucha’s as the powerful transformative arts center based on ancestral knowledge and community building it has become. We also have had others contribute to making this a movement that would imagine and build, dream and deliver.
Shared well-being requires healing and sustainable development in four pillars of social justice, economic justice, environmental justice, and health justice. We can’t have one pillar develop at the expense of the other. All four must be healthy and strong for everyone in the short and long term. This means ending poverty, homelessness, mass incarceration, and deadly and militarized police practices. This means aligning our social resources and wealth to people’s needs for decent and affordable housing, food, healthcare, education, clean & green environment. This means including full and comprehensive justice for the working class, including undocumented and other immigrants; the disabled; Trans & Queer folk; and Indigenous people in the United States as well as Indigenous migrants.
Shared well-being is the overall aim and goal. Any political or electoral expression should be about shared well-being. To achieve this, we must center the ideas, experiences, and leadership of the most impacted people from society’s gaps and inequities.
For now, we move forward.
For those who are interested in political parties, here are the links to the Green Party (https://www.gp.org) and the Peace & Freedom Party (https://www.peaceandfreedom.us).
For another important option, here’s information on the U.S. Justice Party: https://www.justiceparty.us
I’m vice chair of the Justice Party’s steering board. I’m also registered Green. And I work with discontented Democrats and Independents. I recommend anyone who is interested in getting involved with the Justice Party to contact them directly. You can join, donate money, and/or join any one of its committees. We are also looking for new dedicated and hardworking steering board members. You don’t have to stop being Green, Peace & Freedom, Democrat, or independent to be involved with the Justice Party. We’re at a growing stage and your participation is most welcome.
More brainstorming will happen.
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! We win without “winning,” we build and grow no matter what happens. This state, this country, this world needs a broad and clear movement for shared well-being. Please stay in touch about future developments.
With revolutionary love and respect,
Luis J. Rodriguez
