SAN JOSE, CA — More and more young and progressive candidates who are fighting for affordable housing, equal comprehensive health care, quality education for all, and to reimagine public safety, are winning in California. These candidates are charting a new path to challenge the corporate Democratic Party establishment and inspiring new and old voters alike.
In Los Angeles, a massive surge of voters completely turned the advantage to progressive anti-corporate and openly abolitionist/Defund the Police candidates in the June 7 primary. Victors included Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Kenneth Mejia. The results revealed the expanding might of the progressive community in Los Angeles, a coalition of hundreds of grassroots organizations including the Democratic Socialists of America. Progressive Democrats, California Progressive Alliance, Working Families Party, Los Angeles Tenants Union, the Service Employees International Union, and some incumbent council and county elected officials. The mobilization for progressive candidates was an intentional, well-planned, and coordinated effort with the goal of taking power away from the establishment Democratic Party and reimagining governance in Los Angeles.
The San Jose/South Bay area of California also had some important victories. California State Assemblymember Alex Lee, covering north San Jose, Milpitas, Newark, and Fremont, fended off ugly lies and distortions from the California Association of Realtors and the California Apartment Association to defeat several corporate Democrats. Since he faces only a Republican in a heavily Democratic district, Lee will likely win in November. During his first term, Lee came out strong and fearless, introducing legislation for social housing, and also banning corporate donations to political candidates. He was also a co-author of the CalCare single-payer health care bill. The youngest and only open bisexual assembly member, he funded his campaign solely with community and union donations and inspired many volunteers on the ground.
Peter Ortiz, running in San Jose City Council District 5 on San Jose’s Eastside, made it to the runoffs in November by defeating the most well-funded business candidate, Rolando Bonilla. Ortiz is a big supporter of tenants, measures to support affordable housing, and the rights of those in homeless encampments. He also was instrumental in getting a resolution of support from the San Jose City Council for the CalCare single-payer bill. He is the president of the Santa Clara County Board of Education, where he relies on his own lived experience as a struggling youth on the Eastside to fight for better education, and where he fended off attacks on a resolution supporting ethnic studies. Ortiz’s campaign was funded by community and union donations, and a strong volunteer base for walking precincts. He still faces the front-runner in the campaign, Nora Campos. In a previous campaign for the California State Senate, Campos was the beneficiary of an expenditure committee funded by oil and gas companies that directed more than $350,000 toward television and digital advertisements promoting Campos.
A big push will still be needed to get some of these progressive candidates over the finish line in the November general election. It’s urgent that everyone who is eligible to vote actually does vote on November 8, 2022!
