55th Assembly District
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State Assembly, 55th District
Andrew Rodriguez is a lifelong resident of the City of Walnut and the 55th State Assembly District. According to campaign materials, he is running for the position to be an accessible, transparent, and effective representative for his community in Sacramento.
Rodriguez is Mayor Pro Tem of the city of Walnut. In this position, he has advocated for more housing in the district, smart growth strategies for the city, and he completed a general plan land use update for the city for the first time in forty years. He has also worked as a land use planner in San Gabriel Valley and on several political campaigns, including then Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s successful U.S. Senate bid.
Rodriguez is running against Phillip Chen (R), who is the incumbent and has held the seat since 2018. Assemblymember Chen has shown that he does NOT represent the needs of constituents in facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. Rodriguez is the progressive choice because of his passion for urban revitalization, planning, and public administration and growing list of endorsements.
According to our analysis, Rodriguez is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Andrew Rodriguez is a lifelong resident of the City of Walnut and the 55th State Assembly District. According to campaign materials, he is running for the position to be an accessible, transparent, and effective representative for his community in Sacramento.
Rodriguez is Mayor Pro Tem of the city of Walnut. In this position, he has advocated for more housing in the district, smart growth strategies for the city, and he completed a general plan land use update for the city for the first time in forty years. He has also worked as a land use planner in San Gabriel Valley and on several political campaigns, including then Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s successful U.S. Senate bid.
Rodriguez is running against Phillip Chen (R), who is the incumbent and has held the seat since 2018. Assemblymember Chen has shown that he does NOT represent the needs of constituents in facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. Rodriguez is the progressive choice because of his passion for urban revitalization, planning, and public administration and growing list of endorsements.
According to our analysis, Rodriguez is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Andrew Rodriguez is a lifelong resident of the City of Walnut and the 55th State Assembly District. According to campaign materials, he is running for the position to be an accessible, transparent, and effective representative for his community in Sacramento.
Rodriguez is Mayor Pro Tem of the city of Walnut. In this position, he has advocated for more housing in the district, smart growth strategies for the city, and he completed a general plan land use update for the city for the first time in forty years. He has also worked as a land use planner in San Gabriel Valley and on several political campaigns, including then Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s successful U.S. Senate bid.
Rodriguez is running against Phillip Chen (R), who is the incumbent and has held the seat since 2018. Assemblymember Chen has shown that he does NOT represent the needs of constituents in facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians. Rodriguez is the progressive choice because of his passion for urban revitalization, planning, and public administration and growing list of endorsements.
According to our analysis, Rodriguez is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
Statewide Ballot Measures
This proposition would provide $9 billion for desperately needed renovations to public preschools and grade schools throughout the state, and $6 billion for construction to community colleges, the Cal State system, and the UC system. This will allow the state of California to use tax revenue to pay for improvements that local communities cannot afford.
The funding would come from bonds the state would pay back over 35 years, totaling an estimated $26 billion, which includes $15 billion in principal and $11 billion in interest. This investment is well worth the costs. It takes money, after all, to ensure that students -- especially those in districts that can’t afford major capital improvement projects -- do not have to learn in dangerous environments.
The vast majority of Democrats in the state legislature support it, as does Gov. Newsom, and the only major opposition is a group called the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. This is the group famous for destroying California’s school funding system in 1978 through another proposition, ironically one that was also dubbed Prop 13. The group spends most of its time lobbying to reduce tax rates. It has never shown any interest in supporting California’s children, at least if that means wealthy individuals or giant corporations would pay their fair share in taxes.
Critics of the measure have pointed out that the ballot measure’s language includes a provision that frees new multi-family developments around subway stops and bus stations from school impact fees. This provision will make it easier for developers to build apartment buildings within a half-mile of public transit but could also drive up the cost of new housing and take funds away from school districts across the state. Despite this provision, the measure is still supported by most education groups in the state, who believe the overall funding allocation to schools outweighs the impact of reduced funding to school districts located near transit hubs. 2020’s Prop 13 is worth the investment since it means children will soon be able to attend school in buildings that are retrofitted to withstand earthquakes and no longer have lead in their water.
We strongly recommend a YES vote on Prop 13.
Last updated: 2023-04-05
This proposition would provide $9 billion for desperately needed renovations to public preschools and grade schools throughout the state, and $6 billion for construction to community colleges, the Cal State system, and the UC system. This will allow the state of California to use tax revenue to pay for improvements that local communities cannot afford.
The funding would come from bonds the state would pay back over 35 years, totaling an estimated $26 billion, which includes $15 billion in principal and $11 billion in interest. This investment is well worth the costs. It takes money, after all, to ensure that students -- especially those in districts that can’t afford major capital improvement projects -- do not have to learn in dangerous environments.
The vast majority of Democrats in the state legislature support it, as does Gov. Newsom, and the only major opposition is a group called the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. This is the group famous for destroying California’s school funding system in 1978 through another proposition, ironically one that was also dubbed Prop 13. The group spends most of its time lobbying to reduce tax rates. It has never shown any interest in supporting California’s children, at least if that means wealthy individuals or giant corporations would pay their fair share in taxes.
Critics of the measure have pointed out that the ballot measure’s language includes a provision that frees new multi-family developments around subway stops and bus stations from school impact fees. This provision will make it easier for developers to build apartment buildings within a half-mile of public transit but could also drive up the cost of new housing and take funds away from school districts across the state. Despite this provision, the measure is still supported by most education groups in the state, who believe the overall funding allocation to schools outweighs the impact of reduced funding to school districts located near transit hubs. 2020’s Prop 13 is worth the investment since it means children will soon be able to attend school in buildings that are retrofitted to withstand earthquakes and no longer have lead in their water.
We strongly recommend a YES vote on Prop 13.
Last updated: 2023-04-05