Reelect Board of Equalization Member Tony Vazquez to keep California on the right track for progress.
Board Member Tony Vazquez’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of California and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
Progressive endorsements: Board Member Vazquez has the endorsement of many progressive leaders in the state, including Senator Alex Padilla, State Controller Betty Yee, State Senator María Elena Durazo, and State Senator Lena Gonzalez.
Top issues: Economic recovery and relief, taxation, homelessness and housing, and transportation and infrastructure.
Key initiatives: Over the course of the pandemic, Board Member Vazquez supported efforts to provide taxation relief to constituents. This has included the extension of tax filing and appeal deadlines, and the cancellation of tax penalties for small-business and property owners who had experienced economic hardship. He has worked to establish himself as an informational leader by developing a team that can provide resources and information about tax requirements and the tax-paying process. Member Vazquez began serving as chairman of the board in January 2020.
Governance and community leadership experience: Board Member Vazquez has served in this seat since 2018, when he was elected with over 69% of the vote.
Board Member Vazquez is a community advocate and a longtime elected leader. He joined the Santa Monica City Council in 1990, and supported local efforts to revitalize the Third Street Promenade business district and create more transportation routes connecting the community to downtown Los Angeles. He was a district director for a Los Angeles City Council member, and had the opportunity to bring his understanding of business to the redevelopment of a General Motors plant in the district. Board Member Vazquez also served as the Southern California regional director for California Futures Network, and as a community planner for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. These roles allowed him to invest in a variety of education and youth programming in the district. He later returned to the Santa Monica City Council and served as both mayor pro tempore and mayor, where he was a strong advocate for continued business development and affordable housing.
Other background: Board Member Antonio Vazquez is from Los Angeles County and has lived in Santa Monica for nearly 40 years.
The Race
Primary election results: The June 2022 results included Tony Vazquez (D), 67%; Y. Marie Manvel (I), 22%; John Mendoza (D), 11%; and G. Rick Marshall (W/I), 1%. Board Member Tony Vazquez and Marie Manvel will compete in a run-off in the November 8 general election.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Board Member Vazquez’s campaign has raised $114,000 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Marie Manvel
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Manvel’s campaign has not filed any fundraising receipts with the secretary of state’s office.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 3rd Board of Equalization district contains parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties. California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents, with District 3 including approximately 10 million Californians.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the lieutenant governor seat since 2011.
District demographics: 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 24 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The board of equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and board of equalization staff.
Reelect Board of Equalization Member Tony Vazquez to keep California on the right track for progress.
Board Member Tony Vazquez’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of California and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse state.
Progressive endorsements: Board Member Vazquez has the endorsement of many progressive leaders in the state, including Senator Alex Padilla, State Controller Betty Yee, State Senator María Elena Durazo, and State Senator Lena Gonzalez.
Top issues: Economic recovery and relief, taxation, homelessness and housing, and transportation and infrastructure.
Key initiatives: Over the course of the pandemic, Board Member Vazquez supported efforts to provide taxation relief to constituents. This has included the extension of tax filing and appeal deadlines, and the cancellation of tax penalties for small-business and property owners who had experienced economic hardship. He has worked to establish himself as an informational leader by developing a team that can provide resources and information about tax requirements and the tax-paying process. Member Vazquez began serving as chairman of the board in January 2020.
Governance and community leadership experience: Board Member Vazquez has served in this seat since 2018, when he was elected with over 69% of the vote.
Board Member Vazquez is a community advocate and a longtime elected leader. He joined the Santa Monica City Council in 1990, and supported local efforts to revitalize the Third Street Promenade business district and create more transportation routes connecting the community to downtown Los Angeles. He was a district director for a Los Angeles City Council member, and had the opportunity to bring his understanding of business to the redevelopment of a General Motors plant in the district. Board Member Vazquez also served as the Southern California regional director for California Futures Network, and as a community planner for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. These roles allowed him to invest in a variety of education and youth programming in the district. He later returned to the Santa Monica City Council and served as both mayor pro tempore and mayor, where he was a strong advocate for continued business development and affordable housing.
Other background: Board Member Antonio Vazquez is from Los Angeles County and has lived in Santa Monica for nearly 40 years.
The Race
Primary election results: The June 2022 results included Tony Vazquez (D), 67%; Y. Marie Manvel (I), 22%; John Mendoza (D), 11%; and G. Rick Marshall (W/I), 1%. Board Member Tony Vazquez and Marie Manvel will compete in a run-off in the November 8 general election.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Board Member Vazquez’s campaign has raised $114,000 and is not funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, or real estate interests.
Opposing candidate: Marie Manvel
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Manvel’s campaign has not filed any fundraising receipts with the secretary of state’s office.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 3rd Board of Equalization district contains parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties. California is the most populous state in the United States, and includes 58 counties and 331 million residents, with District 3 including approximately 10 million Californians.
Voter registration: Of the 22 million registered voters in the state, 47% are Democrat, 24% are Republican, and 23% have no party preference. Democrats have held the lieutenant governor seat since 2011.
District demographics: 39% Latino, 16% Asian, and 7% Black
Recent election results: California voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 24 points.
The Position
The California Board of Equalization is composed of four members elected by popular vote to represent individual districts within the state. It is the only elected tax board in the country. The state controller serves in an at-large capacity as the 5th member. The board of equalization is responsible for managing taxation in the state, including in the areas of property, alcoholic beverage, and insurance. This includes oversight of valuation assessments on public utility and railroad property, mapping and assigning tax rates to geographic areas in the state, conducting assessment surveys and compliance audits, and administering tax exemptions. In California, board members meet each month in Sacramento to execute their duties of oversight, policy setting, and regulation to guide the work of the appointed executive director and board of equalization staff.