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Courage California is proud to endorse David Campos.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and two seats are currently vacant, including this one.
The District
California's 17th Assembly District includes parts of San Francisco County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 4.9% are Republican and 59.2% are Democrat, with a demographic breakdown of 18.9% Latino, 29.2% Asian, and 8.2% Black. The most recent election results show that AD-17 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 77 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 79 points.
While this special election will be conducted under the old district lines, the recent finalization of redistricted maps leave the demographic and party breakdown largely unaffected in AD-17.
The Race
This is a special election for a seat recently vacated by David Chiu, who was appointed as San Francisco’s city attorney in September 2021. There are four candidates running for this open seat to serve through the end of 2022, including Democrat Campos and opponents Matt Haney, Thea Selby, and Bilal Mahmood. All four candidates are also running in the regular election for the new 17th Assembly District, to serve in the 2023-2024 legislative term. Campos’s campaign has raised over $145,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel interests.
Our Endorsement
Campos, a longtime public servant, is from Guatemala and has lived in the district for 22 years. According to campaign materials, he is running for election because his broad, diverse, and extensive professional experience and his long-standing governing record will make him the most effective, progressive legislator in Sacramento. Campos is also running because San Francisco hasn’t elected a Latinx to represent it in the state legislature since the 1800s—which is especially important now, given the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on the Latinx community and communities of color. As a formerly undocumented person, Campos is motivated to make a difference for Dreamers and immigrants in his district and throughout the state. This district has a long history of LGBTQIA+ representation, and Campos is running as an openly gay man. Campos has run for office previously; he lost his 2014 race for the same seat against David Chiu by less than four points.
Campos is a long-serving public servant and activist in the Democratic Party, with a demonstrated record of fighting to make institutions more progressive and responsive to the needs of working people. He served as San Francisco’s deputy city attorney and as general counsel for the San Francisco Public School System, where he oversaw the implementation of a federal consent decree to ensure equal opportunity for students in San Francisco Unified. Campos also served as San Francisco’s police commissioner, where he worked to bring more transparency to the police department and hold police officers accountable for misconduct. He was elected to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and during his tenure, he established himself as one of the most progressive voices on the board. After becoming chief of staff for San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Campos oversaw reforms to the criminal-justice system in the city, including ending cash bail, filing the first homicide case against a police officer in the history of San Francisco, and helped to reduce the jail population during the pandemic, making communities safer by enabling a reinvestment of funds into supporting public health and public safety.
As chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, he oversaw the election of a progressive supermajority to the city and county’s Board of Supervisors, and helped pass progressive ballot measures, including Prop C, which taxed wealthy corporations to provide services for the homeless, and Prop F, which gave renters facing eviction the right to legal counsel.
Campos has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups in the district, including San Francisco Rising Action, Unite Here Local 2, the San Francisco Tenants Union, Chinese Progressive Association Action Fund, and Progressive Democrats of America–California, San Francisco Chapter. Based on our analysis, Campos’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-17 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
Last updated: 2022-01-20Courage California is proud to endorse David Campos.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and two seats are currently vacant, including this one.
The District
California's 17th Assembly District includes parts of San Francisco County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 4.9% are Republican and 59.2% are Democrat, with a demographic breakdown of 18.9% Latino, 29.2% Asian, and 8.2% Black. The most recent election results show that AD-17 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 77 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 79 points.
While this special election will be conducted under the old district lines, the recent finalization of redistricted maps leave the demographic and party breakdown largely unaffected in AD-17.
The Race
This is a special election for a seat recently vacated by David Chiu, who was appointed as San Francisco’s city attorney in September 2021. There are four candidates running for this open seat to serve through the end of 2022, including Democrat Campos and opponents Matt Haney, Thea Selby, and Bilal Mahmood. All four candidates are also running in the regular election for the new 17th Assembly District, to serve in the 2023-2024 legislative term. Campos’s campaign has raised over $145,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel interests.
Our Endorsement
Campos, a longtime public servant, is from Guatemala and has lived in the district for 22 years. According to campaign materials, he is running for election because his broad, diverse, and extensive professional experience and his long-standing governing record will make him the most effective, progressive legislator in Sacramento. Campos is also running because San Francisco hasn’t elected a Latinx to represent it in the state legislature since the 1800s—which is especially important now, given the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on the Latinx community and communities of color. As a formerly undocumented person, Campos is motivated to make a difference for Dreamers and immigrants in his district and throughout the state. This district has a long history of LGBTQIA+ representation, and Campos is running as an openly gay man. Campos has run for office previously; he lost his 2014 race for the same seat against David Chiu by less than four points.
Campos is a long-serving public servant and activist in the Democratic Party, with a demonstrated record of fighting to make institutions more progressive and responsive to the needs of working people. He served as San Francisco’s deputy city attorney and as general counsel for the San Francisco Public School System, where he oversaw the implementation of a federal consent decree to ensure equal opportunity for students in San Francisco Unified. Campos also served as San Francisco’s police commissioner, where he worked to bring more transparency to the police department and hold police officers accountable for misconduct. He was elected to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and during his tenure, he established himself as one of the most progressive voices on the board. After becoming chief of staff for San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Campos oversaw reforms to the criminal-justice system in the city, including ending cash bail, filing the first homicide case against a police officer in the history of San Francisco, and helped to reduce the jail population during the pandemic, making communities safer by enabling a reinvestment of funds into supporting public health and public safety.
As chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, he oversaw the election of a progressive supermajority to the city and county’s Board of Supervisors, and helped pass progressive ballot measures, including Prop C, which taxed wealthy corporations to provide services for the homeless, and Prop F, which gave renters facing eviction the right to legal counsel.
Campos has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups in the district, including San Francisco Rising Action, Unite Here Local 2, the San Francisco Tenants Union, Chinese Progressive Association Action Fund, and Progressive Democrats of America–California, San Francisco Chapter. Based on our analysis, Campos’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-17 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
Last updated: 2022-01-20David Campos
Courage California is proud to endorse David Campos.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and two seats are currently vacant, including this one.
The District
California's 17th Assembly District includes parts of San Francisco County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 4.9% are Republican and 59.2% are Democrat, with a demographic breakdown of 18.9% Latino, 29.2% Asian, and 8.2% Black. The most recent election results show that AD-17 voted for Biden for president in 2020 by 77 points and Newsom for governor in 2018 by 79 points.
While this special election will be conducted under the old district lines, the recent finalization of redistricted maps leave the demographic and party breakdown largely unaffected in AD-17.
The Race
This is a special election for a seat recently vacated by David Chiu, who was appointed as San Francisco’s city attorney in September 2021. There are four candidates running for this open seat to serve through the end of 2022, including Democrat Campos and opponents Matt Haney, Thea Selby, and Bilal Mahmood. All four candidates are also running in the regular election for the new 17th Assembly District, to serve in the 2023-2024 legislative term. Campos’s campaign has raised over $145,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel interests.
Our Endorsement
Campos, a longtime public servant, is from Guatemala and has lived in the district for 22 years. According to campaign materials, he is running for election because his broad, diverse, and extensive professional experience and his long-standing governing record will make him the most effective, progressive legislator in Sacramento. Campos is also running because San Francisco hasn’t elected a Latinx to represent it in the state legislature since the 1800s—which is especially important now, given the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on the Latinx community and communities of color. As a formerly undocumented person, Campos is motivated to make a difference for Dreamers and immigrants in his district and throughout the state. This district has a long history of LGBTQIA+ representation, and Campos is running as an openly gay man. Campos has run for office previously; he lost his 2014 race for the same seat against David Chiu by less than four points.
Campos is a long-serving public servant and activist in the Democratic Party, with a demonstrated record of fighting to make institutions more progressive and responsive to the needs of working people. He served as San Francisco’s deputy city attorney and as general counsel for the San Francisco Public School System, where he oversaw the implementation of a federal consent decree to ensure equal opportunity for students in San Francisco Unified. Campos also served as San Francisco’s police commissioner, where he worked to bring more transparency to the police department and hold police officers accountable for misconduct. He was elected to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and during his tenure, he established himself as one of the most progressive voices on the board. After becoming chief of staff for San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Campos oversaw reforms to the criminal-justice system in the city, including ending cash bail, filing the first homicide case against a police officer in the history of San Francisco, and helped to reduce the jail population during the pandemic, making communities safer by enabling a reinvestment of funds into supporting public health and public safety.
As chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, he oversaw the election of a progressive supermajority to the city and county’s Board of Supervisors, and helped pass progressive ballot measures, including Prop C, which taxed wealthy corporations to provide services for the homeless, and Prop F, which gave renters facing eviction the right to legal counsel.
Campos has the endorsement of a strong majority of progressive groups in the district, including San Francisco Rising Action, Unite Here Local 2, the San Francisco Tenants Union, Chinese Progressive Association Action Fund, and Progressive Democrats of America–California, San Francisco Chapter. Based on our analysis, Campos’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of AD-17 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
Mike Fong
Elect Mike Fong to keep AD-49 moving in the right direction.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the state Senate or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent and one seat is currently vacant.
The District
California's 49th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County. Democrats typically hold this district. Of registered voters in this district, 19% are Republican and 45% are Democrat, with a demographic breakdown of 32% Latino, 55% Asian, and 1% Black. The most recent election results show that AD-49 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 30 points.
While this special election is being conducted under the old district lines, the recent finalization of redistricted maps leave the breakdown by party registration largely the same in AD-49.
The Race
In November 2021, Governor Newsom appointed Assemblymember Ed Chau to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, leaving AD-49 with a vacant Assembly seat. Assemblymember Chau was first elected to his position in 2012. A special election has been called to fill this seat for the remainder of the term. There are two candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Mike Fong and Republican Burton Brink. Fong’s campaign has raised $28,000 and is not funded by fossil fuel or real estate money. Fong has taken donations from the Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union. Brink has self-funded his campaign with a $1,000 donation.
The Recommendation
Mike Fong, a civil servant, is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles. According to campaign materials, he is running for election to leverage his local leadership and education knowledge to support further progress on policies that improve housing, environmental protection, and economic growth. Fong has served as an elected member of the Los Angeles County Community College District (LACCCD) Board of Trustees since 2015. He ran for Assembly in the 51st District during a 2017 special election, and again in the 2018 primary. Fong did not qualify to appear on the general ballot in either race.
Fong currently serves as the director of policy and government relations for the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, which he does to support local integration of public services. Prior to this role, Fong served as the east area director for Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa. Along with his service to the LACCCD board, he also currently serves as commissioner of the Alhambra Transportation Commission, and as an advisory board member for LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program. Throughout his career, Fong has shown a commitment to supporting education initiatives, and programs that allow young people to transition from the classroom, through workforce-development opportunities, into meaningful careers in their communities.
Mike Fong has the endorsement of many labor organizations. He has also received endorsements from a variety of elected officials, including Congressmember Judy Chu, State Controller Betty Yee, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Alex Lee, and Los Angeles Supervisor Hilda Solis. Based on our analysis, Fong’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a liberal leader for the constituents of AD-49 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district.
