I am a longtime East Bay resident and community leader and currently represent the 14th District in the state Assembly. I have served as the Concord police department’s Critical Response Chaplain since 2007 and have a proven record of common sense thinking that puts people first. I am a proud Democrat and have been a leader in the fight to reduce housing costs, stand up for victims of sexual assault, and expand access to high-quality education to more California students. I also know and understand that our communities are struggling with high costs of living. I believe we have to help people and be fiscally responsible. I am committed to supporting progressive policies while working to lower the tax burden on hardworking families in the East Bay and will hold government accountable for its spending.

Concord has been home my entire life. Living under the same roof, I've been a citizen of District 14 for the last 18 years and attended elementary school (Mt. View), and middle school (El Dorado), and high school (Concord) all within MDUSD. As a resident of D14, I've witnessed the economic and social improvements and downturns our region has faced. Experiencing these empowered me to become involved in our community. I'm a charismatic, down to earth teenager who wants to affect meaningful change in his community and beyond. 

As a community member and student advocate for the last four years, I've served as a proponent for inclusion on MDUSD high school campuses, an advocate for equalizing educational opportunities, and a statewide ambassador for leadership development. As ASB President at CHS, I worked to harvest a community of acceptance and inclusion where individuality was embraced. As a non-profit chair for Little Girl, Big Dreams, I've helped develop a fund for scholarships and school supplies for our local schools, while also creating free comprehensive tutoring services. Working with CASL (The California Association of Student Leaders) as a Northern California director, I've toured California presenting workshops on leadership development, connecting with youth on our most pressing social issues, and building networks at the local, regional, and statewide level. Finally, back in our community, I've used my platform through outlets such as the Concord Pioneer to express my views on our most pressing social issues. Civic engagement has always been an integral part of my character and personal development. 

Recently, I graduated Concord High School as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2018. Additionally, this year I was honored to be selected as a National Coca Cola Scholar. The Coca Cola Scholars Foundation recognizes the top 150 students in the nation for their outstanding academic profile, commitment to their community, and servant leadership. I currently attend the Univeristy of California, Berkeley. 

Ever since I was a young boy, I knew that I wanted to find my way to affect change. How would I fully accomplish this? That was the part I didn’t quite understand, until high school. In the last four years political divisiveness based on superficial issues has strengthened, and this divide can be felt on local, state, and national level. With a newfound interest in politics, I set out to my part. 

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Elected officials are too focused on pushing their personal agendas. Elected officials are too focused on advocating for controversial and divisive legislation. Elected officials are too focused on being politicians.

To me, running for the California State Assembly, means more than a gateway to politics. It is about giving a voice to our youth who are severely underrepresented in our government. It is about disregarding political parties and finding a balanced platform where we can focus on issues we agree need to be reformed. Most importantly however, it is about strengthening the transparency and bridging the disconnect between our leaders and citizens.

As a young adult, I embody the next wave of future citizens. We are ready to be heard and we are ready to take action.