Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, my parents immigrated here and worked as street vendors for most of my life to give me and my five siblings more opportunities than they had in Mexico. After my dad became disabled, I started working at a non-union hotel at the age of 16 to help out my family. I worked there through high school and college. At 23, right before graduating from UC Irvine, one of my co-workers approached me about forming a union. I knew that if I joined this struggle, I could be fired and lose the money I needed to finish my degree. But I chose to fight, because I also knew that this was the only way to be treated with dignity at my job. So, I showed up. Although many of us were scared, when my co-workers and I made our demands, my bosses reacted by doing something they’d never done before: they treated us with respect. I realized in that moment, this is power, this is what it looks like when we build it, and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Shortly after being the first in my family to graduate from college, I joined the labor movement. I’ve been an organizer with UNITE HERE Local 11 in LA for the past 15 years, and I know how to win material gains for workers, immigrants, the unhoused, people of color, young people, all of us who have been neglected by our city officials and the bosses they serve. It starts by showing up for each other and standing together, so I’m asking you to join me — we have a city to win.

Given my background as an organizer, it’s my philosophy to look at every policy through the eyes of the working class. I will use this office as an extension of the labor movement and will work to advance those goals, including creating good union jobs, organizing more workers into the union, fighting for single-payer healthcare, training and jobs programs for neglected communities, and protecting the environment. I will also do everything in my power to ensure not one single worker is left behind as we combat climate change.

I am a proud product of public schools. Growing up in rural Oklahoma to working class parents, my family and I faced repeated housing insecurity, including multiple evictions. By the time I reached 5th grade, I had attended six different public schools. This was difficult, but it helped me develop a survival instinct. It was a scrappy existence trying to get through school, persevere and survive, which is why I try to empower my constituents, especially the youth, with resources to help them navigate and succeed in higher education and in life.

I moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles in 1982 to pursue my Hollywood dream of being a performer. When I arrived, I quickly immersed myself in LA history and culture, and I moved into a 2-bedroom apartment in Hollywood that I shared with 5 others. To help eke out a living, I took on jobs in the restaurant and tourism industries in between acting and dancing gigs. Eventually, managing restaurants became my main source of income. That experience has served me well in government. I learned the importance of balancing a budget, how to manage others, and honed the skills of customer service and problem-solving.

My roots and connections in the 13th District (CD13) are deep and well-informed. I moved to CD13 in 1982, and have lived in various areas throughout the district. I’ve been active in my neighborhood of Glassell Park for decades — and that’s literally how I got my start in public service: neighborhood and community activism. I got involved with the Wildlife Waystation (I’m a lifelong advocate for animals). I was also a Project Angel Food volunteer back in the early 1990s, regularly delivering food to residents in Silver Lake and Echo Park; developing such intimate knowledge of local neighborhoods would serve me well in my later work. In the early 2000s, I was integrally involved in forming the Glassell Park neighborhood council. My community involvement is what led to a job in then-Councilmember Eric Garcetti’s office, and my hands-on approach as a deputy is what led to my election as Councilmember in 2013. After all these years, I’m still the neighborhood guy.

Beyond that, I’m a proud citizen of the Wyandotte Nation, and am honored to be the first Native American elected to the Los Angeles City Council. My heritage has informed much of my work, and my approach to my work. I don’t take any of this for granted, and I never stop pushing for changes to be implemented. I’m also an openly gay man who came of age during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. I’m proud to serve as one of LA’s two openly LGBTQ+ Councilmembers, and my partner and I have lived in Glassell Park for 30 years. We are the proud parents of a rescue dog and have had other beloved animal companions throughout the years.

My political philosophy is informed by the considerable amount of my life spent outside of politics: my humble beginnings in Oklahoma; struggling to make ends meet as both an artist and as a manager of small businesses; my time as a neighborhood advocate fighting for resources for my community; and my identity as an openly gay man and Native American.

These experiences have informed my beliefs on the importance of deep engagement with communities and a laser-like focus on constituent services; prioritizing affordable housing, so families don't have to face housing insecurity like my family did; and the critical need for the diverse communities of our district and city (and beyond) to feel heard, acknowledged, and represented.

More than anything, I would describe my political philosophy - and my approach to being the Councilmember of the 13th District - as being hands on, and "at your service." I consider it my mission to provide judgment-free, high quality public service - not "politics" - to all the constituents I am privileged to serve.

Since taking office, my team and I have held 79 "Councilmember In Your Corner" events where we directly engage with constituents - not to ask for anything, only to listen to what's on their minds. I hired "clean teams" which have completed thousands of beautification projects across our district, often taking requests from residents to accomplish what they think needs to be done. I've worked hand in hand with the diverse communities across CD13 to ensure they have better visibility and representation, including establishing the Historic Filipinotown Eastern Gateway, the Little Armenia Gateway (in progress and opening soon), and eliminating Columbus Day in Los Angeles and replacing it with Indigenous Peoples Day.

Even though I'm the elected official, I still consider myself one of the team. I am in the district every day. I meet regularly with my field deputies so I can stay grounded and rooted in what is on the minds of my constituents. My team and I have deep, deep relationships with many of the community organizations throughout the district, and we regularly partner with them to provide services and resources to those in need.

I'm not a career politician, and I didn't get involved in government because I was interested in running for office. I got involved because I wanted better representation for my community. Frankly, for much of my life I never could have imagined I'd end up doing this kind of work. But I do believe it's that time spent outside of politics that has made me an effective and engaged public servant. I know what it's like to struggle, and I know what it's like to not be served by City Hall. So I've made it my mission to help those who need it the most, and to do everything I can do to make sure City Hall is responsive to and engaged with the residents of our wonderful district.

As long as I'm in office, I will continue to be hands on in my mission to be of service to the neighborhoods and the needs of the 13th District.