California State AssemblyCandidate for District 68

An Orange County native, Melissa Fox is a business owner, wife, mother, attorney, veterans’ advocate and dedicated community leader.

Melissa is the founder of the Melissa Fox Law Firm, a civil law and public affairs firm located in Irvine, California, specializing in business law and public affairs advocacy. She has also earned a California real estate broker’s license.

Melissa was elected in November 2016 to a four-year term on the Irvine City Council.  She previously served for four years as a Commissioner on the City of Irvine Community Services Commission, which advises the City on Irvine’s parks, recreational, cultural, and youth facilities and programs.  As a member of the Community Services Commission, Melissa fought to ensure that developers provide ample open space and park and recreation facilities for both children and adults, for increased childcare, and to ensure that our seniors have state-of-the-art recreation and healthcare facilities. She has championed active and public transportation in Irvine as a means of reducing traffic congestion, and has also been Irvine’s most public advocate for more and safer bicycling, for both recreation and commuting.

Melissa also serves as a Director of The Great Park, Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust, a member of the Orange County Public Library Advisory Board, most recent past Chair of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority.

In addition to her service as an Irvine City Council Member and Community Services Commissioner, Melissa has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Beckman High School Football Boosters and Beckman High School Wrestling Boosters, and serves as a volunteer adult leader with the Sea Scouts (a co-ed program of the Boy Scouts of America) at the Dana Point Sea Base.  Melissa also served in the Orange County Park Ranger Reserve. Melissa also participates in many professional and community organizations, including the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, the Women Lawyers Association, and Women in Leadership.

The daughter of a Korean War combat veteran, Melissa has been active in advocating for increased City support for veterans, particularly those recently returning from deployment. She has called for the creation of an Irvine Veterans Advisory Committee, so that veterans have a strong voice of their own in city government.  She has also been a steadfast supporter of a Southern California Veterans Cemetery, located on the grounds of the former El Toro Marine Base.  The Orange County Register has called her “an incredible advocate for veterans and the [veterans] cemetery in Irvine.” Since her election to the Irvine City Council, Melissa has received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for fiscal responsibility, the Active Transportation Change Maker Award from the Alliance for a Healthy Orange County, the Hero of Children Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Network, has been named Orange County’s “Best Politician” by the OC Weekly, and as one of Orange County “100 Most Influential” people by the Orange County Register.

Melissa lives with her husband, Dr. Michael Fox, in the Portola Springs community of Irvine. Their son Max is studying firefighting and emergency services management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

With Washington in continuous disarray, it's more important than ever that we ensure California is a beacon of hope, progress, and opportunity for the people of our state. ​

For too long, residents of the 68th Assembly District have not had a seat at the table where decisions are made in Sacramento. I'm going to change that -- and make sure our voices are heard, loud and clear. ​

I'm running for State Assembly to bring common sense leadership to Sacramento that represents the true values and interests of our district. That means building safer neighborhoods, ensuring high quality public education, growing a strong middle-class economy, and protecting our air and water.  It also means investing in infrastructure, renewable energy, fire protection, health care, and transportation, while holding government accountable, fighting waste, and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

We can do all of this and simultaneously create a more compassionate and inclusive state for the people of California.  Together, we can make our district a better place to live, work, and raise our families.