Primary Election Date: 06/05/2012
General Election Date: 11/06/2012

Who Am I?

Throughout my career, I have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of working families and to give them a voice in the community. My parents, J. Concepcion and Mariana, immigrants who came to California in search for a better life, taught me this type of work ethic.

I saw my father rise before dawn every morning to go to work, and I helped my mother babysit the neighbors’ children in our apartment complex behind Disneyland, this is how I learned first-hand how access to opportunity shapes our communities.

I was able to work my way through UC Irvine to earn degrees in International Studies and Sociology. I went on to earn a masters degree in public policy at the University of Michigan- one of the top programs in the nation. My upbringing drove my understanding of how to create effective programs to help working families.

I began my career as a policy analyst for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE). I successfully led efforts that encouraged contractors to create good-paying jobs and provide affordable health insurance for workers. I also worked to give our community a voice in the political process, by leading several successful voter registration and participation programs.

Prior to my current position as senior policy analyst for the United Food and Commercial Workers, I served as political director for the Orange County Labor Federation. In this position, I worked with business and community leaders along with elected officials to create and protect good-paying jobs.

As a member of the Orange County Workforce Investment Board, I have also fought for job training programs that meet the needs of job seekers and local businesses. I understand that a well-qualified workforce can help drive business growth in our communities.

My commitment to help our working families has driven my involvement in several community-based organizations. I served as the founding president of the Achievement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Alumni Association of Orange County. Through AVID, I tutored and advised students, and helped parents navigate the college admissions process for their children.

I served as an elected representative for the Institute for Mexicans Abroad as well as a member of the North Orange County Community College District’s Chancellors Latino Advisory Committee. My strong ties to the local Latino community also include my volunteer work as a board member for El Centro Cultural de Mexico in Santa Ana.

Why Am I Running?

I am running for office not because I want to be a politician, I am running because I want politics to work for the everyday people.

I grew up in Anaheim and now live in Santa Ana, so I know first-hand what needs to be done to create positive change in the community.

Hold Me Accountable!

I want to fund educational programs that will allow our youth an opportunity to continue on to higher education, I will do this by making sure that big corporations pay their fair share in taxes.

I will also work to create local good-paying jobs for the community.

My DFA values:

I have been fighting corporate greed and working towards a more just and fair society throughout my career. As a labor organizer I have fought for worker's rights and organized people to stand up and fight for a better community. I bring these values to my assembly race, and expect not only to include the most marginalized communities but also empower them to envision a better community.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

My campaign is powered by the countless hours that volunteers have spent talking to voters about what I as a candidate have to offer the community. Volunteers have been walking every Saturday morning for the last four months and have already reached out to thousands of voters!

My campaign just reported it has raised more money than any other candidate in this race, and it all came from more than 300 small donors.