FILIPINA American community leader Jessica Caloza is on her way to making history and securing a seat in the California state Assembly as she advances to the November general election.
Caloza earned first-place in the race for California’s 52nd Assembly District, with 23,330 votes, or nearly 30%, topping a crowded field of 10 candidates during the March primary.
Assembly District 52 includes south Glendale, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington, Highland Park, Glassell Park, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Lincoln Heights, Loz Feliz, East Hollywood, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley, Monterey Hills, Hermon, Montecito Heights, El Sereno and East Los Angeles. There are about 13,000 Filipino American voters in this district.
In response to the election results, Caloza said, she was “humbled and grateful” to the votes for “believing in our shared vision of building a brighter future that uplifts all voices and communities that don’t always feel heard and seen in the halls of government.”
She thanked the volunteers, supporters, and organizations for supporting her first-time public office run.
She added, “We are going to take this momentum into the General Election because we have so much to fight for—cost of living, affordable housing, homelessness, climate action, gun violence prevention, public education, reproductive freedom, healthcare for all, and so much more. I look forward to continuing to make the case to voters in the coming months why our team can deliver real progress for District 52.”
Caloza is vying to make history as the first Filipino American woman elected to the California state Legislature.
She has served at the highest levels of government at the federal, state, and local levels. Currently, she works as deputy chief of staff for Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American to serve as the California Attorney General, and previously worked for President Barack Obama.
Before working for Bonta, Caloza served as the first Filipina on the powerful LA Board of Public Works.
The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. n
