Fil-Ams advance gov’t representation with election wins across the US

(L-R) San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria won his re-election bid; long-time public servant Jessica Caloza will be the first Filipina American assemblymember in California; former West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon also makes history as the first Fil-Am in the California state Senate; and Ysabel Jurado wins her historic bid for the Los Angeles City Council.

THE 2024 general election saw impressive returns for Filipino American candidates in key races on the state and local levels across the United States, strengthening the ethnic group’s representation in government.

In California, history was made as Jessica Caloza became the first Filipina American elected to the state Legislature.

Caloza, a women’s rights advocate, previously worked for California Attorney General Rob Bonta as a special advisor and was the first Filipina American commissioner for the Los Angeles Board of Public Works. She will represent District 52 in the Assembly, which includes the Los Angeles-area neighborhoods of Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, east Los Angeles, and south Glendale.

Christopher Cabaldon, the former mayor of West Sacramento for over two decades, also made history as the first Fil-Am to elected to the state Senate. Cabaldon replaces Senator Bill Dodd to represent District 3, which covers areas like Napa, Vallejo, Sonoma and West Sacramento.

For the Los Angeles City Council, first-time candidate Ysabel Jurado declared victory over incumbent Kevin de León in the race for Council District 14, which includes parts of Northeast LA, Downtown LA, and Boyle Heights. She makes history as the first Fil-Am to serve on the Los Angeles City Council.

Jurado, a tenant rights attorney and daughter of undocumented Filipino immigrants, led with 55.8% of the votes (33,350 votes), while de León received 44.22% (26,442 votes), based on partial returns reported by the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clark as of Thursday, November 7.

She wrote in a statement that she was “humbled to officially declare victory in the race.”

“This win is not mine—it belongs to our community,” she wrote, crediting the grassroots community support, adding “Together we built a movement focused on the real issues—affordable housing, our youth and our elders, real public safety, the homelessness crisis, and defending our small businesses.”

In the race for San Diego mayor, incumbent Todd Gloria leads with 54.88% of the votes (214,327) in his re-election bid against challenger Larry Turner with 45.12% of the vote, according to results from the county Registrar of Voters, as of November 8.

“Please accept my heartfelt thank you for helping me win re-election as San Diego’s mayor,” Gloria wrote in an email to supporters. “With last night’s strong results, we have an incredible opportunity to move San Diego forward on all the critical issues we talked about in this campaign, and that’s in big part thanks to you.”

Also in Southern California, public health advocate Ryyn Schumacher won his bid for Ventura City Council, District 3, becoming the first Fil-Am and first openly gay person of color elected to the city’s council.

Tatiana Yokoyama Bui, a Filipina-Japanese trial attorney, ran for the ABC Unified School District Board of Trustees to represent Area 4, which covers schools in Cerritos.

Yokoyama Bui, who served as a commission on the Cerritos Planning Commission, leads with 54.98% of the votes (2,855 votes) against opponent Anu Gupta with 45% (2,338).

Claremont Mayor Pro Tem Corey Calaycay, who has served for nearly 20 years as a member of the city council, won his re-election bid with 58% of the vote (2,029 votes).

In Northern California, Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo was the top votegetter in her re-election bid for City Council with 49.98% of the vote (14,792 votes), followed by fellow Fil-Am councilmember Glenn Sylvester who garnered 38.22% of the vote (11,311 votes).

“I am so grateful for all the support, votes, endorsements, contributions and volunteerism to my re-election to Daly City council,” Manalo wrote in a social media post. “Together we did it!”

Manalo previously made history as the first Filipina American to hold the mayoral position in Daly City.

Mark Nagales has been re-elected to represent District 2 in the South San Francisco City Council with 62.77% of the vote (2,011 votes). Nagales, a long-time resident of South San Francisco, previously served as the city’s mayor in 2022 and held several leadership roles, such as Parks and Recreation Commissioner and Planning Commissioner prior to being elected to the city council.

First-time candidate John Morada for District 3 of the Dublin City Council leads with 53.41% of the vote against opponent Razi Hasni.

Other Northern California re-election wins include Alexander Walker-Griffin of the Hercules City Council, who is the youngest elected councilmember in the city and previously served as mayor in 2023; and Emily Ann Ramos for the Mountain View City Council.

As ballots continue to be counted, Marjan Philhour could become the first Filipina American and first female Iranian American supervisor in San Francisco. She is currently up against incumbent Connie Chan in a tight race.

Meanwhile, across the United States, several Fil-Ams proved victorious in their respective races at the state and city levels.

Angelito Tenorio, the son of Filipino immigrants who served as an Alderman in West Allis, became the first Fil-Am elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature, representing District 14, with 52.7% of the vote (15,637 votes).

“As a young person and the son of Filipino immigrants, I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve our community in the Wisconsin State Legislature,” he wrote in a statement. “I don’t come from a wealthy, well-connected family. I’m just a kid from West Allis who deeply cares about his hometown. I entered this race because I’m passionate about building a brighter future for everyone in our community.”

In Nevada, Assemblymember Erica Mosca — a teacher and nonprofit founder who became the state’s first Filipina in its legislature — easily won re-election unopposed, garnering over 14,000 votes.

Long-time congressmember Bobby Scott, the only member of Congress of Filipino ancestry, was re-elected to represent Virginia’s 3rd congressional district.

In Alaska, Genevieve Mina was re-elected as a state representative for District 19. Mina, a lifelong Alaskan, is a community adocate and political activist with a background in health policy. Her father migrated to Alaska in the 1980s and worked various jos, while her mother was a nurse.

In Arizona, Junelle Harnal Cavero, a political consultant who became the First Filipina American in the state Legislature earlier this year, won her re-election bid for state Representative for District 11.

Trisha La Chica will continue to serve as a Hawaii state representative for District 37, which covers Central Oahu.

In New York, Assemblymember Steven Raga, who previously became the first and only Fil-Am elected to the state Legislature in 2023, was re-elected to serve District 30, which includes neighborhoods of Elmhurst and Woodside.

In Tennessee, state Representative Justin Jones won re-election to serve District 52, which includes parts of Nashville. Jones, whose mother is Filipina, became the first Fil-Am elected to the state Legislature and is the second youngest member of the state House. He made news in April 2023 when he was expelled for violating decorum rules by participating in a gun control protest on the House floor.

Maria Cervania, who has experience in public health and education, cemented her place as a state representative for North Carolina.

In Maplewood, Minnesota, councilmember Nikki Villavicencio won re-election for the city council. She became the first disabled Fil-Am to serve the city.

The success of these Fil-Am candidates across the country underscores a powerful trend: the growing visibility and political influence of the Fil-Am community as the third-largest Asian American group in the country.

With historic firsts in state legislatures, city councils, and school boards, these leaders reflect a commitment to advocating for diverse communities and addressing critical issues—from affordable housing and public safety to educational equity and environmental justice.