I have been politically involved through my union since the 80s, walking and phoning for candidates, lobbying in Sacramento and DC. I’m a 3-time incumbent, treasurer of the Irish American caucus and former member of the legislative committee. I became active in the party in the 90s in DPSFV, LA County Central Committee while acting as Chair for CWA’s So Cal locals, training stewards in lobbying techniques and other forms of political action . I worked with legislators on proposed bills. I lobbied at City Council and with Congress on GMO issues. I ran for assembly in ‘08 and ‘13, interviewed for Political Director of both SEIU-UHW and UTLA and moderated debates in the NE SFV. Worked to elect Bernie Sanders in ‘16 and ‘20. Started United Progressives SFV Democratic club in 2016, passed a resolution for instant runoff voting. In 2019 I Published my book Capitalism Killed the Middle Class as my legacy for the next generation of progressive labor activists. I have hosted webinars on growing the labor movement. Those of us on this slate are firmly committed to progressive principles such as Medicare4All, a 2-state solution in Israel, saving Social Security, closing Aliso Canyon, as well as other concerns of our friends and neighbors in AD 45. I have confidence in my colleagues on this slate in representing your concerns.
National Writers Union
My name is Estefany Mendez, a loving mother, a dedicated student, a lost foster youth, a child of undocumented parents, and a carceral system impacted person. Today, I am extremely proud and excited to announce my candidacy for District 46’s delegacy. As a dedicated member of my community, my experience and passion make me the best candidate to represent the needs and interests of our district.
I have been a social justice fighter my entire life. Instead of receiving proper care and support, I discovered the power of activating grassroot power when introduced to the Equal Rights to Immigrants Movement by my adopted grandparents. Then in 2019, I joined Initiate Justice (IJ), an NPO dedicated to empowering people directly impacted by carceral policies, to concentrate on achieving true justice in our criminal justice system. Since 2022 I have also had the honor of serving on the Board of Directors of IJ Action, IJ’s political action group.
Throughout my political journey, I have actively advocated for transformative policies and candidates. I have organized for the passage of legislative bills such as AB 1509, AB 990, and AB 256. In addition, I have extensive experience in holding political officials accountable such as the assurance of AB1810 and 1170(d) implementations. Locally, I have worked on several transformational political candidates like progressive LA County DA George Gascon and LA City District 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. Most importantly, I continue to provide political education and organizational teachings to our community members.
Now is the moment for us to decide if we want to continue to move forward as a collaborative community and towards a future we know we deserve and can achieve. I am committed to working with you and others, regardless of party affiliation, to find solutions to the challenges we face. I believe that by working together, we can make our district a better place to live, work, and raise a family. As our delegate, I will work tirelessly to promote policies that improve the lives of the people in our district. I will be a strong voice for education, healthcare, and social justice, and will always put the needs of our community first.
I am excited for this opportunity and would be extremely grateful to serve as your delegate. Together, we can make a difference and build a brighter future for our community.
Initiate Justice Action, DSA LA
Medicare For All, Police Reform, Climate Crisis
My name is Kayson Verne, I’m running as an Assembly Delegate for District 46. As the youngest African-American/Japanese male in this election, if elected, I will bear the responsibility of carrying the voices of both Millennials and Generation Z in my district. I’m also the former Vice President of the Democratic Club and Social Justice Club at Los Angeles Pierce College. I also co-founded the only club on campus that supported presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, called the Students for Bernie Club which organized several on-campus events. Outside of college, I’m the student leader of Feel The Bern San Fernando Valley Democratic Club and a member of Democratic Socialists of America-LA, Our Revolution LA, Sunrise Movement - LA, and Black Lives Matter - LA. My activist experiences have inspired me to continue the fight for all American citizens to acquire human rights. A vote for me is a vote to move forward and make changes in our community.
Feel the Bern San Fernando Valley Democratic Club
I originally moved to Los Angeles for work and decided that a city that could provide me with career opportunities was worth investing in. I began as a volunteer, working with the Los Angeles Animal Shelter and Burrito Project, a grassroots movement that distributes food to the unhoused. From that experience providing firsthand support, I became involved in efforts to increase the minimum wage in Los Angeles because I believed that—for a minimum wage to serve a purpose—it needs to keep pace with the economy. That experience gave me exposure to the dynamics of government and electoral politics.
In the 2016 presidential election, I spent hours phone banking. The results of that election were devastating, but received a copy of the Indivisible Guide from a friend. I attended a town hall hosted by my then member of congress, Karen Bass. She announced plans to campaign for Democrats in swing districts, and I immediately became involved.
I spent dozens of hours canvassing in several districts that all elected Democrats in the 2018 midterms. In that time, I also became involved in the climate movement, working with groups like 350 San Fernando Valley and Sunrise Los Angeles. I advocated with my state assembly member for the passage of legislation requiring California to transition its energy grid to renewable power sources. I also advocated with the LADWP Board of Commissioners to shut down coal and gas power plants.
After phone banking extensively in the 2020 election, I became involved with East Valley Indivisibles and joined their state legislative committee. I took meetings with Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian and Senator Henry Stern and partnered with the ACLU to advocate for legislation creating a decertification process for police officers in California.
I have continued to work to address the housing crisis as a liaison to the West Valley Neighborhood Alliance on Homelessness. I also worked extensively on the 2022 midterms, canvassing in district 27 with groups like Grassroots Democrats HQ and Swing Left West Valley and in Nevada.
In all of my experience, I have championed government as a tool to serve the people. Through canvassing and volunteer work, I attempt to keep in touch with the needs of our community. Through advocacy and serving as a delegate, I seek to leverage my access to and understanding of the legislative process to create meaningful change.
East Valley Indivisibles, Swing Left West Valley, Northridge Individuals, Sunrise Los Angeles
A vote for me and the entire AD 46 Progressives Slate is a vote for progressive values, diversity, and respect for all. Single payer Medicare For All is my main focus there is a myriad of issues that need to be resolved. Most recent, a women's right to choose what to do with their own body, I'm a advocate for women's reproductive rights and will only vote for candidates and policies that do the same. Since 2016 the dramatic change in our political atmosphere both worried and inspired me to be motivated and get involved and I'm running to best represent our district through the power of thoughtful care with love and compassion. I'm running because there is an opportunity to bring real change to the Democratic Party through the latest push of progressive candidates running for office or committee, who bring a robust portfolio of progressive values and policies. There still remains work to be done, with a lot of issues from disparities in the healthcare system in both Black and Hispanic communities, to ending the housing crisis and ending homelessness, to reforming the justice system with Black Lives Matter. I'm running because there has been a lack of morally ethical thoughtful policies that fully considers the lives of all people, the working class, the homeless, the uninsured, those killed by gun violence or the police, those killed by the Corona Virus, those who don't have access to a decent education, with a multitude more it's simply too much to state.
- A proud progressive community volunteer, organizer, and activist currently seeking to push the Democratic Party to support and endorse progressive candidates, laws, and policies.
- I'm an Associate Member in the LACDP, and a proud member of Feel The Bern SFV Democratic Club, West Valley People's Alliance, DSA-LA, and People for Democratic Party Reform
- The platform that I fully support is as follows - Reproductive & Women’s Rights, Medicare for All: Single Payer, End Corporate Personhood, Income Equality - Social Safety Net, Access to Affordable Education, LGBTQ & Immigrants’ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Protect the Environment & Resources, Close Aliso Canyon, Clean Up Santa Susana Field Lab, Election Reform, Green New Deal, Racial Justice, Gun Reform, Universal Basic Income, Police Reform, Charter School Accountability, Digital Equity, Diplomacy Not War, Break up Monopolies & Big Corporations, Affordable Housing for Everyone, End Media Consolidation - Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, Israel/Palestine 2-State Solution.
Feel The Bern SFV Dems Club, West Valley People's Alliance, DSA, PDPR, Cascadia Parliamentary Group, Associate Member LACDP
Medicare For All, Social/ Racial Justice, Green New Deal, Reform Justice System, Decriminalize All Drugs (end war on drugs), DACA - Immigation Reform, LGBTQ+ Rights
Sensible Gun Legislation, Environment, LGBTQ+ Rights, Reproductive Rights, Universal Healthcare, Immigration and Family Reunification
Pat Sturges - Progressive for the 46th District
2023 Candidate statement
“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” - Sidney Harris
As an LAUSD special education teacher with over 20 years of experience, my passion is helping unique students achieve their highest potential on every level. Cultivating partnerships with parents to prepare their child for life after high school helps instill in them real life executive functioning skills. These partnerships also ensure that their children will succeed in vocational training and/or college, flourishing in the adult world.
Public education funding on the Federal AND State levels has been under attack for decades. The negative impact as a result of this has been felt by California educators and in the environments where our children learn and thrive. The untenable lack of resources targeting arts, vocational, and special education programs are testing even the most dedicated among us. The encroachment of charter schools, who have the ability to exclude special needs students at will, siphons real estate and resources from the LAUSD students.
It would be an honor for me to mold the Democratic platform and represent the 46th district. I want to hear your ideas and create real actions for our children, our schools, and our community.
Women's National Political Caucus, Action Democrats, West Hollywood/Beverly Hills Democratic Club, Stonewall Democratic Club
Healthcare, Youth Civic Engagement, Climate Change
My name is Logan Fisher. I was born and raised in Woodland Hills California. I first became politically activated in 2016 when I watched Bernie Sanders speak at the LA Coliseum at the age of 13. Since then I’ve strived to learn more about the injustices and inequalities we face as a nation. I grew very concerned about the world I was growing up in. I also served the community in Boy Scouts where over the course of seven years I worked on dozens of service projects across the community and earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
In 2021 while studying political science at Pierce College I became an activist. I worked very hard to help advocate for AB1400 (Calcare) which was a bill designed to bring single-payer healthcare to the state of California. Although we were ultimately unsuccessful I learned a lot about how our system works and just how corrupt it is. After that, I joined the Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council where I advocated for youth voices like mine. I also joined AFT 1521’s Student Internship Program where I got first-hand experience working with organized labor. Together we helped pass Measure LA and elect Karen Bass, Kenneth Meija, and many other fearless advocates for our community.
I’m running to be a delegate because I believe that voices like mine deserve to have a seat at the table. We need to have a Democratic Party that will choose constituents over corporations and fight for priorities like Medicare For All, The Green New Deal, and worker's rights as well as Ranked Choice Voting. As a member of Generation Z, I know our future is in jeopardy if we don't protect our environment and fight climate change. We also must have a democratic party that is not content with the status quo and will fight to end racial and class inequality. I want a world where I can bring kids into it without fearing for their future. A vote for me is a vote for hope and fearless advocacy. As James Baldwin said, “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” I love my community and the people in it and it is for that reason that I will fight and speak truth to power. I will not bow down to corporate interests and I will do everything in my power to ensure that the California Democratic Party fights for you, the people.
Feel The Bern SFV, CSUNYDSA
Shervin Aazami is a father, husband, immigrant and progressive community organizer living in West Hills. Shervin is running for ADEMs with the AD46 Progressives slate. Raised in Canoga Park and Chatsworth, Shervin is the son of asylum seekers who fled religious persecution in Iran. He has long been a fighter for universal healthcare, having formerly worked in Washington D.C. as Director of Congressional Relations for an Indigenous non-profit for several years. His advocacy helped lead to the elimination of copays and deductibles for Indigenous Veterans and secured over $10 billion to help rural communities combat COVID-19. He is currently working as Strategy and Development Manager for Initiate Justice Action, a local non-profit led by system-impacted Californians fighting for an end to mass incarceration and the racial and economic injustices built into our criminal legal system.
He is also am active volunteer with Valley-based mutual aid organizations, helping deliver food and life-saving supplies to hundreds of unhoused community members on a weekly basis. Shervin is committed to fighting for compassionate, effective, and non-carceral solutions to homelessness that address the root economic causes driving the crisis. As a father with an 18-month old child, Shervin is very passionate about environmental justice and ensuring we have a livable planet for all. He has proudly advocated alongside local organizations fighting to close Aliso Canyon and address the years-long methane leak at Sun Valley Gas Plant. Shervin is running for ADEMs to be a strong progressive voice in the fight for single-payer healthcare, climate justice, affordable housing, and crimimal justice reform.
Shervin received his Bachelor's degree from UCLA in Psychology. He earned a Masters of Public Health from George Washington University and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Feel the Bern San Fernando Valley; Stonewall Democrats; Initiate Justice Action; Iranian American Democrats of California; North Valley Democratic Clu
Single-payer healthcare, guaranteed housing, climate justice, criminal justice reform
Justice Reform, Housing for All, Environmental Justice
My name is Taina Vargas - I am a justice reform policy advocate and nonprofit executive director with more than 10 years of experience in community organizing. I am running for Delegate on the ADEM Progressive Slate because I am committed to uplifting the voices of people directly impacted by social injustice and advocating for change.
I am a woman of color who was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and have been directly impacted by many of the issues that our communities still face - poverty, houselessness, underfunded education, racial inequality, and have had many family members impacted by incarceration and substance use disorder. My personal experiences have inspired a commitment to social justice and policy advocacy.
In 2016, I founded Initiate Justice, a nonprofit committed to ending mass incarceration in California by activating the political power of those of us who are directly impacted by it. Over the last 6 years, we have mobilized more than 45,000 people in prison and trained more than 300 formerly incarcerated people and people with incarcerated loved ones to successfully change 10 state laws so far.
Additionally, I am fiercely committed to increasing access to our democracy and promoting civic engagement of marginalized communities. In 2020, I chaired the Yes on Prop 17 ballot committee, which successfully restored voting rights to more than 50,000 people on parole in California and passed by a higher margin than any other measure on the ballot that election.
I am also a member of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley’s Executive Board, a 2023 Emerge cohort participant, a former Field Representative for the California State Assembly, and the 2020 Woman of the Year for Senate District 27.
As a Delegate, I plan to continue to advocate for justice reform, increasing access to our democracy, and ensuring that the people directly impacted by social issues are centered as we advocate for change. I am also committed to promoting other progressive issues such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, Universal Basic Income, reproductive freedom, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Vote for the Progressive Slate so that the issues that benefit the people of the San Fernando Valley can be advocated for within the Democratic Party. Let’s work together to create safe, healthy, and equitable communities.
Initiate Justice Action, Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, Emerge
Guaranteed Healthcare for All, Money out of Politics, Environmental Justice, Criminal Justice, Social Justice, Racial Justice, Immigration Reform, Cancelling Student Debt, Free College & Trade school, Reproductive rights
I am a valley girl. I’ve lived and worked in several cities, from east to west throughout our valley for decades. Mostly in the areas of assembly district 46. Because of this, the care I have for this community runs deep. As of late, the changes in our society have been moving in a direction that threatens our democracy. This is something I cannot sit back and watch. The power is and always will be with the people, not corporations. This is why you can count on me to be your advocate as a delegate in the 46th assembly district.
I am the mother of three, a progressive, an activist, author, singer, dancer and project manager. I have been the president of Feel the Bern San Fernando Valley Democratic Club which houses almost a hundred members for the past four years. Those years have been spent working in and outside the party campaigning for social justice on every level. Our platform follows a single-payer healthcare system, people before profits, money out of politics, income equality, racial and social equality, environmental justice, cancel student debt, tuition free college, immigration reform, election integrity, ending citizens united and criminal justice reform.
I have no problem discussing all the needs of our community with our legislators, especially when it is clearly evident, they are not being met in every area. Our marginalized communities continue to struggle with social issues that we must fight for on a daily basis. I will meet our legislators at the table and have already shown I will do this by championing CalCare AB1400, the California Guaranteed Healthcare for All bill. I brought the bill to the attention of my city councilman, who in turn took it to the Los Angeles City Council floor where it was endorsed. I believe that campaigning for policies that will change our lives into being more equitable, comes before campaigning for politicians who we should ensure pass those policies. I’m an alternate member in the Los Angeles County Central Committee and will never stop being an active strong voice for my community. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me by email at MichelleVerne94@gmail.com.
Feel The Bern San Fernando Valley, LACCC, Healthcare4Us, Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America
Hello! I am Wendy Brill-Wynkoop, seeking your support as a delegate for Assembly District 46, and running for election with AD46 Progressives Slate. I advocate for our community's people and have been a San Fernando Valley resident for over 50 years. My passion is working with people who need help and support. I have seen firsthand the results that come from public divestment in social services, and I want to see our policies ensure that everyone has access to essential things like food, shelter, and safety.
I have been a Community college teacher for 25 years, a former faculty union president, and currently serving as president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC). FACCC is a professional membership organization with a mission to inform, educate, empower, and advocate for faculty in service to students and the communities of California. Working with students on issues such as food security and basic needs, I have direct experience with systemic problems and see how we are failing our community. I want to work to elect representatives who find solutions now to support our community's needs, particularly the unhoused and food insecurity.
I am committed to leadership that doesn't hesitate to act in the interests of working people. I want to work with other civic-minded people to help elect representatives who focus on the following:
My experience has given me a unique perspective on the needs of our community, and I want to use my voice as an ADEM in the Democratic Party to fight for policies and endorse candidates that protect fundamental human rights and ensure a better future. I will question any policy driven by corporations & special interests who avoid a tax break rather than pay their employees a living wage so they can afford rent, childcare, and transportation.
Swing Left West Valley, Feel The Bern SFV, SCV Dems, North Valley Democratic Club
Solve homelessness food insecurity, Erase student debt, Stop and reverse climate change, Protect women’s rights, Free access to healthcare for all, Protect social security, Dismantle system racism
Fair and affordable housing and lending
| My name’s Elise Libnic, IATSE 871 union member and life-long San Fernando Valley Democrat running as a delegate in California Democratic Party Assembly District 46. Over the years, I’ve dedicated my time, heart and voice to many progressive causes beginning by marching for abortion rights during the height of the Moral Majority. Ten years as a key logistics volunteer for the AIDSWalk was my way of confronting the needless deaths of so many of my LGBTQIA brothers and sisters. I phone banked,, text banked & wrote countless letters and postcards in several Democratic Presidential campaigns. I continue to stay involved with multiple progressive groups such as Indivisible, Swing Left West Valley and WALA (Women’s Alliance Los Angeles). As a progressive delegate for CADEM 46, I vow to push for policies that attack housing insecurity, whose dark tentacles reach into all aspects of daily Valley life. I’ve witnessed the downward trajectory of the lives of Valley residents over time. Homeless encampments, closed storefronts, outrageous home prices and rents remind us that California isn’t the “Golden State” for everyone. I’m saddened that the gem that was the West Valley has been dulled by economic inequality that forces homeowners to become renters and sends renters to the street. My goal is to push for an agenda that reigns in soulless developers, discriminatory lending practices, environmental redlining, greedy landlords and the overall lack of housing resources. I formed my early sense of social justice from nightly viewings of the Vietnam War and still marvel at the immorality of politics overriding simple quality of life issues for ALL Americans. Now is the time for a progressive agenda for California that addresses homelessness, inequality in ALL forms, environmental protections, and healthcare as a single-payer RIGHT. I'm honored to represent you and CADEM46. Thank you for your vote and your support. Reach me: libbylang29@gmail.com |
Swing Left West Valley, WALA (Women’s Alliance Los Angeles)
Preserving Democracy, LGBTQIA+ Rights, Reproductive Freedom, Affordable Healthcare For All
I am a progressive Democrat, a business owner, an employer, and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have been active in the non-profit sphere, having previously served on the Boards of Directors for both the L.A. Shanti Foundation and the Variety Clubs of Southern California. I am also now seeking your vote to serve as a Democratic Party Delegate for Assembly District 46.
For all but two of my sixty-plus years on this planet, I have lived in the greater Los Angeles area, most of that in the San Fernando Valley, a place I've been proud to call home. In that time, I've seen enormous change in our great city, our great state, this great nation, and the way politics have played out. Most of that change has been positive, but the way politics have moved in the past decade or so frankly has me very concerned. That is why I have decided now to run for a delegate seat in AD46 - to give voice to that concern and bring my experience and perspective to the Democratic Party.
I hold to a very bold and progressive set of ideals, and those ideals will drive the platform I support. That platform includes Medicare for all, full equality and protection for the LGBTQIA+ community, voting rights and election reform, comprehensive immigration reform, including more humane asylum policies, police reform and accountability, a national ban on assault weapons, affordable higher education, charter school accountability, reversal of Citizens United, support for a "green new deal," expansion of Social Security benefits to meet inflationary pressures, ensuring that corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of income tax, and meeting global challenges through cooperation and diplomacy rather than aggression and intimidation. On a local level, I support affordable housing, improved infrastructure, protection of our delicate wilderness areas and wildlife, and a comprehensive solution to the homelessness crisis, including greatly expanded mental health support, job training, addiction counseling, transitional housing, and childcare support.
Lastly, I pledge to work with Democrats from across the ideological spectrum to strengthen and reinforce our basic Democratic values, protect democracy, promote equality in housing and employment, and safeguard our essential civil and personal rights.
None
A vote for me and the entire AD 46 Progressives Slate is a vote for progressive values, diversity, and respect for all. As a Latina immigrant citizen of the United States a clear path to citizenship is a must. Is there no worth a person can achieve that is worthy of being a citizen here, soldiers, doctors, lawyers, technicians who still have no path to citizenship. We can do better, we must do better and I will only vote for those who are doing better. Women's reproductive rights is a absolute priority. Single-Payer Medicare For All is a must. I always hear some people say “I don't want undocumented people getting free healthcare”, my response is “Please ask yourself – do you see undocumented people dying in the streets? No you don't. Should we wait to medically treat an undocumented person until they're near death, and then provide medical care when at that point the cost to get them in good health is far more expensive.” We have got to provide universal healthcare to all the people and never receive any medical bill for any part of any medical procedure or treatment. So many homelessness do to a bankruptcy from medical bills, again we can do better and we must do better. I will only vote for or endorse candidates and policies that adhere to a commitment to enact laws, and due governance to establish a government for the people, by staying true to these progressive values.
- A proud progressive community volunteer, organizer, and activist currently seeking to push the Democratic Party to support and endorse progressive candidates, laws, and policies.
- I'm an Alternate Member in the LACDP, and a proud member of Feel The Bern SFV Democratic Club
- The platform that I fully support is as follows - Reproductive & Women’s Rights, Medicare for All: Single Payer, End Corporate Personhood, Income Equality - Social Safety Net, Access to Affordable Education, LGBTQ & Immigrants’ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Protect the Environment & Resources, Close Aliso Canyon, Clean Up Santa Susana Field Lab, Election Reform, Green New Deal, Racial Justice, Gun Reform, Universal Basic Income, Police Reform, Charter School Accountability, Digital Equity, Diplomacy Not War, Break up Monopolies & Big Corporations, Affordable Housing for Everyone, End Media Consolidation - Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, Israel/Palestine 2-State Solution.
Feel The Bern SFV Dems Club, West Valley People's Alliance, DSA, AternateMember LACDP
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