Welcome to OC Action’s 2024 Voter Guide! OC Action is an AAPI-Latinx-Labor-Environmental Justice Alliance working in Orange County to build progressive political power.
For the November 2024 Presidential Elections, we have engaged federal, state and local candidates across the county and made recommendations for those who are aligned with our values protecting True Democracy, Just Transition, Affordable Housing, Public Education, Immigrant Justice and Healthy Lives.
Endorsements
House of Representatives
Representatives are elected to two-year terms to represent the people in a congressional district. They make laws and approve the federal budget.
In the 2024 Elections, voters will elect representatives for every congressional district. They serve two-year terms.
Derek Tran for Congressional District 45
Derek Tran is a consumer rights attorney and small business owner. Tran serves as a commissioner in the city of Orange and is the child of refugees from Vietnam.
Priorities
- supporting working families with unions, affordable housing, healthcare, and education
- preventing gun violence and ensuring children and teachers are safe
- ensuring women and their families can make informed decisions on reproductive healthcare
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Susan Sonne, Buena Park Mayor Pro Tem
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund
California State Legislature
State assembly members introduce and vote on new laws, hold hearings, and draft the state budget. They are elected to two-year terms.
California’s 70th State Assembly District is centered around Little Saigon, encompassing Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, west Santa Ana, and Stanton.
James “Jimmy” Pham for California
State Assembly, District 70
James “Jimmy” Pham is an immigration attorney and community advocate. James is Vice-Chair of the Traffic Commission for the City of Westminster and a child of Vietnamese immigrants.
Priorities
- incentivize developers to build more affordable housing
- increase access to quality education
Endorsements
- Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties
- UNITE-HERE Local 11
- Climate Action California
Anaheim Union High School District
The Anaheim Union High School District encompasses 17 junior high schools and high schools in some portions of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, and Stanton.
School Boards approve school related decisions: budgets and set budget priorities, textbooks, and school schedules. They set the vision for schools and help students achieve their potential.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect School Board Members of Trustee Areas 3, 4, 5.
Jose Paolo Magcalas for Anaheim Union High School, District 3
Jose Paolo Magcalas is a professor at Cal State LA and Board Member of the Anaheim Union High School District. He was previously a high school teacher at Loara High School.
Priorities
- lowering class sizes for a quality education
- increasing the number of School Counselors
- supporting an Ethnic Studies Program that transforms students’ lives and the communities they live in
Endorsements
- Jessica Guerrero, Anaheim Union High School District Board Member, District 1
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Dr. Jose Moreno, Anaheim City Council Member (ret.)
Fullerton School District
The Fullerton School District District encompasses 20 elementary and junior high schools in Fullerton and small portions of La Habra, Brea, and Buena Park.
School Boards approve school related decisions: budgets and set budget priorities, textbooks, and school schedules. They set the vision for schools and help students achieve their potential.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect School Board Members of Trustee Areas 2, 5.
James Cho for Fullerton School Board, District 2
James Cho is a civil servant at the Orange County Social Services Agency, helping families with food assistance and health insurance. He is an attorney and worked as legal counsel in congress and is an Air Force veteran. He is the child of Korean immigrants.
Priorities
- improved outreach to immigrant families and those who are less fluent in English
- strengthening dual-language programs
- integrating school districts with social service agencies to assist families
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Shana Charles, Fullerton City Council Member, District 3
- VoteVets
Garden Grove Unified School District
The Garden Grove Unified School District encompasses 70 elementary, intermediate and high schools in the majority of Garden Grove and other adjacent cities.
School Boards approve school related decisions: budgets and set budget priorities, textbooks, and school schedules. They set the vision for schools and help students achieve their potential.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect School Board Members of Trustee Areas 1, 3, 5.
Walter Muneton for Garden Grove Unified School District, Trustee Area 3
Walter Muneton is a school social worker at the Long Beach Unified School District working with children and families and has been serving as the Garden Grove Unified School District Board Member for 8 years.
Priorities
- focus on dual immersion language programs to keep students competitive
- expanding career and technical education opportunities for students beyond universities
- increased mental health services for students and teachers
Endorsements
- Jessie Lopez, Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3
- Orange County Employees Association (OCEA)
- National Association of Social Workers
Irvine City Council
Irvine has four City Council members and a Mayor. City Council members establish city policy, pass ordinances, and vote on the budget.
They manage the government at the city level, including services like parks, police, firefighters, housing, emergency medical services, roads and transportation.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect the Mayor and City Council members for Districts 1, 2, 3, 4.
Jing Sun for Irvine City Council, District 3
Jing Sun works in the real estate industry and serves as Chair of the Irvine Community Services Commission.
Priorities
- accelerate transit-oriented affordable housing development
- promote solar panels, electric buildings and the Irvine Connect Bus program
Endorsements
- Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino
- Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3631
- Moms Demand Action
Ayn Craciun for Irvine City Council, District 4
Ayn Craciun works at a climate policy nonprofit organization, is a business woman and working mom. Ayn was involved in creating the renewable energy program OC Power Authority and helped end the use of fossil gas in Irvine’s new buildings and ban gas leaf blowers.
Priorities
- advance transit-oriented mixed-use housing in the greater Irvine Spectrum and Irvine Business Complex area
- help families stay in their homes and allow small businesses to thrive instead of monopoly landowners and big box retailers
- create safe transportation infrastructure and safe routes to school
Endorsements
- Sunrise Movement Orange County, an organization advocating for political action on climate change
- RISE (Remake Irvine Streets for Everyone)
- Dr. Shana Charles, Fullerton Council Member & CSUF Professor
La Habra City Council
La Habra has five City Council members. City Council members establish policy, pass ordinances, and vote on the budget.
They manage the government at the city level, including services like parks, police, firefighters, housing, emergency medical services, roads and transportation.
The Council appoints a City Manager, who oversees the administration of the city; and selects one council member to serve as the Mayor.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect City Council members for three at-large Districts. The three candidates with the most votes will be elected.
Michelle Bernier for La Habra City Council
Michelle Bernier is La Habra City’s Planning Commissioner and is involved with local initiatives like the Children’s Museum’s Autism Day, Meals on Wheels, or COVID vaccination efforts.
Priorities
- focus on affordable housing for youth, veterans and disabled
- protecting open spaces and unhoused residents and people in precarious living conditions like living in a friend’s couch or multi-generational homes
- foster growth in La Habra and responsible development in the community
Endorsements
- Sharon Quirk-Silva, Assembly Member, District 67
- Susan Sonne, Buena Park City Council Member, District 3
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
Santa Ana City Government
Santa Ana’s city government has a Mayor and six City Council members. City Council members establish city policy, pass ordinances and vote on the budget. The Mayor proposes and administers the budget, appoints department heads and oversees the administration of the city.
They manage the government at the city level, including services like parks, police, firefighters, housing, emergency medical services, roads and transportation.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect the Mayor and City Council members of Wards 1, 3, 5.
Ben Vazquez for Santa Ana Mayor
Ben Vazquez is currently the City Councilmmeber for Ward 2 of Santa Ana and teaches Ethnic Studies and U.S. History at Valley High School, where he started the Ethnic Studies program. Vazquez is a former board member of El Centro Cultural de Mexico.
Priorities
- affordable housing for rent and to buy under a housing covenant
- police oversight with investigative and subpoena powers
- more libraries, after school programs and summer jobs for youth
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Jessie Lopez, Santa Ana City Council Member, Ward 3
- Johnathan Hernandez, Santa Ana City Councilmember, Ward 5
Thai Viet Phan for Santa Ana City Council, Ward 1
Thái Việt Phan works as a City Attorney and is currently the City Councilmember for Ward 1 of Santa Ana and also the Mayor Pro Tem. Phan serves on the board of the Vietnamese American Bar Association and the Heritage Museum of OC, and is the child of refugees of the Vietnam War.
Priorities
- promoting housing affordability by promoting new developments and helping renters stay in their homes
- making it easier for small businesses to go through permitting and receive financial and translation assistance
- increase professionally managed homeless care facilities and affordable housing options
Endorsements
- Women in Leadership
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324
Jessie Lopez for Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3
Jessie Lopez is currently the City Councilmember for Ward 3 of Santa Ana. Lopez has served in committees addressing fire, transportation, youth mental health and education, and has served as a community health advocate at local non-profit organizations.
Priorities
- investing $24 million towards affordable housing and hiring more social workers for homeless outreach
- prioritizing public safety and advocating for police oversight and accountability
- renovating and repairing city parks and streets, and securing funding for youth programs
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Working Families Party of California
- Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties
Johnathan Hernandez for Santa Ana City Council, Ward 5
Jessie Lopez is currently the City Councilmember for Ward 5 of Santa Ana. Hernandez serves working on community health and youth mental health. Hernandez is the grandchild of immigrants from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Priorities
- support affordable housing projects and down payment assistance to address homelessness
- support gang intervention, youth violence and domestic violence prevention, mental health support to prevent crime
- secure funding for new parks in Santa Ana
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor District 2
- LiUNA: Orange County Laborers Union, Local 652
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324
Santa Ana Unified School District
The Santa Ana Unified School District encompasses 48 elementary, intermediate and high schools in Santa Ana and some adjacent cities.
School Boards approve school related decisions: budgets and set budget priorities, textbooks, and school schedules. They set the vision for schools and help students achieve their potential.
In the 2024 elections, voters will elect the School Board Members of Trustee Areas 1, 2, 3.
Rigo Rodriguez for Santa Ana Unified School District, Trustee Area 1
Rigoberto Rodriguez is currently the Santa Ana Unified School District Board Member for District 1 and is a professor at California State University – Long Beach with a history of three decades of activism in the community. Rodriguez is the child of Mexican immigrant farmworker parents.
Priorities
- delivering quality and equitative education to all students
- ensuring students are holistically well
- providing an inclusive curriculum, including ethnic studies.
Valerie Magdaleno for Santa Ana Unified School District, Trustee Area 2
Valerie Magdaleno works with Santa Ana City Councilmember Jessie Lopez and talks with constituents in the district and advises on policy.
Priorities
- expand community schools with a “whole child” approach
- support dual language immersion programs
- create spaces in the SAUSD Board for students to voice their concerns
Endorsements
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, District 2
- Hector Bustos, Santa Ana City Council Member, Ward 5
- Rigo Rodriguez, Santa Ana Unified School District Trustee, Area 1
Alfonso Alvarez for Santa Ana Unified School District, Trustee Area 3
Alfonso Alvarez is currently the Santa Ana Unified School District Board Member for District 3 and works in the social service field ensuring that children are supported and have the opportunity to receive quality education and succeed in their goals.
Priorities
- providing food for students, mental health, and support for students who are homeless