A third-generation San Diegan, Sara Jacobs has dedicated her career to fighting for the most vulnerable people by making institutions and policy fairer and more equitable, and finding innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems.

Sara is the Founder and Chair of San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty. Since its inception in fall of 2018, San Diego for Every Child has grown into a collaborative initiative with a wide range of local, state, national, and international partners, working toward the goal of halving the experience of childhood poverty in San Diego County by 2030.

Sara also serves as a Scholar in Residence at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. Additionally, Sara has dedicated much of her time and energy to electing a new generation of leaders — women, young people, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other underrepresented communities. She also serves on the board of Equality California and the Run for Something Powerhouse Committee, and as a member of Columbia University’s Data and Society Council.

Sara has served in policy positions at the U.S. State Department during the Obama Administration, UNICEF, and the United Nations. She was also proud to use her expertise to serve as a policy advisor to Secretary Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign for president.

Sara believes in harnessing the power of technology to solve big problems and has always been especially committed to fighting for the causes of children. Sara served as the founding CEO of Project Connect, an education non-profit dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for students around the world. Sara and her team worked to map every school in the world with the goal of connecting them all to the Internet — giving every child on the planet equal access to information and the tools they need to succeed. The project was so successful that it is now a flagship part of UNICEF’s work around the world

Sara grew up in our San Diego community and is a proud alumna of the San Diego public school system. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of International Affairs degree in International Security Policy and Conflict Resolution, both from Columbia University.

This is an all-hands-on-deck time. Our children and families can’t wait for a dysfunctional Washington to start paying attention. Our country is at a defining moment, and I believe it's more important than ever to have representatives who are willing to listen to each other, respect one another, and actually get something done. We need a new generation of leadership — leaders who represent our values, not career politicians just looking for the next step up.

Immigration:

I believe in LEGAL immigration.  We need to build the border wall and figure out better ways to help immigrants come here the right way, legally.  Building the wall will dramatically help Border Patrol Officers apprehend drug and human smugglers and prevent many of them from even attempting to cross.

2nd Ammendment:

I believe in our second amendment right to bear arms.  Criminals are going to continue doing criminal things, which means they do not care about the laws and are going to have guns.  If you ban firearms the criminals will prey on the law-abiding citizens knowing they have no way of defending themselves.  Some of the highest crime rates in our country come from areas with the strictest gun laws. 

However, I do think we need a look at how to prevent mass murders from happening (with any weapon).  If teachers have gone through proper training, they should be allowed to carry a weapon in a school to defend their students.  One police officer on a large campus is not enough for a quick response. 

We need to create a nationwide concealed carry permit.  There should be a standard course that citizens can take that allows them to carry in any state in the union.  We also need to remove suppressors, aka silencers, from the class 3 list. They protect shooters hearing and make it easier to teach people how to shoot a weapon properly.

Environment:

I believe we are slowly destroying our planet.  We need to continue to research logical, long term solutions to prevent global warming.  The creation of industry has provided amazing opportunities for the human race and helped spread resources to people all over the world.  But we need to continue to create better, more eco-friendly ways to produce power, cars, agriculture, etc.  The Green New Deal is unrealistic and absurd.  The Paris agreement doesn’t hold anyone accountable if they don’t meet deadlines.  But the United States needs to be at the forefront of innovation as we always are and continue to strive to a healthier plant. 

Homelessness:

Along with protecting our environment, I believe we need a real, long-term solution to our homeless population in California, especially for veterans.  We need to have a place where they can go for shelter, food, mental health, and job opportunities.  We need to make it illegal to loiter on the streets and sidewalks.  I propose we create tent cities where homeless can go for shelter and free food.  In these locations we can have mental health professionals help those that need it.  We can also have a resource to find homeless local jobs and provide transportation to and from work.  This will clean up our streets which will make our cities more appealing for tourists.  It will also eliminate the rodent problem that many of our cities have from food and waste left behind from the homeless. 

Equality:

I believe we are all given the same opportunities to succeed, no matter your sex, race, religion, or any other factor. I think we are dividing this country by using terms such as “latinos” or “blacks.”  We should not have to put a label on anyone.  We are all AMERICANS! 

I believe there are only two human genders and if you were born with the wrong one, taxpayers should not be responsible for helping you change it.

Healthcare:

I would not be opposed to a healthcare for all plan that makes sense.  The Affordable Care Act ended up hurting the people that deserve affordable health care the most, the hard working citizens that live just above the line to receive free healthcare.  The government should not run all healthcare.  People should be given the choice of what doctor they want and what type of program they want to have for themselves and their families. 

I believe we need to federally legalize marijuana, tax it, and use that money to help people with their addiction problems.  This would help curb the smuggling of marijuana across our borders, ultimately keeping our border towns and Border Patrol agents safer.  Medicinal marijuana has been an amazing drug and helped countless families, and a family should not be forced to move to a state that has legalized medical marijuana in order to provide the much needed drug to their sick or dying family members.

Veterans:

One of my top priorities for California is to eliminate the income tax on military retirement pay, and eliminate it nationwide.  A veteran that has served our country for 20 years and retires from our armed forces ends up taking home about one third of his pay from active duty.  When you add the income tax deduction to this salary their retirement pay quickly becomes inadequate.  This is a huge reason we have many of our greatest Americans leaving California after they retire.  I would also like to reform retirement for reservists and make it more equal across the board.

Government Spending:

We need to get a hold on our growing deficit.  I think it is amazing that Americans can become successful enough to make a seven figure salary and I believe the American dream is alive and well.  But we should rethink the tax code and spread out income taxes over a wider range of salaries.  Someone making $10,000,000 a year should pay a higher percentage in taxes than someone making $650,000 per year.  We need to redistribute the income tax rates over a larger scale.

No budget, no pay.  If Congress doesn’t have a budget in place in time and the government is shut down, Congress doesn’t get paid.  I have personally seen this affect the lives of first responders, government employees, our troops, and their families.  It is unacceptable for members of Congress to continue to accept pay when they can’t come to the table and ensure our Nation’s finest are taken care of.

Janessa Goldbeck is a USMC veteran and a businesswoman with extensive experience on Capitol Hill. Janessa is currently running for Congress in California's 53rd district to fight for bold, progressive solutions that make a difference in the lives of San Diegans, and to restore a sense of pride - rooted in our values - to Washington.  Janessa was born and raised in San Diego County and has built her career around creating a safer and more equitable world for all.  Janessa started her career in Washington, DC, working as an advocate for human rights in Darfur, Sudan.  During her time in D.C., Janessa passed multiple pieces of federal legislation to stop and prevent genocide and mass atrocity in places like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar. In 2012, Janessa was recognized by Diplomatic Courier magazine as one of the “Top 99 Foreign Policy Professionals Under 33.”

In 2011, when Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, Janessa, an out, LGBTQ woman knew it was time to do something she'd always dreamed of: join the Marine Corps and serve her country. Janessa was trained as a Combat Engineer officer and deployed to Eastern Europe, leading troops alongside our NATO allies.  During her time in the Marines, Janessa earned the rank of Captain, a black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, and was twice awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.  Janessa also served as a Uniformed Victim Advocate, providing essential support and care to Marines who had experienced sexual assault.

During her initial training, upon learning that there were certain roles in the armed forces from which women were still excluded, Janessa decided to do something about it.  First, she volunteered to go to the all-male Infantry Officers Course, in order to show that women were just as capable as men in these roles.  Afterward, she co-founded the "No Exceptions" advocacy campaign to influence Congress and the Department of Defense to repeal the Combat Exclusion Policy and open all combat roles to women. The "No Exceptions" campaign was instrumental in the repeal of the policy in 2015. All military combat jobs are now open to women, and women have since successfully graduated from the Marine Corps' Infantry Officers Course and Basic Recon courses.

When Janessa's mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease, Janessa requested orders to return to her hometown so that she could care for her mom. Once back in San Diego, Janessa co-founded the San Diego chapter of the Truman National Security Project - a progressive "think-do" tank for national security professionals, and started a small business to help non-profit organizations advocate for bold, progressive change in Washington. Over the last two years, her firm was instrumental in an effort to mobilize veterans to advocate on behalf of bold conservation legislation that protected 1.3 million acres of new wilderness and created six new national parks. The bipartisan bill passed both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by President Trump.

Janessa is a fighter - she's unafraid to take action and stand up for what she believes in.  She believes that with grit, imagination, and a willingness to work together, we can do big things. She is running for Congress in California's 53rd district to serve her country in a new capacity by listening to the people in her community and fighting for actionable solutions that make a difference to San Diegans.

Success means a positive forward motion. Not every endeavor will have the outcome that you want or expect. But I am a strong believer in “failing forward” – if you set the bar high enough, even if you fail to meet your goal, you will still achieve positive forward motion. True failure is the absence of trying.

Famela Ramos is a Nurse, a Researcher, and a Politician.  Famela is Running for the Congress in the 52^nd Congressional District.

Ms. Ramos came to the United States from the Philippines at the age of two, when her father joined the United States Navy.  Her parents worked tirelessly to support the family of 5 children, all of which became successful entrepreneurs and Government Employees.

As a nurse, Famela has experience from the beginning of life, having practiced in pediatric nursing, to the end of life, having worked as a hospice nurse.  Her excellence in nursing and research is attested by 7 peer reviewed publications that she collaborated with Academy and Industry in advancing cutting edge research in immunology and regenerative medicine. 

The first paper, was a collaboration with the Moores Cancer Center and several biotechnology companies, describing the state of the art in cancer immunotherarpy, and proposing future directions[1].  The second paper, discussed the possibility of stimulating regeneration of injured lung stem cells using specific types of laser and light based interventions, this was a collaboration between the University of Utah and the University of California, San Diego[2]. The third paper, a collaboration between a nutraceutical company and Indiana University, demonstrated the beneficial effects of a nutritional supplement on circulating stem cells in healthy volunteers[3].  The fourth publication, was the first successful use of two different types of stem cells in a patient with heart failure, which resulted in a profound improvement[4].  The fifth publication is a report of 114 patients that were treated with umbilical cord blood stem cells and demonstrated safety and signals of efficacy in collaboration with a Chinese Biotech company[5]. The sixth publication was successful treatment of a spinal cord injury patient with stem cells[6].  The seventh publication was the basis for an investigational new drug (IND) application to the FDA, describing use of fat stem cells to treat aplastic anemia[7].

Ms Ramos has established the Right to Try Foundation, which assists companies in utilizing this new law that allows for accelerated patient access to experimental medication.  Through this Foundation Ms Ramos facilitated the first utilization of a cancer vaccine in the United States, and has been assisting both public and private companies.  Most recently the Foundation has collaborated on filing new patents for means of implementing the Right to Try Law[8].

Ms Ramos is a board member of Silent Voices, a Pregnancy Resource Center that provides counselling to woman in emergency pregnancies, alternatives to abortion, and for woman that do choose abortion, post abortion support.

Ms Ramos has been endorsed by business and community leaders as well as nationally known athletes including Dr. Peter Farrell, founder of Resmed, a $18 billion company, and Wes Chandler, an NFL Hall of Fame San Diego Charger.

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0008874910000948?via%3Dihub

[2] https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5876-8-16

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862021/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003238/pdf/1755-7682-3-5.pdf

[5] https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5876-8-75

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989319/

[7] https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5876-10-231

[8] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/08/05/1896899/0/en/Therapeutic-Solutions-International-Collaborates-with-Right-to-Try-Foundation-on-Novel-Means-of-Protecting-Patients-While-Hyper-accelerating-Drug-Development.html

As a nurse, I’m proud that I’ve participated in ground-breaking medical research. I was drawn to the healthcare field because I wanted to help people.

As a mother, my most important job, I am blessed with four wonderful children who are learning the story of our great country.

I am a conservative running for Congress because I believe we must lower taxes, reduce our national debt and make our federal government more accountable.

Supporting our military will be a priority for me as a Member of Congress.  I support a strong national defense and firmly believe we must expand the capability of our Navy to address the threats sure to come over the next decade. 

Improving the care of our nation’s veterans is a related priority for me. The Veterans Administration is slowly improving after the neglect of the prior administration, but as a nurse, I will hold the bureaucrats responsible.

I stand firmly with Israel, and believe in the Constitution, the Second Amendment and the sanctity of life.

This country faces formidable global economic challenges now and in the years to come, but I have great confidence in the strong will and spirit of American workers. As with past threats and hardships, I know that our nation will prevail.

I am running for Congress to bring tough fiscal discipline to our federal government. I ask that you join me in this work and support me in the election on March 3. Thank you for your consideration.

http://www.famelaramosforcongress.com/

Annette Meza is not only a native of San Diego, but a homegrown product of CA District 53.  The daughter of immigrants, she knows first hand the struggles facing working class families in this very district.  She has overcome adversity to become an educator, an advocate for human trafficking victims, and a Latina activist and leader.  

Her values have informed her career as a classroom teacher and leader.  She earned her Master’s in Education from Point Loma Nazarene University and has worked closely with the children and families of this community, leading them to achieve their dreams through education.  As an activist and organizer, she has fought for the voiceless victims of human trafficking and slavery, bringing awareness and attention to their plight.  

Her campaign focuses on the real issues facing individuals and families living in this community:  Healthcare, education, climate change, veteran wellness, and family empowerment. She is an advocate for veterans, a champion of the elderly, and a dynamic voice for working families and young people striving for their goals. 

Annette Meza is the voice and perspective that we need in Washington:  A homegrown leader; not a career politician or shill for the rich and powerful.  An educator and activist that has the vision to see the problems we face, and the wisdom to see the solutions that are right for our hometown. 

I grew up in a small town in Texas to parents of Panamanian, Puerto Rican, and Mexican descent. Until the age of five, I grew up with both parents in relative luxury in Arlington, Texas. However, it was a gilded luxury that came from my father, who at the time was a drug dealer and money launderer. This would eventually lead him to prison, severely impacting our relationship and my life. My mother was forced to take me and my younger sister back home to Mineral Wells to raise us with the help of her parents. We went from wanting for nothing to three generations living in a one-bedroom apartment. My mother worked multiple jobs in order to support us and eventually found love again. Together with their strength and tireless work ethic, my mother and stepfather got us back on our feet. My stepfather is now a police detective and my mother is a lead tech for an independent school district. The undying love and dedication of my mother, stepfather, and grandparents fostered a strong sense of family values and love for my country.

I faced a great deal of discrimination attending a majority white school. As a Latino, my intelligence was often discounted or outright ignored. I was denied the opportunity to take Advanced Placement and other intellectually stimulating programs. Attending a four-year university was never offered as an option by my counselors. I faced two options after high school; join the military or stay in my hometown to attend community college. The patriotism instilled in me compelled me to enlist the military. In order to find the intellectual challenge I had craved my entire life, I pursued a career in the Navy as a nuclear reactor operator.

After two years of brutally intense schooling from the prestigious Naval Nuclear Power School, I was certified by the Department of Energy to operate nuclear reactors for the United States Navy. I served six honorable years, deploying four and a half times in the hostile waters of the Persian Gulf as part of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It was during this time that I became intimately acquainted with the horrors of war and saw firsthand the loss of life that came as a consequence of my contributions to the war effort. I made a conscious decision then to fight for a world without wars and end the needless loss of life. This desire drives me to this very day.

While stationed on the USS Ronald Reagan as a Second-Class Petty Officer, Electronics Technician Enlisted Rank 5, I fell in love with the city of San Diego. After being honorably discharged, I chose to make San Diego my home and pursue a Political Science degree with an emphasis in American Politics and Philosophy from San Diego State University. This opened the doors to my life as an activist, where I have been focused on helping progressives get elected since my days as the President of the SDSU College Democrats. I would go on to found the San Diego Progressive Democratic Club in 2015 and in 2016 would serve as a national delegate for Bernie for District 53. I have served as a delegate to the California Democratic Party and have been a member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee for 5 years. Having noticed the lack of support for progressive candidates, I started a political consulting firm focused on mobilizing progressives and employing San Diegans as professional political workers knocking on doors to win campaigns. I’m proud to say that my work has helped transform the San Diego County Democratic Party. It is an honor to be a progressive leader in San Diego.

San Diego has truly become my home and is where I’ve settled down with my family. It was here that I met my fiancé Chyann through our activism, specifically through our work on the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign. Her son Ryan coming into my life has given me a deep sense of fulfillment and motivates me to create a safe, sustainable, and peaceful world for the generations to come. We live in Mid City with our dog Annie and look forward to a lifetime of happiness together in America’s Finest City.

Having now lived in San Diego for 13 years, I have walked the neighborhoods of San Diego and have heard the concerns of my fellow San Diegans. As a millennial and working-class parent struggling to pay rent while suffocating from my student loans, I understand the urgency with which these systemic issues must be addressed and am ready to fight for a serious change in San Diego and around the country with meaningful policy. It would be an honor to serve as your representative in Congress.

Meet Joaquín Vázquez, a first generation Mexican American, son of immigrant parents, born and raised in San Diego's City Heights and Mid-City areas. Joaquín has overcome family separation, homelessness, and a move to Tijuana, Mexico due to his father's deportation. A transfronterizx, Joaquín returned to the US on his own at 15 years old to work at a car wash in order to rent a room and attend Crawford High School. At age 18 he moved to Lemon Grove and obtained full custody of his two younger brothers to bring them back to the US and enroll them at Mount Miguel High School. He worked hard in two jobs to put a roof over their head as he workerd to graduate college from UC Davis, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science and International Relations with a focus on Economics. He is a community organizer, policy adviser and served in the Obama administration prior to earning his Master's in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. He is now running for U.S. Congress.

Joaquín fights for progressive values and believes that in the richest country of the world, there is no reason for anyone to be homeless, hungry, out of a job, or even have to struggle to get their healthcare needs met, or not afford an education.

As an experienced policy advisor, community organizer, and unapologetic progressive, Joaquín is running for the U.S. House of Representatives to bring real and honest represention for the people of California’s 53rd Congressional District and kick special interests to the curb. Establishment politicians and the rich have had a free reign over our democracy for too long. As greed infects every part of our government, the most pressing problems destroying our communities are ignored and families are struggling to make ends meet worse than ever. In a time where we need all hands on deck, politicians have gotten comfortable in their seats, taking billions of dollars from corporations, catering to special interests, and leaving the middle- and working-class people to drown as they swim against the waves.

We don't need more rich politicians buying seats, nor establishment politicians making their corporate donors richer while they do as they are told. Their time is up. We, the people, are taking Washington back!

Joaquín's educational and professional background might make him qualified candidate for the job, but it is his real life experience that makes him the best person to represent the district and be the true champion of the people.  As he stands tall against all odds, he is fighting for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, ending homelessness, guaranteed jobs, housing and education for all, transportation justice, immigration reform, banning private prisons, immigration and criminal justice reform, while #PuttingPeopleFirst.

My passion in life has always been to help people and keep the environment clean. Whether protecting the airways as a U.S. Air Marshal, or working alongside U.S. Customs/Homeland Security to prevent the unlawful trafficking in live exotic wildlife, the “public” in public servant has always come first. As a graduate of The University of Montana, I learned early that understanding the views of others could be the key to prosperity for all. My 30 years of public service with the U.S. Department of the Interior spanned the country from California to Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia/Washington D.C., and New Jersey. In all my travels and through all my encounters with people, whether as Refuge Manager, Wildlife Inspector, Special Agent, Computer Forensics Specialist or augmented Federal Air Marshal, I've understood that the average person's hopes and desires boils down to happiness, freedom, and fairness. Although I retired from civil service in 2008, I continue to stress the importance of education through my work as an author, filmmaker, musician and community volunteer. I believe that education is the key to a healthy society.

Beyond being your advocate for the right to live healthy, prosperous lives, i want to represent you and the community, not dictate to the community. 

I am 62 years old and have lived a full life and learned many things from people around the world. Even with those expereinces, I am limited to prospective of life. But together we are stronger.

A representative of the House was not meant to be a career position.  It was meant to stay fresh, reducing the opportunity for individuals to cease power. In order to have a true democracy in the USA, we need to have a true representative government.  This can not occur when people make a career out of a public seat. As your representative, you will convey our needs and i will relay the needs of the community to the government. It is that simple. A representative needs to be a community advocate have life expereinces of the community, and be able to communicate effectively with others.  I exceed in all of these categoies, having served this country for 30 years, and three years of Washington Office expreience for the Department of the Interior.