Meet the Filipino American candidates in California’s Nov. 3 elections

LOS ANGELES — Filipino Americans are seeking office across California in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, drawing on experience in state government, municipal leadership, education, law enforcement and community advocacy.

Their records include historic firsts in California government and work on public safety, education, infrastructure, economic development and community engagement.

Statewide and legislative races

Rob Bonta – California Attorney General

Rob Bonta | Photo from State of California Dept. of Justice

Democrat Rob Bonta is running for re-election as California attorney general. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him in 2021 to succeed Xavier Becerra, who resigned to become US secretary of Health and Human Services. Sworn in on April 23, 2021, Bonta became the first person of Filipino descent to hold the office. He won a full four-year term in 2022 after serving in the state Assembly from 2012 to 2021, becoming the first Filipino American elected to the California Legislature.

Born in Quezon City, Philippines, on Sept. 22, 1971, Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. He graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in history, studied politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford for a year, and earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 1998. Before entering the Legislature, he served on the Alameda City Council from 2010 to 2012 and chaired the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.

Bonta’s current tenure has involved litigation over federal authority and election administration, consumer protection and enforcement against alleged fraud.

Bonta is challenging a US Department of Justice lawsuit seeking California voter-registration records, arguing that there is no evidence of widespread voting by noncitizens. The lawsuit focuses on access to voter records and does not establish that any unlawful votes were cast.

On Oct. 23, Bonta’s office welcomed a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding a lower court’s order blocking the Trump administration’s federalization and deployment of California National Guard troops in and around Los Angeles. The appeals court found that the administration had exceeded its legal authority.

On Oct. 22, Bonta announced felony charges against 103 In-Home Supportive Services providers accused of defrauding Medi-Cal of more than $4.5 million. The cases stemmed from a statewide enforcement effort. 

On Oct. 19, Bonta’s office announced a $6 million settlement with Chrome Holding Co., formerly 23andMe, over allegations that it failed to protect customers’ personal and genetic data in a 2023 breach. The agreement also resolves California’s challenge to the transfer of genetic data and biological samples during bankruptcy proceedings.

That same month, Bonta’s office issued consumer guidance warning Californians about cryptocurrency scams and related fraud. 

Mark Pulido – California State Assembly, 67th District

Mark Pulido | Photo from cerritos.gov

Democrat Mark Emmanuel Pulido, Cerritos’ mayor pro tempore, is running for the 67th Assembly District. He returned to the City Council in 2025 after previously serving from 2011 to 2020. He was the first Filipino American elected to the council and the first Filipino American to serve as Cerritos mayor, holding the office in 2014–15 and 2018–19.

Born in Bellflower on Dec. 21, 1968, Pulido moved to Cerritos in 1972 and founded Club Kaibigan, a Filipino club at Whitney High School, in 1984. In 1992, he became UCLA’s first Filipino American student body president. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and Asian American studies from UCLA and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago as a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow.

Pulido’s public-service career spans local, state and federal government. He served three terms on the ABC Unified School District Board of Education beginning in 2001, including as board president from 2007 to 2008. He later worked as an Assembly consultant to the California speaker, a state Senate district director and district chief of staff to former U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal. Former Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him to the California Volunteers Commission, the California Science Center Board of Directors and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. 

Pulido describes his commitment to public service as rooted in his family’s history and his desire to expand opportunities in education, employment and economic advancement. His father and grandfathers served in the US Navy and Army. 

A Cerritos resident since 1973, Pulido lives in the city with his wife, Gloria. Their two children attended local schools, including some of the same schools he attended. His campaign priorities include improving schools, strengthening public safety, expanding affordable housing and easing financial pressures on working families.

Jessica Caloza – California State Assembly, 52nd District

Jessica Caloza | Photo from Asmdc.org

Democrat Jessica Caloza is seeking re-election to the 52nd Assembly District, which she has represented since December 2024. She serves as assistant majority whip and is the first Filipina elected to the California State Legislature.

Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Caloza immigrated to the United States as a child and became the first in her family to graduate from college. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and ethnic studies from the University of California, San Diego.

She began her public-service career as a community organizer for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Virginia before becoming a policy adviser at the US Department of Education. In Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s administration, she worked in the Office of Immigrant Affairs before joining the city’s Board of Public Works in 2019.

There, she oversaw the Bureau of Engineering and the Bureau of Contract Administration, with work involving the Sixth Street Bridge, Historic Filipinotown Eastern Gateway, small-business initiatives and language access to city services. She later served as deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Bonta at the California Department of Justice.

Southern California

Melissa Ramoso – Artesia City Council

Melissa Ramoso | Photo from Melissa Ramoso, City of Artesia Mayor Pro Tem/Facebook

Artesia Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Ramoso is seeking re-election after more than 23 years of working for federal and state lawmakers and assisting constituents. A longtime Artesia resident who attended Gahr High School, she credits her immigrant parents with inspiring her commitment to public service. Her mother is a retired county nurse and union member, while her father is a US Army veteran and retired postal worker.

Ramoso serves as district director for Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, coordinating constituent services, and previously worked for US Rep. Ted Lieu.

Her city record includes eight consecutive balanced budgets, stronger partnerships with city employees, expanded public access to City Hall and improved services. She helped deliver green bike lanes on Norwalk Boulevard and 166th Street, advocated for restriping Pioneer Boulevard as mayor in 2022, and initiated a capital improvement plan in 2023 that went online in 2026.

During the pandemic, she initiated an eviction moratorium, mental health services, a fee cap on delivery-based apps and a business assistance program. She also initiated an e-bike ordinance aimed at holding guardians accountable when minors violate e-bike laws or operate motor vehicles outside permitted classifications.

Ramoso says she works with residents, community groups, businesses and public safety personnel to improve safety and quality of life.

Stephanie Loredo – Culver City Unified School District

Stephanie Loredo | Photo from Stephanie Loredo Culver City Unified School District Board President/Facebook

Incumbent Stephanie Loredo is seeking re-election to the Culver City Unified School District Governing Board. Elected in 2022, she became the first woman of Filipino descent elected to citywide office in Los Angeles’ Westside. Her colleagues appointed her board president in December 2025.

Loredo has supported several school funding initiatives, including a $358 million general obligation bond, a parcel tax renewal generating $2.4 million annually to help retain teachers and keep class sizes small, and a $2.5 million grant from Culver City. According to her campaign, voters approved the bond in March 2024 and the parcel tax renewal in November 2024, while the city awarded the grant in fall 2025.

Her work includes digitizing the district’s policy manual, strengthening district-city partnerships, holding public forums and expanding culturally affirming school traditions, affinity graduation ceremonies and special education support.

In May 2023, she became vice chair of the Los Angeles region of the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of the California Democratic Party. She continues as the organization’s vice chair of membership and outreach.

A University of Pennsylvania graduate, Loredo holds a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies, with a concentration in Asian descent and a minor in Asian American studies. She previously served as Zenith Media’s vice president of national broadcast, overseeing more than $300 million in annual advertising spending for consumer brands.

Ollie Cantos – West Covina City Council

Ollie Cantos | Photo from Ollie Cantos/Facebook

West Covina Mayor Pro Tem Ollie Cantos is running for the District 4 City Council seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.

Born blind in Los Angeles to Filipino immigrant parents, Cantos moved to West Covina at age 4. He held student government positions at Hollencrest Junior High, Bishop Amat Memorial High School and Loyola Marymount University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and received the department’s Stanley Chan Award. He later earned a law degree from Loyola Law School Los Angeles.

His legal and advocacy career includes work as a staff attorney and director of outreach and education at the Disability Rights Legal Center, followed by roles at the American Association of People with Disabilities and the US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. He later served as associate director for domestic policy at the White House under President George W. Bush.

Cantos now works as special assistant to the assistant secretary for civil rights at the US Department of Education. His federal service has spanned Republican and Democratic administrations since 2004, and he has received presidential appointments from two presidents.

He is a single father who adopted blind triplet sons and famously guided them all to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout together.

Letty Lopez-Viado – West Covina City Council

Letty Lopez-Viado | Photo from Letty Lopez-Viado West Covina Mayor/Facebook

West Covina Mayor Letty Lopez-Viado, listed on the ballot as Letty Lopez, is seeking the District 2 City Council seat. First elected in 2018, she became the city’s first councilmember of Mexican and Filipino descent. She made history again on Dec. 15, 2020, when she was sworn in as the city’s first mayor of Mexican and Filipino heritage. Her more than 25 years in public service and community leadership have focused on youth development, public safety, economic development and community partnerships.

She founded Film It West Covina, an annual student film festival, launched Taste of West Covina to promote local businesses and helped bring Haven City Market to the city. Before joining the council, she served on the Community and Senior Services Commission and helped develop Cameron Park’s first inclusive playground.

Lopez-Viado is a senior director with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. She has led citywide initiatives and helped provide customer service and conflict-resolution training to more than 300 full-time employees.

A lifetime member of the Friends of the West Covina Library, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication studies from California State University, Los Angeles, and is a certified park and recreation professional.

Her priorities include clean parks, public safety, local business support, investment, fiscal responsibility, transparency and community engagement.

Arleen Bocatija Rojas – Carson City Council, District 4

Arleen Rojas | Photo from Arleen Bocatija Rojas/Facebook

Carson Councilmember Arleen Bocatija Rojas is seeking re-election to represent District 4. She brings 31 years of law enforcement experience to public service. Born in Agana, Guam, in 1966 to Filipino parents with roots in Iloilo City, Bacolod and Negros Occidental, she moved with her family to Carson in the early 1970s.

Rojas was the first female Filipino American police officer in Los Angeles Police Department history. Before joining the LAPD, she worked for the US Treasury Department and the US Secret Service, investigating counterfeiting and fraud and protecting domestic and foreign leaders. Her police career included patrol work in South Los Angeles and investigations involving drug use and trafficking, human trafficking, child exploitation and cyberbullying.

In Carson, she established a public safety task force and a Community Oriented Policing initiative, reactivated the Safety First Act Now initiative and worked to improve relations between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and residents.

She participates in Filipino American organizations, including the Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees, the Law Enforcement Association of Asian Pacific and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. In 2021, she chaired an in-person Filipino American History Month and Larry Itliong celebration following the pandemic. She has also participated in Philippine Independence Day and Long Beach Bacolod Association Masskara Festival events.

Rojas advocates for senior citizens’ mental and physical health and emphasizes respect, fairness and dignity in public service. Her platform and safety-first message have secured high-profile labor and public safety endorsements for the 2026 cycle, including the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the Los Angeles County Firefighters Association. 

Phil Bacerra – Santa Ana City Council, Ward 4

Phil Bacerra | Photo from Santa Ana City Councilmember Phil Bacerra/Facebook

Incumbent Councilmember Phil Bacerra is seeking re-election in Santa Ana’s Ward 4. Elected in November 2019 and re-elected in 2022, he is the first Fil-Am elected official in the city’s history.

In 2025, he chaired the Orange County Fire Authority Board, representing Santa Ana, and served on the Southern California Association of Governments’ Transportation Committee.

Born and raised in Orange County, Bacerra is the son of a union grocery store manager and a waitress. He earned a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Southern California and worked for several city government agencies, including the City of Los Angeles. His work has focused on small-business support and access to quality housing.

Before joining the council, he served for more than five years on the Santa Ana Planning Commission, as well as on the city’s General Plan Advisory Group and Historic Resources Commission. He also completed two terms on the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Citizens Advisory Committee.

His grandfather, Candido Bacerra, participated in the Delano Grape Strike alongside labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz and helped build Agbayani Village for retired Filipino farmworkers.

Ditas Yamane – National City Council, District 3

Ditas Yamane | Photo from Ditasyamane.com

National City Councilmember Ditas Yamane is seeking re-election in District 3. A longtime resident, businesswoman and mother, she identifies public safety, housing, homelessness and business assistance as priorities.

Her community work includes securing grants for El Toyon Park improvements, cleaning up a blighted corner, establishing Filipino Plaza, creating a conservation garden, adding streetlights and improving pedestrian walkways.

Yamane chairs the Sweetwater Authority governing board, advocating safe, reliable water at affordable rates, and serves as vice chair of San Diego Community Power, focusing on affordable, reliable energy from renewable sources. She also leads her own real estate agency.

Her campaign highlights a philosophy centered on listening to residents and pursuing practical neighborhood solutions. During her current term, she notably defended local funding by supporting and utilizing the $100,000 annual council district budgets to directly deliver overlooked services to her District 3 constituents. 

Northern California

Juslyn Manalo and Mark Nagales — San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, District 5

Juslyn Manalo | Photo from dalycity.org

Mark Nagales | Photo from marknagales.com

Daly City Councilmember Juslyn Manalo and South San Francisco Councilmember Mark Nagales are among the candidates seeking the District 5 seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in a special election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The contest follows Supervisor David Canepa’s resignation, effective Jan. 4, 2027, after his election as county assessor-county-clerk-recorder.

Manalo was the first Filipino American woman to serve as Daly City mayor; Nagales was the first Filipino American mayor of South San Francisco.

Affordable housing and the county’s multimillion-dollar budget shortfall are among the race’s principal concerns.

Rod Daus-Magbual – Daly City Council

Rod Daus Magbual | Photo from dalycity.org

Daly City Councilmember Rod Daus-Magbual is running for re-election to the City Council at-large. Elected in 2018, he has served as mayor in 2022 and 2025. He previously served on the Library Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2017 and the Planning Commission from 2017 to 2018, including as vice chair. He became vice mayor in 2021 and again in 2024.

His family moved from Canada to the United States via the Philippines in the early 1980s. His mother worked as a nurse, while his father held blue-collar jobs, including as a welder. Daus-Magbual credits his parents’ experiences with shaping his commitment to community service.

He moved to Daly City in 2002 for graduate study in Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, later earned a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco and became a tenured ethnic studies professor at Skyline College.

He also serves as executive director of Pin@y Educational Partnerships, mentoring aspiring teachers and community leaders.

Tony Bayudan – Daly City Council

Tony Bayudan | Tony Bayudan for Daly City Council/Facebook

Currently serving as two-time mayor of Daly City (previously mayor in 2022), Tony Bayudan is running for the Daly City Council in the Nov. 3 general election. He has been a member of the Daly City local government for over a decade, progressing through commission seats to the city’s highest office.

A resident since 1977, he is the son of working-class Filipino immigrants whose family bought a home in the Top of the Hill neighborhood.

Bayudan serves as chief of staff to San Mateo County Supervisor David J. Canepa and vice chair of the Daly City Personnel Board. He previously held business development and administrative management positions at credit unions.

His campaign focuses on expanding local opportunities and addressing affordability, particularly rising housing, health care and grocery costs for families and seniors. He says these concerns are personal to him and his family, who have called Daly City home since 1977.

Gabe Quinto – El Cerrito City Council

Gabe Quinto | Photo from elcerrito.gov

El Cerrito Mayor Gabe Quinto was first elected to the City Council in 2014 and has served as mayor in 2018, 2022 and 2026. He was the city’s first Filipino American and LGBTQ councilmember and its second Asian American councilmember.

Born in Berkeley and raised in El Cerrito, Quinto earned a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film from California State University, Long Beach. He served on the city’s Human Relations Commission from 2011 to 2014, including as chair, and on its Committee on Aging.

Quinto held leadership positions in the League of California Cities, serving as second vice president in 2023–24, first vice president in 2024–25 and statewide president before becoming immediate past president.

His regional service includes the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board from 2024 to 2026, the Marin Clean Energy board, where he served as vice chair from 2023 to 2025, and the Contra Costa County Local Agency Formation Commission, which he chaired from 2023 to 2026.

He has also served on the League of California Cities board, its Asian Pacific Islander and LGBTQ caucuses, and environmental policy committees. His affiliations include Equality California, CivicWell, the El Cerrito Rotary Club and the Contra Costa Democratic Party Central Committee. He has been a delegate to the California Democratic Party and the Democratic National Convention.

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