Labor organizer Raymond Meza Wednesday announced his candidacy for the soon-to-be-vacated 34th Congressional District seat.
“We need a new type of voice in Washington,” said Meza, the external organizer coordinator with Service Employees International Union Local 721. “Voting the right way and saying the right things are no longer enough. I will refuse to compromise with Donald Trump as he attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and tear apart our communities.
I will be a steadfast voice for our vision for a just country where the minimum wage is 15 dollars an hour, health care is universal, education is a right, immigrants of all colors and religions are valued members of our community, women’s reproductive rights are guaranteed, and we confront the serious impact of climate change.”
The field to succeed Rep. Xavier Becerra, who has been appointed attorney general by Gov. Jerry Brown, also includes Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D- Los Angeles, former Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education member Yolie Flores, Coro Southern California Executive Director Sara Hernandez, journalist Wendy Carrillo and activist Kenneth Mejia.
The district includes portions of the Eastside including Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Lincoln Heights, along with downtown, Koreatown, the Westlake and Pico Union districts and Historic Filipinotown.