What is happening right now in America is unprecedented and it is terrifying.  Last April, I had the opportunity to sit down with a Turkish-American family to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

The high cost of housing is the biggest challenge that California– and the Orange County area I represent– is facing. The top reason people are leaving our state, and the Number 1 driver for homelessness, is the high cost of housing.

I hear from people across the district that their healthcare costs are too high. That’s why I voted against cuts to funding for Medicaid and Medicare. When Congressional Republicans voted to hike premiums for millions of Americans by eliminating enhanced premium tax credits, I spoke out against their plan and voted to protect the tax credits that Californians rely on to afford their care. 

There are no compromises when it comes to women’s access to abortion and contraception. Women should have full autonomy over their own bodies and their ability to make their own healthcare decisions. Full stop.

There is no place in America that is safe from the specter of gun violence, even here in Orange County: whether it’s a church in Laguna Woods, an office park in Orange, a biker bar in Trabuco Canyon, or a hair salon in Seal Beach. We are the only developed nation in the world with anywhere close to this level of gun violence, and I refuse to let this be normalized.

As the parent of three young kids, I cannot think of a more urgent issue to tackle than climate change. The science is clear: we are facing tectonic changes to our basic way of life unless we begin to aggressively reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and turn the tide on carbon emissions, and the longer we wait, the more terrifying the consequences.

I believe in strong border security, but the misconduct of ICE, CBP, and DHS agents has starkly illustrated how deeply flawed our immigrant laws are. To be clear, much of what ICE is doing is illegal and improper. Deploying masked and anonymous agents to jump out of unmarked vans and conduct warrantless sweeps is illegal, as a number of courts have found.

As the product of California public schools, I know how important good public education is for the American Dream. I’m proud to send my own kids to public schools, and to be backed by the major pro-education groups, including the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers as well as their state counterparts, the California Teachers Associaition and the California Federation of Teachers.

My wife Jane Stoever is not only an amazing spouse and mother but also happens to be a thought and advocacy leader in the area of domestic violence. Jane is a professor at UC Irvine School of Law, where she teaches Family Law and directs the Domestic Violence Clinic, which represents survivors of DV in accessing the legal and other help they need to escape abusive relationships.

Unfortunately, even here in California, we’ve seen MAGA politicians hijack local school boards and city councils. Since my time in the State Senate, I’ve fought back forcefully against their culture war efforts, including by issuing statements, writing letters, and even speaking at Council Chambers against book bans, voter suppression efforts, and proposals targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

I’m proud to be the only candidate in the race for CA-47 endorsed by law enforcement organizations, including the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.

Earlier in my life, I tried my hand in business. After graduating from the Wharton School, I joined a group of friends in starting up a technology firm. Unfortunately, during the 2001 downturn, we lost our funding, and my dreams of being a tech mogul were dashed.