VOTE: OUR 2024 ENDORSEMENTS
Communities are more powerful than corporations!
We are sick of corporations that back conservative politicians who enable them to pollute our environment, exploit immigrant workers, and displace people from their homes. Corporations fear the power of a mobilized working class. By voting as A FORCE, we can demand change and ensure our voices are heard.
Many of our 2024 candidates are endorsed by the CA Working Families Party (AAPI FORCE is a statewide steering organization), and/or our steering committee organizations. These candidates fight for working class communities and work to hold corporations accountable. They lead with the progressive values that we need to put people over profits.
Statewide Endorsements
Barbara Lee
US Senate
Endorsed by APEN Action, CPA Action Fund, FAJ Action Fund, People Powered Action Fund
Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a lifelong organizer and progressive champion. As a state legislator, she authored California’s first Violence Against Women Act and fought for abortion access for all Californians. In her time in Congress, she has fought tirelessly for working families and communities of color, working to expand SNAP benefits, invest in child care, make the Child Tax Credit permanent, and advance legislation to lift millions of American families out of poverty. She cast the sole no vote against giving the president unlimited war powers after 9/11, demonstrating her commitment to doing what’s right–not what’s convenient.
Barbara Lee is the only US Senate candidate to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Local Endorsements
Alameda County
Jennifer Esteen
Board of Supervisors, D-4
Endorsed by APEN Action & FAJ Action Fund
Jennifer Esteen’s experience as a registered nurse in Psychiatric Emergency Services, witnessing the limits of our government’s social safety net for our most vulnerable neighbors, makes her a particularly qualified candidate for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. As Vice President of the Alameda Health System Board of Trustees, Jennifer Esteen manages a $1 billion budget for the county’s healthcare system and has been instrumental in securing 20 respite beds for patients in psychiatric crises. She also serves on the Eden Area Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), giving her keen insight into the housing needs of the 150,000 residents who live in urban unincorporated Alameda County.
Jennifer Esteen has shown support for a ceasefire in Gaza by releasing a very strong statement on Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Nikki Fortunato Bas
Board of Supervisors, D-5
Endorsed by APEN Action & FAJ Action Fund
As an Oakland city councilmember, Nikki Fortunato Bas has delivered for renters and low-income communities; in her tenure she has fought for the strongest COVID-19 eviction moratorium in the State of California, the creation of a $14 million fund to help low-income tenants purchase their homes with community land trusts to prevent displacement, and the production of 2,000 affordable housing units in the district. As a candidate for Supervisor, Nikki Fortunato Bas puts our communities first; her priorities include community mobile crisis response and culturally and linguistically competent access to healthcare.
Nikki Fortunato Bas voted in support of the successful Oakland resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Liz Ortega
California Assembly, AD-20
Endorsed by FAJ Action Fund
Liz Ortega, the current AD-20 Assemblymember, has a clear track record as a champion for working families. As Statewide Political Director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union, she secured the passage of state legislation to maintain and protect essential service jobs at every UC campus. As an Assemblymember, Liz Ortega has authored several bills that strengthen workplace protections and make housing more affordable.
Lateefah Simon
US House of Representatives, CA-12
Endorsed by APEN Action
Lateefah Simon began her career of advocacy leading the Young Women’s Freedom Center. She went on to create the Back on Track program, a first-of-its-kind anti-recidivism initiative for young adults charged with low-level offenses. She now serves on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors and seeks to make BART more affordable for working families and transit-dependent and disabled people like herself.
Lateefah Simon has called for a ceasefire.
Jovanka Beckles
California Senate, SD-7
Endorsed by FAJ Action Fund
As an advocate and Richmond City Councilmember, Jovanka Beckles created and supported policies that include: banning the box on City job applications; providing any community member who wanted one a local identification card, pushing for and winning a fight for rent control and raising the minimum wage. As a state senator, she hopes to lead on reparations, housing, healthcare for all, free college and childcare, reforming Prop 13, enshrining the right to same sex marriage and taxing the rich.
Jovanka Beckles has been an active participant of pro-Palestine protests.
Sacramento
Flojaune “Flo” Cofer
Mayor
As a public health advocate, Dr. Flo Cofer has fought for racial and reproductive justice throughout her career. As the four-term chair of the city’s Measure U committee, Dr. Flo Cofer led the distribution of millions of tax dollars to support essential fire, library, park, and youth intervention services. In a crowded field, she is the clear progressive choice.
Dr. Flo Cofer is the only mayoral candidate to call for a ceasefire.
Mai Vang
City Council, CD-8
Mai Vang is an organizer with deep roots in the Sacramento Hmong community. In her first term as a Councilmember representing District 8, Mai Vang has delivered public infrastructure and services for the city’s low-income and BIPOC constituencies. So far, she had led one of the most linguistically diverse community-led vaccination clinics in the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic; created the Food Justice Task Force to secure $1.5 million to address food insecurity; secured and implemented over $20 million of public investments to improve libraries, parks, streets and trails, and secured 102 acres in South Sacramento for affordable housing, civic amenities, and multi-use youth sports complex. In particular, Mai Vang has been a champion for Sacramento’s youth; she has secured over $8 million annually to the Sacramento Children’s Fund and fought to expand youth voices in the City.
Mai Vang introduced a city resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire.
San Diego County
Monica Montgomery-Steppe
Board of Supervisors, D-4
Elected in a 2023 special election, Monica Montgomery-Steppeis the first Black woman on the San Diego Board of Supervisors. She has long served as a racial justice advocate, and represented San Diego on the state’s reparations task force. Monica Montgomery-Steppe has strong ties to Black and immigrant grassroots organizations, and likely will be a strong partner and advocate for working-class communities.
Santa Clara County
Ash Kalra
California Assembly, AD-25
An Assemblymember since 2016, Ash Kalra has been one of the boldest progressive voices in the state legislature. He has been a strong advocate for clean energy and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels while preserving our open spaces and protecting our surrounding habitat. Prior to his role in public service, Ash Kalra has served as a board member of several immigrant and AAPI community based organizations in San Jose, such as Somos Mayfair and the Asian Law Alliance.
Ash Kalra signed on to the Children of Gaza letter, and supported the ceasefire resolution at the Santa Clara Democratic County Central Committee.
Betty Duong
Santa Clara Board of Supervisors, D2
Betty Duong is an experienced public servant of over ten years in Santa Clara County. Her initiatives at the county include building the Vietnamese American Service Center, helping create the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement to combat wage theft and advance workers’ rights, and initiating the County’s Language Access Unit. Betty Duong comes from deep roots within San Jose’s Vietnamese American community; her life experiences combined with her proven track record suggest she will be a strong community partner as Supervisor.
Alex Lee
California Assembly, AD-24
Alex Lee has consistently introduced legislation to hold corporations accountable (including a wealth tax), make housing affordable, and fight climate change. Notable achievements include laws increasing multi-mobility street safety and creating an Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to empower communities affected by pesticide pollution. A former student organizer, Alex Lee has led a people-powered campaign that firmly embraces progressive values.