Jessica Caloza | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the52nd district | |
| Assumed office December 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Wendy Carrillo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | |
| Residence(s) | Los Angeles, California |
| Alma mater | University of California, San Diego (BA) |
Jessica Caloza is an American politician, serving as a member of theCalifornia State Assembly for the52nd District since 2024. A member of theDemocratic Party, she is the firstFilipina elected to the California State Legislature.[1] She also serves as the Assistant Majority Whip.
Caloza was born inQuezon City,Philippines, and immigrated to theUnited States as a child. She comes from aworking-class background and graduated from theUniversity of California, San Diego with abachelor's degree ininternational relations andethnic studies. Caloza is the first person in her family to graduate from college in the United States.[1]
Caloza is a longtime public servant and started her career working as a community organizer forPresident Barack Obama's campaign in Virginia. She went on to work as a policy advisor in the Obama Administration at theU.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.[1] After serving at the federal level, Caloza worked forLos Angeles MayorEric Garcetti[2] in the Office of Immigrant Affairs. In 2019, she was appointed by Mayor Garcetti to serve as aCommissioner on the Board of Public Works, which is the only full-time commission in the City of Los Angeles. She oversaw the Bureau of Engineering and the Bureau of Contract Administration and led critical infrastructure projects and neighborhood beautification initiatives like the Sixth Street Bridge andHistoric Filipinotown Eastern Gateway. She also led initiatives to supportsmall businesses and critical policies that expandedlanguage access to make city services more accessible. After working at the local level, Caloza joined the California Department of Justice and served as the deputy chief of staff toCalifornia Attorney GeneralRob Bonta.
In July 2023, Caloza announced her campaign for theCalifornia State Assembly in the52nd District to replace incumbentWendy Carrillo, who ran for theLos Angeles City Council. In the March 2024 primary, Caloza andFranky Carrillo advanced to the general election from a crowded field of ten candidates.[2][3] In November 2024, Caloza handily won the general election, beating Carrillo—108,882 votes (66.92%) to her opponent's 53,820 (33.08%).[4]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Jessica Caloza | 23,391 | 29.8 | |
| Democratic | Franky Carrillo | 20,569 | 26.2 | |
| Republican | Stephen Sills | 10,082 | 12.8 | |
| Democratic | David Girón | 9,184 | 11.7 | |
| Democratic | Ari Ruiz | 5,832 | 7.4 | |
| Democratic | Carlos J. León | 2,628 | 3.3 | |
| Democratic | Genesis Coronado | 2,583 | 3.3 | |
| Democratic | Sofia Quinones | 2,080 | 2.6 | |
| Green | Shannel Pittman | 1,160 | 1.5 | |
| Democratic | Anthony Libertino Fanara | 992 | 1.3 | |
| Total votes | 78,501 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Jessica Caloza | 108,882 | 66.9 | |
| Democratic | Franky Carrillo | 53,820 | 33.1 | |
| Total votes | 162,702 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
