JOAQUÍN BELTRÁN

I’m proud to have supported California Nurses Association’s AB 2200 bill for CalCare. CalCare is urgently needed to provide universal coverage, comprehensive healthcare, the freedom to choose one’s provider, and for accessing healthcare free at the point of service, and address current existing healthcare disparities such as long covid and racial inequities.

The cost of living is hurting our community, from housing to food to gas, we need to create policies that help provide security for our community instead of creating policies that make it hard for us to do the most basic of things like buy food and have a roof over our heads.

As the only candidate in this race to call for an end to the genocide and the only candidate in this race who has spoken at official meetings governments in Downey and our neighboring cities of Long Beach, Cudahy, Montebello, and even LA County Supervisors and the CDC, I will do everything in my power to end the occupation and Free Palestine.

As the Founder of Speak Up America, I have organized with Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion LA for policies to prevent and mitigate the increasing climate crisis. Because of our leaders, many of the consequences are already happening and I will work to urgently advocate for funds from Congress to invest in infrastructure upgrades to protect our communities in times of extreme weather events like heatwaves, flooding, wildfires, and heavy snow that affects our whole region.

As the founder of the ACE (ActionCareEquity.org) Coalition, I’ve led the movement in LA County to make healthcare settings safer for our community so that they don’t get sicker in healthcare but get better, that’s how it should be. I’ll continue this work by demanding that Congress invest in indoor air quality upgrades with better ventilation and filtration for our healthcare settings, schools, public transportation, and every work environment. The future is clean air and single payer healthcare, critical reforms for investing in our communities’ health AND the economy.

As a former Student Body President for California State University, Los Angeles in 2009-10 during the Great Recession when we experienced 33% fee increases. I will champion free public education. The Master Plan of Higher Education created the CSUs, UCs, and Community Colleges, we need to get back to investing in our communities instead of the military industrial complex.

As a former mentor of College Bound Today in underserved areas of Southeast LA, it’s urgent that we invest in future generations so that they get the best opportunities to achieve their dreams and be the leaders of tomorrow and this starts with investing in K-12. I will champion better funding for teachers, programs in the arts and technology, and high quality classroom conditions to improve learning.

As someone born in East LA and as a first-generation Mexican-American, I grew up living the immigrant story as my parents worked hard to achieve their American Dream of starting a small business by working as a seamstress and machine operator. Our family members are now leaders in our community and this is a common story of immigrants who are the foundation of American life. Congress must create humane policies that provide safe pathways to citizenship for people already in the U.S. and those who want a better life and want to contribute to the future our nation.

On Jan 18th, I flew to Washington D.C. to attend Bernie Sander’s HELP Committee on Long Covid to advocate for research, treatments, and financial support. Nearly four million people have become disabled and cannot return to work, and this number continues to grow. I will demand as a city council member that congress fund this growing public heath crisis immediately.

I founded Speak Up America to help people make their voices heard so politicians can be responsive to what matters for communities. Through Speak Up America, I’ve launched campaigns focused on better policies to contain the pandemic, combat climate change, and helped organize webinars to create safer environments for schools during COVID.

I founded ACE, a community-led coalition that’s building collective power to protect every member of our communities. ACE takes action for health care that is equitable now.

Served as Chair of the Regional Advisory Council for LA’s NPR station, Southern California Public Radio/LAist. Member of council since 2013 helping to provide guidance on programming, growing their audience to reflect the diversity of Greater LA, and growing their digital platform.

Founded and Authored a framework for ending community transmission focused on protection protocols, financial foundation, and community care.

Coro Fellow in 2011-12 awarded a $45k grant from The California Endowment to create an asset map and research resident engagement in West/Central Long Beach and launched a financial literacy canvassing campaign in East Los Angeles for the community bank, Pan American Bank.

Regional Director for Biden-Harris 2020 campaign to help elect a president who would act on COVID and Climate. Unlike other candidates, I have been straightforward in holding President Biden accountable on the pandemic, climate, and the genocide in Gaza, I do this because we are in a representative democracy and should demand better.

Created the nation’s 7th largest SBDC Network’s public affairs strategy and met with legislators to advocate for economic development to help small businesses grow and produce more jobs.

Deputy Field Organizer in Northeast Las Vegas that led the state of Nevada in volunteer recruitment.

Community organizer for Bienvenidos helping to bring together stakeholders in nonprofits, business, and government to improve public health and civic engagement.

Co-founded a public-private partnership of a Small Business Development Center focused on helping emerging tech entrepreneurs get the resources for their startups to be successful.