By Marina Andalon
Santa Monica native and former White House aide, Alejandra Campoverdi announced her plan to pursue the seat of Representative Xavier Becerra’s 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles, if the Legislature confirms him as Attorney General of California.
Becera won reelection in November of 2016 but was named as interim attorney general of California by Gov. Jerry Brown in December 2016. Becerra has represented Downtown Los Angeles in Congress for 24 years, and now a special election to fill the seat is predicted to take place in late spring of 2017 to fill his seat.
California’s 34th district is held together by urban and diverse neighborhoods, such as Boyle Heights, City Terrace, Downtown, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, El Sereno, Glassel Park, Highland Park/Garvanza, Historic Fillipinotown, Koreatown, Lincoln Heights, Mt. Washington, Montecito Heights, and Westlake/Pico Union.
Campoverdi grew up on Lincoln Ave, in a cramped apartment with her single mother, her grandparents and her aunts and uncles. She attended Saint Monica’s School for thirteen years on financial assistance. She quickly learned the hardships of life. Many issues she focuses on are unemployment, income inequality, immigration, healthcare, and access to quality education because of her personal experience.
“As a native Angeleno raised by a single mother who immigrated from Mexico, my upbringing defines me. It was the ugly rhetoric and anti-immigrant sentiment of the Proposition 187 era in LA that catalyzed my career in public service and advocacy,” said Campoverdi. “Now in this critical moment for LA and for our country, I’m running for Congress because I am ready to fight for our families in every way I can think of and in every way I know how.”
She attended University of Southern California and graduated from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She went on to receive her Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and later joined then Senator Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign for the presidency.
Campoverdi was appointed to serve as a White House aide to President Obama during the first four years, initially in the West Wing as Special Assistant to the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and later as the Deputy Director of Hispanic Media.
She went on to serve as Senior Advisor for Innovation and Communications Strategy for Univision Network News, where she also worked with the team that launched Fusion. She returned to Los Angeles and joined the Los Angeles Times, as Managing Editor of #EmergingUS and Director of Multicultural Content.
“Through out my whole life I have been trying to find a way to serve my community in every way I can,” said Campoverdi.
On Dec. 22, 2016 Campoverdi put her name in the race for Congress in California’s 34th District, along with Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, Wendy Carrillo, Kenneth Mejia, Sara Hernandez, Arturo Carmona, Yolie Flores, Karl Siganporia, Raymond Meza, and Steven Mac.
Campoverdi plans on focusing on multiple issues.
She said, “Access to good health care and quality education, broken immigration system as well as criminal justice system aren’t theoretical issues for me these are things that I have lived myself.”
She said she was taking on the challenge to be a champion for families
“We need someone in Washington who will speak loudly and fearlessly for the ones who need it most,” said Campoverdi.
marina@www.smdp.com
