Stories, Struggles, and Real Conversations

— Workers heading to early shifts, parents juggling multiple jobs, students fighting for

a future, and seniors navigating a system that too often leaves them behind. Traveling across

District 8 daily has allowed me to listen, learn, and understand the challenges families face in

ways City Hall rarely sees. These stories fuel my commitment to leadership grounded in

empathy, honesty, and real human connection. I have always believed that if you truly want to

understand a community, you cannot do it from a stage, a script, or an office; you must meet

people where they are — in their daily routines, in their challenges, and in the honest moments

that only appear in real spaces.

That is why, at the beginning of this campaign, I launched my own Grassroots Mobilization

Project and began working as a rideshare driver. Not as a gimmick or for attention, but as the

most direct and respectful way to sit face-to-face with the very residents I hope to serve. Real

people. Real stories. A real District 8. In just a few months, I have transported more than 1,800

passengers from San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Nestor, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Ocean View

Hills, and Barrio Logan. And in those trips — between the border and work, classes at

Southwestern College, medical appointments, grocery runs, and long days ending late at night —

people open up.

Residents talk about rent increases pushing them to the edge, streets that feel unsafe, and schools

where accountability is too often an afterthought. They describe border delays that drain hours

from their workday and their family time. And in these daily conversations with residents from

every corner of District 8, one message continues to emerge: people are deeply frustrated with

the state of politics — locally and nationally. They are tired of leaders who don’t listen, tired of

feeling ignored, and tired of watching government drift further away from the people it is

supposed to serve. These aren’t political complaints — they are urgent calls for leadership

grounded in honesty, presence, and respect. Residents also point to long-term encampments and

vehicles parked for months — especially in San Ysidro along the riverbeds and south of the 5

Freeway — creating serious safety hazards, attracting crime, lowering property values, and

forcing both renters and homeowners to relocate.

These conditions hurt families, destabilize neighborhoods, and ultimately cost the District, the

City, and even the County lost revenue and lost trust. I have not heard these stories from afar — I

have driven through these neighborhoods, spoken with the families living through these

challenges, and witnessed these conditions firsthand. What I see and hear reflects a growing fear:

the belief that City Hall is no longer listening. That fear is exactly why I decided to step forward,

because our communities deserve someone who is truly present, who pays attention, and who

will fight for them. But this goes beyond policy. I have helped individuals battling addiction

reach clinics that represent their only hope. I have transported patients discharged from hospitals

with no family to call. I have carried groceries for seniors, heard the exhaustion of parents

working two jobs, and seen the quiet courage of people carrying burdens no one else sees. These

stories never appear in official reports, but they define the true heartbeat of District 8. Driving

daily across our district has given me something politics rarely provides: unfiltered truth. It

allows residents to speak freely, without judgment or pretense, and allows me to listen with

purpose.

It reaffirmed something I have believed my entire life — that leadership is earned through

humility, presence, and service, not photo ops or political endorsements. And I know what it

means to wake up at 3:00 a.m. because I could not afford a Sentry pass at the time while living in

Playas de Tijuana, after deciding in 2013 to put my education first and finish something I started

many years ago. That decision forced me to cross the border early just to make an 8:00 a.m. class

at Southwestern College. I remember studying for exams in the car with a flashlight while my

wife drove, passing people selling a cup of coffee or a one-dollar cup of “Avena” (oatmeal) just

to make it through the day.

Those early mornings, those conversations, and those sacrifices shaped who I am — and they are

the values I bring into this campaign. I share this story not because it reflects only one group of

people, but because it reflects the lived experiences of so many across District 8 — families

striving for opportunity, students pursuing a better future, workers commuting long distances,

small business owners fighting to stay open, and residents who have achieved financial stability

and want safe, thriving, well-managed neighborhoods. Struggle takes many forms, and every

resident — working class, middle class, or well-off — is affected by the decisions made at City

Hall.

I know what it means to struggle, to sacrifice, and to work hard because I have lived it. And that

is exactly why I am running: to ensure that everyone in District 8 — from those waking up

before dawn to those building businesses, raising families, investing in their neighborhoods, or

simply seeking dignity and stability — finally has someone in City Hall who understands the

diverse realities of our district and will fight for all of us, every single day. While others chase

insider politics, I am out every day meeting the people who make our district what it is. Every

conversation strengthens my commitment to fight for a District 8 where dignity, opportunity, and

safety are not privileges but rights.

This is the kind of City Councilmember I intend to be: someone who listens deeply, shows up

consistently, and carries the voices of our community into every decision I make. The stories

shared with me during these conversations are not just stories — they are responsibilities. And I

carry them with me every step of the way.