Son of Salvadorean Immigrants and former Bernie Sanders for President Organizer Will Focus on Equity and Justice for Downtown and South Central Los Angeles
Community leader René Romero announced his campaign for California State Assembly District 57. A native of South Central Los Angeles, Romero seeks to represent the community that helped raise him and where he shares in their daily struggle.
“Every Angeleno doesn’t have the same 24 hours in a day. In my community, we work 18-hour days and still struggle to pay the bills that pile on our kitchen counters. Our evenings are interrupted by the sounds of helicopters overhead and police sirens in the streets. Asthma and diabetes caused by freeway pollution and food deserts land us in clinics or the ER. We need to elect leaders who have lived our struggle and will fight for a future where our zip code doesn’t determine our life’s outcomes and opportunities. I’m running for Assembly to put the needs of working people first and fight for equitable and just policies in our State Capitol,” stated Romero.
Romero was born and raised in South Los Angeles. The son of a single mom who fled civil war in El Salvador, Romero overcame many obstacles on his path to educational success and a career in public service. He took public transportation across Los Angeles to receive a quality education. His family lost their home after the 2008 housing market crash and faced housing insecurity. He worked multiple jobs to pay his way through community college and Cal State LA.
Romero started organizing to protect funding for the Cal State University system and then worked on State Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s campaign and as a field representative in her district office. His experiences with our broken health care system drove him to campaign for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders – where he was part of a historic first-ever unionized presidential campaign staff as a proud UFCW Local 400 member.
During the early days of the pandemic, Romero helped distribute food and essential supplies to families in need. He also assisted South Los Angeles residents with signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine to stop the spread of the devastating disease. Romero actively promotes democracy and civic participation as a campaign organizer and serves on the boards of several Democratic clubs.
Romero is running for Assembly to fight for more economic and educational opportunities for South LA—good-paying jobs with living wages in our neighborhoods, health care for all, investment in local small businesses, affordable housing, better funding sources for K-12 education, debt-free higher education and reliable public transportation.
Assembly District 57 is currently represented by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who is termed out. The district includes portions of Downtown and South Los Angeles, including neighborhoods of Florence, Harbor Gateway, Historic West Adams, University Park, and Walnut Park.