Abel Chavez is a candidate for the 48th Congressional District. It is clear that the government needs honest, trustworthy politicians. This is a paradox for most people, because politicians are publicly viewed as untrustworthy. However, Abel Chavez is here to break that cycle. Politicians, even ones that start pure of heart, can be influenced by the most powerful thing in the world- money. Many politicians have been secretly, or not-so-secretly bought, but Abel Chavez will not be influenced by corporations. He has explicitly stated that he will not be accepting corporate PAC or AIPAC money for his campaign. He is sincerely here to help people; it has nothing to do with money.
“I’m running to represent the people who break their backs for a living, and it’s still not enough,” is a direct quote from Abel Chavez. This is an easy promise to make, and with other politicians, it may mean nothing, but he has actually had experience as a working-class citizen. He had to do the dishes to attend the University of California, Riverside. He has worked in the restaurant industry, retail, medicine, as a broker, as a teacher, and he worked his way up to the school board.
He consistently sees injustices and tries to fix them. He saw how the medical industry prioritized profit over helping people, and he quit. Quitting a job due to the fact that it does not align with your morals shows strong character, something many lack today, especially our politicians. He then pivoted to become a teacher, and he acknowledged flaws in this system as well. According to Mr. Chavez, education has become another profit-driven industry, when it is supposed to educate a new generation and set them up for success. Since schools receive funding for each student in class, their priorities have shifted to keeping children in the classrooms rather than actually teaching the children. Abel Chavez is aware of this, and it is part of the reason he wanted to enter politics. He has made many changes on the school board. “I’ve helped implement programs that have raised test scores by double digits across every grade level, from kindergarten through 12th grade. I’ve worked with district leaders to secure tens of millions of dollars in funding—money that’s now supporting students, improving classrooms, and expanding access to real educational opportunity. That fight isn’t over. I’m ready to take it to a larger scale, because our kids deserve more than promises—they deserve results.” If he has done all of this for our youth, imagine what he can do for the state of California…