Los Angeles, CA – Mike Fong, a Los Angeles Community College District Trustee and community leader, announced his candidacy for the State Assembly today. He is seeking to represent Assembly District 51, which will soon be vacated by Congressmember-elect Jimmy Gomez. A special election to fill the seat is expected to be scheduled for later this year.
In announcing his campaign, Mike stated:
“I am running to advocate and fight for the progressive values of the residents in the dynamic and diverse communities of Assembly District 51 and embrace their hopes and aspirations for a better tomorrow. My priorities will include fighting the policies of the Trump Administration and continuing to help lead the resistance in California, improving the quality and access to healthcare, fighting for immigrant rights and civil rights, increasing educational opportunities, expanding workforce development and high growth sector training programs, creating jobs, protecting the environment, and creating additional housing and addressing homelessness.”
As a trustee on the board of America’s largest community college district, Mike works to increase student access to higher education, expand workforce training, and improve the quality of educational opportunities at Los Angeles’s nine community colleges.
Mike serves as Director of Policy and Government Relations for the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. In this role, he leads a team of experienced professionals on policy development and government relations in empowering and collaborating with Neighborhood Council Board Members, community leaders, and stakeholders in their efforts to improve the lives of residents throughout the City.
Mike previously served as the East Area Director for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. In this capacity, he served as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s office and communities in the Northeast and East areas of Los Angeles. Mike was the Policy Director for Workforce Development in the Mayor’s office helping to create job training programs and opportunities for youth to participate in the Hire LA Youth Summer Internship program.
As a Field Deputy for former Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes, Mike served as the primary liaison between the Council office and the communities of Lincoln Heights, Chinatown, Montecito Heights, Solano Canyon, Echo Park, and Temple-Beaudry. Mike also worked for the Los Angeles Economic & Workforce Development Department on education programs, youth employment, and financial empowerment.
Mike’s long record of community leadership includes serving as the immediate Past Chair of the PBS Southern California Asian Pacific Islander Community Council, a Member of the White Memorial Medical Center Community Leadership Council, and the Southern Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus.
A lifelong Angeleno, Mike graduated from California State University at Northridge with a Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management & Leadership and from University of California at Los Angeles with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Education.
The 51st Assembly District has played an integral role in the lives of Mike and his family. Mike attended schools in the 51st Assembly District including Bravo High School, Eagle Rock High School (summer school), Lincoln High School (summer school), Griffith Junior High in East LA (9th grade), Nightingale Junior High (summer school), and Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown.
