Bonta Wins Election with Help From Alum

On Sept. 7, Mia Bonta, the former president of the Alameda Unified School District Board, was sworn into the State Assembly representing the East Bay’s 18th Assembly District.
Bonta is the CEO of the non-profit organization Oakland Promise, a cradle-to-college and career preparation program for Oakland students. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) endorsed Bonta. As mentioned in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Bonta lived in the Bronx in a working-class family with a single mother. She said she moved 13 times in 16 years.
Ivan Garcia ‘21, an alumnus of the School, worked as a field organizer in Bonta’s campaign. “Throughout the campaign, there were a bunch of things she was advocating for. The biggest priority being: a just and fair recovery from COVID,” Garcia said. He noted her priorities were specifically “making sure businesses have the support they needed. Making sure that individuals have the support they need from housing to food and everything. Making sure that kids are back in school safely.”
Bonta hopes to address homelessness by expanding mental health care and making shelters and transitional housing more accessible. She also wants to advance legislation, creating new affordable housing and keeping homeowners and tenants in their homes.
She supports a ban on fracking and advocates for clean energy investments. In addition, Bonta is pushing for stronger environmental regulations.
An article by the Oaklandside stated that Bonta favors repealing the Costa-Hawkins Act, which bars cities from making rent control stronger. She supports the Oakland A’s proposal to construct a new ballpark, commercial and office space, and housing at Howard Terminal.
Garcia said, “In fighting for these policies, she acknowledges the fact that we are in the greatest district in all of California, Assembly District 18, and has already been working on these things. And I think she made it a big part of her platform to uplift the people that have been fighting for these things for a very long time.”
According to the Oaklandside, her husband Rob Bonta, who vacated the Assembly seat, was appointed as Attorney General by Governor Gavin Newsom of California. Bonta defeated Janani Ramachandran, a social justice attorney, in the special election.
“She is who she is online, and she is who she is in the community,” Garcia said, “Because she really does care.”