Select Page

The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee has not endorsed any candidate in this race.


54 years seems like a long time — but sometimes, particularly over the last two weeks, it hasn’t seemed long at all.

This week marks 54 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — and Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech — took place.

As many as 300,000 Americans marched that day. They came from civil rights, religious, and labor groups, or on their own. They demanded not only legal equality and protection of their rights — they demanded jobs, opportunity, housing, fair wages, and freedom from systemic discrimination.

They spoke of a better future — one we so often see glimpses of today. And thanks to the marchers, organizers, and activists who marched that day and so many days after, we’ve made tremendous progress towards equality.

It would be easy for many of us to believe those fights are long since over. But the violence in Charlottesville — and subsequent defenses of abhorrent bigotry — lay bare the truth that the struggle for equality is far from finished.

If I’m being honest, this shouldn’t be a surprise to me. As the son of immigrants, I’ve faced hate and bigotry my entire life. As a child, I walked past graffiti meant to fill my family with fear. As a professional, I faced a different set of rules than my colleagues. As an elected official, I’ve received more threats that I’d like to count. And as a candidate, I feel the weight of campaigning to be the first governor of my race in California history.

But I’m not giving up hope. No matter how many years it takes, I’m going to keep fighting for equality, for opportunity, and for freedom.

Rather than let this anniversary be stained by those who try to hold our nation back, I’m going to look upon that day 54 years ago as an inspiration to look forward. And I hope you will too.

With your support, together we will continue to take California down a different road.

John