Guest Opinion | Assemblymember Chris Holden: Still Work To Be Done

My time as a collegiate basketball player taught me that life is a team sport. As players, we look out for one another and hold each other accountable. The same is true for public service. 

Throughout my time as a State Assemblymember and Pasadena City Councilmember, I brought people together to collaborate and focus on solving big challenges and delivering results. 

I have been a consistent champion for working families because I know that good policy can transform lives. I have helped deliver solutions that make it easier for your kids to go to college, for you to commute across the county to go to work, and to earn a fair wage so you can provide for your loved ones. 

I am running for the LA County Board of Supervisors because we have more work to do to expand educational and economic opportunities for LA County families. 

I spent the first 23 years of my career delivering solutions that work for Pasadena as a City Councilmember and the 2nd African American Mayor in city history. We put working families at the center of our decision-making. We created Pasadena’s first living wage ordinance and managed the deregulation of the city’s public utility in a way that preserved local jobs and kept rates affordable. I led efforts to create Paseo Colorado, which revitalized downtown Pasadena, and I established a nonprofit community clinic to provide health care to uninsured and underinsured residents. 

One of the achievements that I am proudest of is getting the Gold Line started and launched. As a Pasadena Light Rail Alignment Task Force member, I led the planning and execution of the initial stops that connected Pasadena to Downtown LA. To this day, the Gold Line is a solution that addresses climate change and increases economic benefits in the San Gabriel Valley. 

As your Assemblymember, I have fought for equity and diversity in the workplace, classroom, and criminal justice system. 

I have authored and led the passage of legislation that: 

• Allows high school students to take community college courses. The College and Career Access Pathways dual enrollment program helps close the achievement gap and reduces the time and money needed to earn a degree. 
• Secures a $20 minimum wage while improving standards for wages, schedules, and workplace conditions for Fast Food Workers. 
• Introduced the plan to extend the Gold Line further, securing $290 million in funding for six new stations and introducing a plan to have the Gold Line connect the Burbank and Ontario airports. 

I am proud of what we have achieved together and know how hard the last few years have been. Los Angeles County faces daunting challenges regarding homelessness, housing, public safety, transportation, and climate. 

It is time for a leader on the Board of Supervisors who shares your values and has a proven track record of consistently championing working families. As your County Supervisor, I’ll be a decisive leader who finds solutions to our longstanding challenges by: 

• Protecting reproductive rights and expanding access to abortion and contraception. 
• Locking arms with Mayor Karen Bass to rapidly house those living on our streets and prevent more families from falling into homelessness. 
• Investing in community safety, good paying jobs, housing opportunities, quality health care, and affordable childcare. 

I am honored to have the support of Congressman Adam Schiff, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, nurses, caregivers, healthcare workers, grocery clerks, and entertainment professionals in this campaign. 

I’m inviting you to join our team, and I hope to earn your support. 

Chris Holden is a former Pasadena City Councilmember. He is running for the Board of Supervisors Fifth District seat.