John Drake

John Drake was born in Rīga, Latvia, on October 31, 2000. He earned an associate degree from Ventura Community College in 2021 and a bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. His career experience includes working as a housing policy director for a nonprofit serving unhoused people.

[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Housing Policy Director for an Unhoused People’s Non-profit in Lancaster, Los Angeles, and I love my job!

My degree is in Political Science, Public Policy, and Public Administration.

I’ve attended and worked on CalPoly’s Student Advisory Council to the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts, representing student needs and interests, while simultaneously working as a member of the SC3 Council; handling all online resources distribution and transparency to the student body.

As a young person who currently works three jobs, has gone to school full time, and battles the everyday rising costs of rent, food, and gas, I am on the frontlines of working class experiences. I want to help our communities, because the way things are now, is unsustainable: Environmentally, Economically, Politically, and Socially!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Affordable HousingAffordable EducationAffordable Healthcare

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m personally passionate about Housing, Education and Healthcare. The affordability of these institutions has all but vanished, and we need to fix that.

These types of issues don’t just affect the me - the affect everyone. We’re seriously getting to the point where housing is becoming unaffordable to multi-millionaires.

Commodification of our institutions - public and private - has gotten out of hand!

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an Immigrant from Rīga, Latvia, a small city and country in Eastern Europe. I moved to the United States when I was four years old and have lived in California ever since.

All my life I have been interested in politics. While most kids were playing basketball or trading Pokémon cards on the playground, I was reading and studying political theory. I was examining the causes and effects of US foreign policy in the Middle East and Africa.

I have always known I’d wanted to go into politics. I’ve always had a love for helping those around me and making the world a better place.

I’ve always believed that if I could somehow make one person better off today than they were yesterday, I’ve done something worthwhile.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I represent the average Californian. I am not a multimillionaire, like the vast majority of the politicians in the state. I come from a humble family background of small business owners. I have spent my whole life fighting for those who are unable to help themselves.I am a staunch advocate for Social Justice. I believe every marginalized group of people deserves a say in how their state is run.I am a Realist. Common sense is a trait seldom found in many politicians nowadays, however it is this trait I pride myself on. I do not make decisions that make no sense. I believe that we must tackle issues, not so much ideologically, but with common sense. If a project, institution, or policy isn’t working, we need to step back and reassess what’s going on.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Social issues, especially those pertaining to Social Justice, drive my passion. To deny communities of color reparations - whether civil or economic - because we are too stubborn to acknowledge the generational trauma and economic hardship we have forced onto these communities is wrong and unforgivable. We must strive every day to make amends for these iniquities, and build towards a brighter future.

How we can do this? By investing in the infrastructure, education, and healthcare of those living within in inner-cities.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Who do I look up to? What a loaded question... There are many I would say I admire and look up to. If I had to choose one, I guess I’d have to say Theodore Roosevelt. This man was the true embodiment of what America could be. He destroyed corporations and businesses that took advantage of Americans. He projected strength on the international level, however was isolationist without direct cause. He promoted American greatness and resolve. We built monuments, great feats, and made godless advancements in science and technology. We truly were a nation to be reckoned with.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first major historical event that happened in my lifetime that I can remember was probably the election of Barack Obama. I was around eight years old at the time, so I didn’t quite understand the true significance this had on me or the United States.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a Busser and Dishwasher in a restaurant. I had the job for around two years before leaving and I absolutely loved it. I loved the staff, the customers, and atmosphere. I was definitely in my element.

I met so many awesome people from different backgrounds and situations. I would often find myself talking to these people I wouldn’t want to get back to work because I was so invested in the conversations I was having. Years prior I would’ve kept my head down and tried my best not to talk to anyone, but as I went through high school, I became much more extroverted. I don’t regret it one bit.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

This means the Governor has a responsibility to protect and serve their constituency the best they can. Everything they support, pass, and do, impacts the state in a major way. Not only that, they have an obligation to step outside of their partisanship and work to better the lives of every person within the state. Sometimes it may be hard to get around the partisanship, but in the end it isn’t a single party or group of people you’re protecting, it’s everyone in the state.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

The most important responsibility the Governor has is security. Whether that means economic, social, or public security, it all matters. The government must be vigilant and quick to maintain public and civil order. The Governor must maintain the economic welfare of their citizens. And the Governor must use his power to protect any group that cannot defend themselves, whether political or not.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

I think state budgeting is important, and the Governor should watch how the money is being spent, however it is vastly more important the Governor observe and disclose tot he public where the funds are going and whether such funds will be spent efficiently. It is up to the Governor to take the steps necessary to ensure the state’s finances are not abused nor wasted.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

As stated previously, any policy, fiscal or social, that either harms people or wastes resources, should be vetoed immediately.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe the governor should act as a representative of the majority to the state legislature and give input as to the policies being discussed. There is no charter that explicitly forbids that. If that means meeting with legislators, or calling them out on live television for abusing the trust of their constituency, the governor has a duty to do that.

What do you love most about your state?

I love the social and open tolerance of minority groups within this state. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the state has been on the cutting-edge of this issue. As for racial minorities and religious minority groups, California has had a pretty good reputation with testing them fairly - especially in the more recent years.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Homelessness and Corporate abuse of power. Homelessness has been increasing over the past five decades and it’s only getting worse. The institutions and policies we have in place are not managed properly, nor are they as affective as they were initially thought to be. As for corporate abuse of power, corporations have lobbied out politicians for decades now, and it’s only gotten worse. Politicians in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco care more about taking money from corporate donors for their re-election campaigns than they do their actual constituency. This has led to these politicians passing policies that disproportionately improve the lives of multimillionaire and multibillionaires, all while leaving the middle and lower classes in California to wither away and die.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

Civil Unrest, Medical Crisis, and tackling an issue that the legislature has failed to effectively handle - like Homelessness. From there the Governor should have the ability to reallocate funds from failing institutions to better improve the situation.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"); });