Meet The Candidates

Dr. Hayakawa is a published, award-winning Assistant Professor of Physics at California State University, Channel Islands and an elected member of the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education since 2022, representing Trustee Area 5, which encompasses Rowland Heights, Walnut, West Covina, and the City of Industry. He is a proud International Baccalaureate graduate from John A. Rowland High School, received a bachelor’s degree in Physics and Astrophysics from UC Berkeley, and earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from UCLA. Dr. Hayakawa represents Assembly District 56 as an elected Delegate and Executive Board Member for the California Democratic Party, and an ex oficio member of the Los Angeles County Central Committee. He was previously elected to the Walnut Valley Water District Board of Directors and served from 2020-2022.

Our community should be put first. If re-elected to the county central committee, that is what I will do. That is why my motto is: “Organize, Organize, Organize.” Whittier has been my home since 1998, when I was born. I graduated from La Serna High School in 2016, and went on to attend college at Claremont McKenna College. I graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2020 with a dual B.A. in Government and Literature. When I was 17, I became one of the nation’s youngest ever delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. When I came home from the convention, I was determined to continue representing my community in the Democratic Party. I have served as a California Democratic Party delegate since 2017, when I was just 18 years old. In 2020, I was elected by Assembly District 57 to be a county central committee member. I currently am a Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party Chicano Latino Caucus, where I advocate for economic and social justice in Latino communities. In 2019, I was honored as Woman of the Year by the California State Assembly (District 57). Over the years, I have advocated for our community, supporting resolutions to prevent further pollution from coming into Assembly District 56, and empowering residents to participate in Democratic Party politics. Not many voters know about this County Central Committee election on the March Primary ballot, but it is important. Please do not skip it! Each of the 7 elected county committee members in AD56 will get to endorse candidates in local races such as college board, city council, and more. It is important to support candidates who will put our community first, and who represent all parts of the district, from the west end of the district in Pico Rivera to the east end in Diamond Bar. All 7 of us believe in this, and I would be honored if you would vote for me, and my 6 colleagues on your March Primary Ballot.

As your Los Angeles County Central Committee Delegate, I will continue to push for reform and support issues like Single Payer Health Care, Workers’ Rights, Social Justice Reform, and Veterans’ Rights. I have the privilege of serving as an Executive Board Member for both the Veterans Caucus as well as for the United Democrats of the San Gabriel Valley Democratic Club. I find it imperative to be engaged with our community by organizing and participating in canvassing, phone banking,and text-banking events. Some of the campaigns I have worked on are CalCare AB 1400 (2022), Proposition 61, Drug Price Standards (2016), and Proposition 10, Local Rent Control Initiative (2018). I have also worked on local, state, national and Presidential campaigns. It would be my honor to represent you for the 56th Assembly District. Thank you for your vote.

As a lifelong Democrat and professor of public policy, I believe I can offer useful contributions to party discussions on our platform, our continued need for equity and inclusion, and the best path forward for LA County and the State of California. Born and raised in Assembly District 56, I’m well-versed in the various challenges our residents face. We need clean air, clean water, and safe places for children to play and grow. We need educational funding and support at all levels, so that our residents can achieve their dreams and our communities can flourish. I chose to teach at a women's college because I'm a longtime advocate of women's rights and educational opportunities. At Scripps College in Claremont, I teach courses such as Women and Public Policy, Environmental Policy in the United States, and Marginalized Communities. I hope to bring my lessons from the classroom to real world politics here in California as we address a housing shortage, wildfires, and increasing rates of poverty.

Christian Israelian currently attends UC Berkeley Law School, and he previously attended UCLA and studied Political Science and Geography. He first got his start in politics at the age of 16, canvassing with Whittier for Bernie during the 2016 race. At UCLA, he served as the AQUIRE campaign director under the External Vice President's office, where he advocated for increased student housing and transportation options to local and state legislators. He also co-founded Bruins for Bernie at UCLA and organized a rally where Bernie himself attended. Currently, he dedicates his free time to a legal pro bono organization that fights for more affordable and environmentally-friendly development in the East Bay. He is a two-time Elected Delegate for the California Democratic Party, representing AD 56 with his slate Democrats for Justice.

As a daughter of immigrants, I have been an activist for civil rights and social justice since 1967. I have lived my adult life in the San Gabriel Valley. BA and MA at CSULA and taught in LAUSD, mostly in ELA. Through years of registering voters, making phone calls, and knocking on doors, I know how important it is to listen with respect and compassion to the concerns of all in our diverse community. Our Democratic Party includes people from a variety of cultures, languages, religions, and experiences. As a member of the LA Commission for Older Adults, I am aware of the challenges facing seniors and their caretakers. I would bring all of these experiences to our LA County Central Committee. I am honored to have received the CA Democratic Party Volunteer of the Year 2023, LA County Democrat of Year 2021, and the TriCounties Democratic Club Making a Difference 2019 awards. I am currently a CA Democratic AD56 Delegate.

I am motivated to fight against what I see as a plague of indifference to the plights of all others. I began my activism working on LGBTQ issues, animal rights, and reproductive freedom with Planned Parenthood. After receiving my BA in Political Science from UCLA, I earned my Juris Doctorate from Western State University Law School to fight for those without a voice. Currently, I am the Vice President of the Tri Counties Democratic Club, an AD 56 Delegate and a member of the Los Angeles County Central Committee for AD 56. I am active in my community because I know that it is not enough to simply vote. I see it as a personal commitment to my community to activate, educate, and mobilize voters. We must advocate for laws that protect the entire community, not just the privileged few. My activism is based on action. I have knocked on thousands of doors. I participated and led voter registration drives, phone banking, text banking, postcarding events and canvassed for Senator Warnock in Georgia. I have been recognized for my activism with various awards including Super Volunteer by Sen. Newman and 2019 Democrat of the Year by the LA County Democratic Party. As a 29 year resident of Diamond Bar, I am committed to the residents of AD 56 to continue to advocate for candidates who have ethics, a desire to serve their constituents and reflect the best of our Democratic values.