ICYMI: HUNDREDS RALLY TO LAUNCH ANTONIO’S CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR
ICYMI: HUNDREDS RALLY TO LAUNCH ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA’S CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR
Days after filing for the ballot, Antonio Villaraigosa calls for accountability on ICE and action on California’s affordability crisis.
Los Angeles, CA – Hundreds of supporters, labor leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered in Los Angeles last weekend to officially kick off the campaign for governor of California by former mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa.
Just days after filing paperwork to appear on the ballot, Antonio launched the final stretch of his campaign with a grassroots rally that highlighted his plans to hold ICE accountable and tackle California’s affordability crisis.
The rally took place at Candela La Brea near the future Wilshire/La Brea station of the D Line Extension - a project Villaraigosa championed during his time as mayor.
“Today, we are gathered in a moment of great challenge - and great possibility,” Antonio told the crowd. “I stand before you not just as a candidate for governor, but as the son of a single mom who refused to give up, and as a proven leader unafraid to tackle our toughest problems. The best days of California are still ahead of us.”
Antonio also used the rally to speak out against immigration enforcement practices that have created fear in immigrant communities and to highlight his plan to hold federal immigration authorities accountable.
He was joined by several prominent supporters, including Karen Bass, Barbara Boxer, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, John Pérez, and Fabian Núñez, along with labor leader Ernesto Medrano of the LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council.
Speakers highlighted Antonio’s record of delivering results for working families, pointing to his leadership as Speaker of the California Assembly and as mayor of Los Angeles, where he helped expand access to health care for millions of California children, reduce violent crime by 48%, invest in infrastructure, and create thousands of affordable housing units, and increase the graduation rate by 60% in Los Angeles.
Antonio is the first and only candidate in the race to release a comprehensive plan to hold federal immigration enforcement accountable, including banning masked agents during operations, requiring clear identification, and increasing transparency so communities know who is operating in their neighborhoods.
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