As San Leandro’s first openly gay City Councilmember, I’ve made it my life’s mission to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities.
I’m running for re-election to continue to be a progressive voice on the council. I will push for broader tenant and worker protections, higher minimum wages, protecting our environment, and affordable housing.
Victor is running a corporate-free campaign. Can you chip in to keep progressive values in San Leandro?
Meet Victor
Raised in a union-household by parents whose families emigrated from Mexico, Victor was placed in speech therapy classes because of his Spanish accent. His mother fought the school district so that Victor could receive the same educational opportunities as his white classmates—and in the process, inspired Victor’s passion for social justice.
Victor currently serves as the first openly gay City Council Member of San Leandro. During his tenure on City Council, Victor championed progressive policies by passing hazard pay for grocery workers, a mobile home rent stabilization ordinance, and advocating for civilian police oversight.
He plans to continue to be a progressive voice on the council and will push for broader tenant and worker protections, higher wages, and affordable housing.
Victor is married and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Lavender Seniors of the East Bay.
Victor’s Top Priorities
Compassion for All
Housing for All
Justice for All
Platform
Compassion for All
Every San Leandro resident should be treated with respect, compassion and dignity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the inequities of our city clearer than ever. Too many families have suffered because they could not receive critical services or lost access to jobs, housing, or economic opportunity.
Victor supports:
- Securing funding for and completing the Navigation Center for unhoused residents
- Improved mental health first response options
- Emboldening and developing our Human Services Department
- Raising the minimum wage to $18/hour ahead of the state schedule
- Bridging the digital divide and ensure internet access for all
- Developing more robust preschool and aftercare programs
- Equal pay for equal work
- Expanding collective bargaining and union organizing rights
- Expanding funding of programs to address food insecurity & childhood nutrition
- Developing a robust Civilian Police Oversight
Housing for All
Too many of our San Leandro neighbors have been forced out of their homes. We must strengthen renter protections, build more affordable transit-oriented housing, provide robust services to our unhoused neighbors, remove barriers to homeownership, and curb displacement.
Victor has championed tenant protections throughout his time on San Leandro City Council. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Victor organized efforts to pass an eviction moratorium and was instrumental in ensuring rent control for mobile home parks passed in San Leandro.
Victor supports:
- Stronger city-wide tenant protections
- Eviction restrictions for COVID-19 related rental debt and just cause for eviction protections
- Prioritizing mixed-income, affordable, multi-family, and multi-unit housing
- Reducing barriers to safe, accessible and affordable housing construction
- Increased supportive services and housing for unhoused San Leandro residents
- Funding and completion of a Navigation Center for unhoused residents
- Cooperative housing models such as land trusts and co-housing
Justice for All
Victor Supports:
Racial Justice
- Movements and organizations such as Black Lives Matter that expose disproportionate discrimination
- Policies that reduce barriers to homeownership and help build generational wealth long denied to Black and Indigenous people of color
- Reducing and eliminating fees and fines which disproportionately impact people of color.
- Ending disparities in the treatment of people of color and bias in our police department
Environmental Justice
- Investing in the training, salaries and full benefits of new Green Energy jobs
- Access to clean air and water
- Proactive measures for prevention of wildfires and deforestation
- Confronting the disproportionate impacts of California’s climate crisis placed on marginalized communities
- A commitment to increasing carbon emission reduction goals for our city
- Building local mitigation and resiliency efforts
Immigration Justice
- Supporting and strengthening Sanctuary City policies
- Recognizing the vital role undocumented immigrants play in our economy
LGBTQIA+ Justice
As a gay Latino, Victor is committed to ensuring more protections of our LGBTQIA+ communities, especially trans women of color. Victor was the first openly LGBTQIA+ elected official on the San Leandro City Council. Throughout his political career as a member of the San Leandro School Board and on the San Leandro City Council, Victor has been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. Victor has also been on the Board of the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, which helps to elect more LGBTQIA+ elected officials, as well as the Lavender Seniors which works to improve the quality of life for older LGBTQIA+ adults in the East Bay.
- Supportive services and policies that reduce risks of harm to our transgender and gender non-conforming community
- Improving quality of life for LGBTQIA+ Seniors in San Leandro
- Supporting more competent LGBTQIA+ education in our public schools
Gender Justice
- Protecting pregnant and parenting workers and students
- Protecting abortion and contraception access as part of comprehensive, universal healthcare
- Identify and resolve gender pay gaps
- Strengthening preschool and aftercare programs
Disability Justice
- Making government meetings permanently accessible via video conferencing
- Increased employment opportunities and protections
- Safe and accessible housing for everyone
- Increase funding for affordable and comprehensive mental health care services