Meet the Member Reps
At the California Working Families Party, we’re building a people-powered party, which means the membership of people like you is essential to transform our political system in America. Dues-paying members of the California Working Families Party play a critical role in guiding our party.
CA WFP is governed in part by our regional state committees, which include representatives from our seven regional chapters: San Diego, Inland Empire, Orange County, LA, Central Valley, Bay Area, and Central Coast. Member reps are dues-paying members who are elected by the members of their regions to sit on their regional committee, engage members, plan organizing events and cast votes on behalf of members in the candidate endorsement process and regional decisions.
This past week, nearly 200 California Working Families Party members voted on who they would like to see as their Member Reps and the results are in. Check out our 2024 class of Member Reps and read more about them below!
Bay Area
East Bay (Alameda & Contra Costa County)
Soli Alpert (he/him) – Berkeley
Soli is the Vice Chair of the Berkeley Rent Board, a union activist, and SEIU 1021 steward (2019-2022). He champions workers’ and tenants’ rights, affordable housing, and government reform. Soli authored pro-Palestine resolutions and supports tenant and worker-friendly candidates. He serves on the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club Coordinating Committee and is a member of Local Progress and East Bay DSA.
Anish Mohanty (he/him) – Union City
Anish Mohanty is your current WFP Member Rep from Union City. He has organized with WFP-endorsed candidates across the Bay, and served as Asm. Liz Ortega’s Communications Coordinator. He is also CAWFP’s official photographer! Anish is dedicated to advancing progressive values & supporting working families!
Connie Chew (she/her) – Fremont
With over 20 years in SEIU Local 521, I’ve supported workers, represented them in disputes, and organized meetings. I educated workers on union importance pre-Janus, mobilized a 2019 strike, and phone banked for progressive candidates. As a SEIU retiree and South Bay Labor Council delegate, I continue activism, organize events, and lobby. I’m a CADEM Delegate, SV Working Blue Treasurer, and AFM Local 6 member, committed to expanding CA WFP’s progressive values and holding officials accountable.
Nickan Fayaazi (she/her) – Oakland (Alternate Rep)
Hi! I’m Nickan, a lesbian trans woman and Iranian-American from Los Angeles, now in Oakland. I’ve been active in East Bay progressive politics for seven years, involved in DSA, Our Revolution, and WFP campaigns. I aim to grow WFP’s membership and power, ensuring members are active and vital, and challenge the Democratic and Republican establishments to achieve long-term progressive goals.
South Bay (Santa Clara County)
Brenda Zendejas (she/her) – San Jose
No Bio
Peninsula (San Mateo County)
Carter Pohl (he/him) – San Mateo
Carter, running for a second term as San Mateo County Member Rep, is a lead organizer with Bay Rising, working on a Redwood City rent control ordinance. He joined CA WFP two years ago, eager to see its growth. A former D-1 strength coach, radicalized by workplace mistreatment, he now connects unions with progressive parties, fights corporate Democrats, and engages communities to shift Bay Area power dynamics.
San Francisco
Peter Stevens (he/him) – San Francisco
It has been my honor to serve as the WFP San Francisco Member Rep for the past year. My focus has been on growth and activation in San Francisco, as well as participating in WFP growth across the State. We are in the process of building up WFP infrastructure in San Francisco to better support our WFP members and leaders in a fun low-pressure way. We must continue this work to cultivate the next generation of leaders, build a strong inclusive community, and having some fun while doing it.
Allyn Beltran (he/him) – San Francisco
Allyn, a first-generation Filipino-American from Vallejo, enjoys diverse music and parties like the Working Families Party. His family’s immigration story and union background inspire his activism. Married with two daughters, he works in irrigation and supports progressive causes and candidates. Allyn is a proud member of CA WFP and Vice President of SF Working Families Democratic Club, advocating for a government that serves everyone.
North Bay
Una Glass (she/her) – Sebastopol
I’m a very active “senior citizen” with a lifelong dedication to progressive, social justice, environmental, and anti-war advocacy. Born in Montreal, I moved to the US at age 3, grew up in San Diego, and attended Sonoma State University. I’ve worked in political campaigns, education, policy analysis, and various nonprofit roles. I’ve served on the Sebastopol City Council and as Mayor. I aim to support young activists in creating a diverse, progressive, and equitable California.
Central Valley
Kern County
Lori Pesante (she/they) – Bakersfield
As a member rep, I aim to empower members through connection and support. With experience as an attorney, educator, and organizer in voting rights, police accountability, and climate justice, I strive for consistent progressive victories, solid redistricting strategies, and strong member cohesion. As a founding board member of the Pride Chamber of Kern County, I am committed to shifting narratives and balancing power with WFP.
Sacramento
Simon Hyatt (he/him) – Sacramento
I’m Simon Hyatt from Sacramento (BA History-Sac State). I am a former substitute teacher and longtime activist fighting for climate, social, and economic justice. I’d like to mobilize Sac WFP members to engage at the State Capitol to help pass progressive legislation. I wish to help CA WFP build people power to fight against all those who seek to profit from the exploitation of common people and our environment.
At-Large
Juan Vazquez (he/him) – Modesto
I’ve lived in Stanislaus/Merced County since immigrating from Mexico. Growing up in low-income neighborhoods, I graduated from Modesto JC and CSU Stanislaus with degrees in Agriculture Business and an MBA. I work with SEIU 521 as an External Organizer. I became politically active after discovering Bernie Sanders in 2016, organizing local Our Revolution and DSA chapters. I ran for city council in 2020 and currently serve on the Stan Dems Central Committee and CDP EBoard. My vision is to organize a progressive movement in the Central Valley, from Bakersfield to Redding, and grow the WFP in California.
Randy Villegas (he/him) – Visalia
Randy Villegas is a professor of Political Science at College of the Sequoias and a Trustee for VUSD. A product of public education, he recently completed his doctorate from UCSC. Randy serves on the board of directors for several nonprofits and is honored to serve our students, families, and community.
Central Coast
Joe Thompson (he/they)
Joe Thompson has been a huge advocate for progress in their city. Joe helped the first Starbucks to go union in California. They have set up multiple WFP membership gatherings in Santa Cruz and as a member rep, would continue to do so and foster one on one relationships with members in the region. As a member rep Joe wants to get 15 more state representatives elected in the state legislature and run a slate of candidates for school board, city council and county supervisor.
Inland Empire
Stevevonna Evans (she/her)
A freshman in politics, Stevevonna took on her hometown of Adelanto in Nov. 2018 to win as the first African American woman to sit on the City Council. She wholeheartedly believes we must possess a willingness to be the change we want to see, and this is why she is running to return as a Member Rep with Inland Empire WFP. To date, her proudest feat was spearheading the repeal of the discriminatory Crime Free Housing ordinance and working with community leaders and residents to combat racism by forming the Adelanto Water Justice Coalition.
Leonardo Lopez Hernandez (he/him)
As a long-time resident of the Inland Empire, Leonardo is honored to have the opportunity to be elected as a Member Rep for the Inland Empire. His canvassing and phone banking experience with IE United during the 2024 Primaries have taught him what our community values most. From affordable housing, rising costs, and rampant warehouse development, Leonardo believes that the WFP in the Inland Empire can address these key issues and work with our communities and local grassroots organizations to improve our quality of life.
Los Angeles
Brian Tabatabai (he/him) – West Covina
My name is Brian Calderón Tabatabai, Mayor of West Covina, educator, coach, and mentor. I’ve led school discipline reforms, co-authored EMUHSD’s Ethnic Studies program, and fought for labor, community rights, and criminal justice reform. I aim to continue organizing and electing Progressive candidates with our CA WFP family.
Marissa Roy (she/her) – Los Angeles
I’m Marissa Roy. Growing up in Monrovia in a multi-racial, mixed immigration status family with an LGBTQ+ brother, I felt how politics impacts families. As a lawyer in LA, I’ve fought for workers, immigrants & tenants. I’ve engaged with many WFP member orgs & want to build a party bold in pursuing equity.
Sam Sukaton (he/they) – Los Angeles
Indonesian American, climate justice, working-class, trade union, socialist. As your incumbent member rep, I had the pleasure of building out Party the past four years. In the next four, I want to expand events where WFP members can meet and vet candidates, learn about issues, and work together to win pro-people policy across our county!
Orange County
Chris Gonzales (he/him) – Garden Grove
In his community engagement and organizing efforts, Chris’s organizing philosophy is rooted in participatory spaces and civic participation. This perspective has led Chris through the Committee for a Responsible Anaheim campaign in 2024, as a canvasser to defend Jessie Lopez against a police union-backed recall, and in blocking corporate-funded interests with Unite Here Local 11 in Anaheim and Irvine. Like many WFP members, Chris feels disillusioned with the two-party system and believes that working people and people-powered campaigns need to seize and hold onto governing power to shape our collective future.
Mirvette Judeh (she/her) – Buena Park
Mirvette, a Palestinian born in Puerto Rico, is a dedicated community leader and activist. Former Vice Chair of the Arab American Civic Council, she organized the designation of Little Arabia in Anaheim. Involved in political campaigns, unions, and social justice, she supports the underserved and is a DPOC Central Committee Member. As the southern vice chair of the Arab American Caucus of the CDP and a SoCal ceasefire coalition advocate, she holds a B.S. in Psychology from UC Irvine and an M.S. from Pepperdine University. Her efforts focus on justice, community improvement, and collective action.
San Diego
Marco Briones (he/him)
Marco Briones, raised in South San Diego, co-founded BEAT at San Diego City College, focusing on social justice. He started his career in 2012 at the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, later joining Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez’s team. Marco worked at the Center on Policy Initiatives and was the Area Director for Bernie 2020. As the Labor Council’s Political Director, he ensures working families have a voice. He’s served as a WFP Member Rep for 2 years, aiming to grow WFP as a political home for progressives.
Chris Wilson (he/him)
Chris is an African American community activist with a long history of organizing to elect candidates in communities of color, low income & immigrant communities. A founding member of CA WFP, currently on the state steering committee, he works to build progressive power across CA. He’s collaborating to build a political home for folks with progressive values & ideas.