Gomez has experience advocating for constituents from San Jose to Milpitas and is uniquely qualified to serve as the next Assemblymember from AD 25. A committed public servant, Armando balances his work on the Milpitas City Council with his work as San Jose’s Budget Director and his dedication to his wife and two young sons.
Armando was born and raised in Assembly District 25, the oldest son of a single mother who often had to work double shifts to put food on the table. His mother’s hard work and commitment to her children gave Armando his strong sense of family and work ethic.
As a teenager, Armando worked various jobs at fast food restaurants to help his family and paid his own way through Ohlone Community College and Santa Clara University earning his Bachelors Degree in Political Science. Today, Armando lives, works and raises his family here at home in the district, where his sons attend some of the same public schools he did.
In his capacity as Mayor Reed’s budget director, Gomez helped implement a loan forgiveness program for Downtown College Prep as part of an initiative to support organizations and businesses which provide direct benefits to the City’s residents. He also reviewed and granted a funding request from ACE Charter School. Gomez supports equitable funding for charter public schools and proposed the following measures to address funding inequity challenges: create greater access to existing district facilities or the issuance of local charter-inclusive construction bonds; develop pathways to special local revenues and federal funding opportunities; create greater access to reimbursements provided to public schools for programs mandated by the State; and finally, eliminate the deferred payments funding scheme prescribed in Prop 98.
Stated Gomez: “Charter Schools give parents and students a much needed choice to help ensure that every child receives the high quality education to prepare our students for the jobs of tomorrow. Their innovative and cutting edge approach in California has proven successful for more than 20 years, with many schools meeting or exceeding state standards.”
Gary Borden, Executive Director of CCSA Advocates, said: “We are incredibly excited to endorse Armando Gomez to represent Assembly District 25. Armando’s personal story, his constant commitment to improving access to quality schools and his efforts to raise the standards of education for students statewide make him an ideal representative for the 25th Assembly District.” Borden added, “Armando will fight for California’s charter schools, so that all of California’s students get the education they deserve.”
Elected to the Milpitas City Council in 2002, he’s seen the way irresponsible budgeting has slashed the funds the city receives from Sacramento, leaving families without essential city services. As the San Jose Mayor's Budget Director since 2006, Armando has had to do more with less, overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and deficits and making sure that San Jose had a balanced budget and still provided important services to our residents.
The Statewide Primary Election will take place on June 3, 2014. The deadline to register to vote is May 19. The 25th Assembly District is the gateway to the Silicon Valley. Stretching from Fremont to Morgan Hill, this district includes parts of San Jose and all of Milpitas in Alameda and Santa Clara counties. With more than 45% of registered voters identifying as Democratic, 18.47% Republican and 30.02% Decline to State, the district is heavily tilted to Democratic legislators. The district is one of the most diverse in the state, and approximately 20% of the voting aged population is Latino.
As a Democrat with deep roots in both Milpitas and San Jose and the only Latino in the race, Armando is uniquely qualified to represent the 25th Assembly District in Sacramento.