Neel in Orange County

I first moved to California 15 years ago and have grown to love this state. I share Californians’ optimism that with the right leadership, we can help every child get a good education, we can create a vibrant economy so every Californian has a good job and we can do this while living within our means.

Unfortunately today California 8th graders rank 49th in student achievement while a devastating 21% of Californians are either out of work or underemployed. And Sacramento’s budget ignores literally hundreds of billions of dollars of liabilities.

California has so many strengths – a vibrant, diverse, hardworking population, world-class universities, unparalleled natural resources and beauty – it is up to us to unlock its potential and fulfill the dreams of all of our people. Our government must work for all Californians.

I am reaching out to leaders in communities across California to hear their ideas, share my own, and explore how I can best affect positive change in our state. After decades of benign neglect, I believe it is our duty to finally have an honest discussion about these issues and take bold action to help all Californians succeed.

—Neel