Maria Cadenas

Party Preference: Democratic
Executive Director                          vote@maria2020.com     www.maria2020.com             Age: 41

We want the basics: housing that is affordable, accessible quality healthcare without high deductibles, clean water and clean air, good schools, and jobs that allow us to save and pay the bills. Right now, however, these feel out of reach. ​As a mom of a 10-year-old girl, a renter, and a woman, this is personal for me. We cannot keep hoping that the old ideas that got us here will fix the problems they caused. We must do better. For over 20 years, I’ve worked to improve healthcare, increase support for small business owners, increase affordable housing, build housing for children aging out of foster care, increase legal aid to immigrant families, create academic and career pipelines for farmworkers, provide every newborn  in Santa Cruz County with a college savings account, and fight predatory lenders. I’ve worked with governments, corporations, growers, farmworkers, nonprofits, and policy makers across the U.S., California, and in our region to thoughtfully develop practical solutions that actually work to improve people’s lives. I’m not a career politician. I get things done by focusing on what matters most – people and planet. I’m the only Democratic woman, only immigrant, only Latina, and only candidate in this race who will not accept corporate money. My personal commitment to service and my love of our communities is what compels me to run. Join me and let’s work together to create opportunity for all families and all people to thrive.