David Cunningham for California State Assembly District 64

David Cunningham understands the notion of being a successful public administrator. However, David knows to be successful, he must adhere to the needs and wants of those in the communities who lack certain resources which are hindering the betterment of their neighborhoods. By running for California State Assembly for District 64, David truly and honestly believes in change for District 64.

David Cunningham was born at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California to a mother who was addicted to drugs, and a father who was involved in gangs. Placed in foster care at the age of 3, David would soon understand the meaning of abuse and neglect.

As a child, he was in between foster parents until he was adopted. However, David was neglected, abused mentally, physically and emotionally by the adoptive family. Although David had reported the abuse to authorities, no actions prevailed.

David had opened about his sexuality to a school psychiatrist, which resulted in being shunned by his adoptive family. The family insisted, he could not be gay and live in the home any longer. By the family not allowing him to reside in the home, resulting in homelessness. Ultimately, leaving him to resort to shelter in cars, trains, buses, abandoned homes, and parks.

Even though there was no physical home, getting an education was a must. In the ninth grade, David had a trusted educator, who helped him enroll at Alain Leroy Locke High School. From this school, he graduated at the age of 15.

In his teen years and as an adult, David has marched alongside the community to end discrimination and reform our criminal justice system. Standing side by side with community members, activists, parents, educators and health providers to better the communities in which he lives. Actively listening to the challenges our students and teachers face each day. David has helped change health care policies for families and worked to end poverty in our communities. David is acutely aware of the needs and wants of the community, and he is a voice for the unheard voices.

David firmly believes current elected officials have chosen to neglect many standing issues that affect many within the District. If elected, David Cunningham will propose much different legislation to help better the community. David Cunningham is an active supporter of Single Payer Health Care, Union Workers, Women's rights, the Gang Truce, foster youth, the LGBT community Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Education rights, Trans-formative Restorative Justice and Community Policing. Focusing on and placing much emphasis on Fighting for Schools, Jobs and hospitals and not jails; As well as standing against social and racial inequality.

David will work to expand Social Service programs to ensure the needs of the community are being met. He will work with the Department of Children and Family Services to answer the needs of current and former foster youth. David is running so that no child has to experience the hardships that he did.

David will continue the fight in Sacramento for African American, Immigration, Refugee, LGBT, Trans, Women’s, Ingenious and many more rights.

David will fight to open more schools and hospitals, and provide jobs for the community rather than criminalizing our young people and community.

To address the homeless crisis, David is determined to ensure that everyone has an affordable place to lay their head.

David believes, that in order to succeed one needs someone who believes in the self-worth of others. David has stood side by side with community leaders, parents, educators and healthcare providers and marched alongside working-class families to help put an end to racial discrimination. He will continue to provide advocacy for foster youth, affordable health care for all, working families, and criminal justice reform. He's listening to the challenges our students and teachers face dealing with inadequate resources within unsafe communities.

David has championed health care reform for struggling families and worked to put in place policies to end poverty in our communities. David will fight to ensure that our leaders in Sacramento do not neglect the pressing issues facing the 64th District.

As your next Assembly member, David will fight day and night to enact legislation to improve the quality of life for the residents of the 64th District. David will champion single-payer universal health care for all Californians and will fight for workers rights to collectively bargain and organize. He will fight to protect a woman's right to choose and will advocate for policies supporting a truce to gang warfare.

David will be a champion for the rights of foster youth who are all to often forgotten. As the first, openly gay African American Assembly member, David will continue the fight to protect the civil and human rights of our LGBT communities and will be an ally to the immigrant community, while Washington, D.C. seeks to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

As an advocate for education, David is actively working to ensure that every child in the 64th District has an excellent K-12 education and the option of going on to community college or a four-year university. David will work tirelessly to enact policies to keep our streets safe.

David is committed to fighting for schools, jobs, and hospitals, not jails and will stand fireless against racism, sexism and all forms of bias and discrimination.

To spur economic and community development, David will ensure that companies and businesses in District 64 hire within the community. All the local businesses will be encouraged to engage within the neighborhood; this will provide community growth and active support of one another.

To ensure that our children have safe communities to live and play, David will fight to ensure that District 64 is a safe place for all and will work to make sure that the gang truce grows stronger while lowering violent crime across District 64.