Quinn Costello
I reluctantly got my start in political activism after being cast by my Dad as the token kid in campaign commercials for local Democratic candidates in Boise, Idaho. While my initial participation may have been compulsory I was soon hooked and have since become a lifelong volunteer on Democratic campaigns. In 2016, while canvassing in Nevada, I kept hearing from voters that they no longer knew what the Democratic Party represented. As the election results started coming in I knew that there was something deeply disconnected about the priorities of the party and that the status quo was no longer good enough. A few weeks later, a group of friends gathered in our living room to begin to figure out how we could fight the Trump agenda at the grassroots level. We partnered with Swing Left and targeted the two Republican seats closest to us in CA-10 and 21. We went door-to-door building relationships with Republicans, Independents and Democrats alike- with a focus on healthcare. It was personal for me as the ACA was the first time I had health insurance and the Republicans were hellbent on repealing it. After talking to hundreds of voters, I knew I was not the only one. Both of those seats flipped in the 2018 midterms- due in large part to the focus on this critical issue. After Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy with a heavy emphasis on universal healthcare I knew that I had found a political home. We began organizing in East Oakland and got to work sending out hundreds of canvassers to win Alameda County on behalf of Medicare for All, The Green New Deal and a humane Social Housing policy. Carrying on the spirit of Bernie’s campaign I believe we must focus on achieving single payer healthcare in California. It is a labor issue as well as a social justice issue. We have a unique opportunity to push our representatives towards winning this critical demand. The things we’re able to achieve in California can set an example for the entire country. It would be my honor to be a delegate of the party to help show that bold progressive ideas that benefit peoples’ lives also happen to be good politics. |
Morissa Zuckerman
I’m 26 years old, and for my entire life I’ve seen Republicans slip farther towards right wing extremism while Democrats flail or sell out to corporate interests. In the wealthiest nation in the world, there is no good reason why some should have multiple homes while others have none; why state-sanctioned violence against Black people continues unabated; or why healthcare, action on climate, and immigration reform remain out of reach. I was born and raised in Oakland, and I live five blocks from where I grew up. From a young age, I started to look around and wonder why our world was so unequal, and why the future that my generation was inheriting was becoming more and more at risk from climate instability. So, I got involved in community organizing and advocacy. When I was 23, I founded the Sunrise Movement Bay Area chapter to help build a movement of young people to fight climate change and create millions of good jobs through a Green New Deal. For the last three years I coordinated the chapter, which now has over 1,500 participants. I work at the Sierra Club with a focus on supporting youth leaders and advocating for climate, racial and economic justice. I am running as Delegate to AD18 because I believe that only through bold, transformative leadership can we build the future that we all need and deserve. The challenges we face are enormous and interconnected, so the solutions must match the scale of the crises. This change can start at the local level and state. I am ready to bring my voice and my determination to create a Democratic Party that finally does right by everyday working people and gives us a future to believe in. |
Allyssa Victory
Allyssa Victory is a changemaker, coalition builder, and advocate from Oakland, CA. She is running to be a 2021 ADEM delegate for Assembly District 18 to be a voice for those marginalized in our electoral system, to align the Party with community-led platforms and demands, and to bring her unique brand of Oakland leadership to the Democratic party. Allyssa is a daughter of Oakland raised by a pre-K teacher and servant of the community. Allyssa struggled through homelessness with her family as a teenager and young adult yet excelled in academics and soon became the first in her family to attend a 4-year university. Her entry into the workforce started as a high school youth organizer in Oakland. Allyssa continued to work to support herself through college but took jobs in access and retention of underrepresented students in higher education and advocating against sexual violence. Allyssa’s leadership and commitment led, in part, to the creation of the UC San Diego Black Resource Center and a thesis on the history of anti-Black policing in America. Allyssa holds litigation and policy experience beyond her years of practice in areas ranging from labor and employment and criminal justice to contracts and housing. Allyssa translates all of her knowledge and skills back to the community that developed her. Organizations throughout the state have turned to Allyssa to fill a variety of executive, advisory, and/or board functions. She is always willing to speak, present, or educate others to help find their path to success and to build a stronger community through collaboration and coalition. Allyssa is a democratic leader and will work on issues that stand in the way of the Party’s success; and ultimately our success as a democracy. Allyssa is a member of local democratic clubs, has worked to get local democrats elected, and has undergone rigorous leadership trainings which were exclusive to democrats including Emerge California. Allyssa holds a B.A. with honors in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego with a minor in African American studies and a J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law with a concentration in Government law. Allyssa will be accountable and accessible to voters and Party members to ensure that her votes and voice reflect you all. |
Rodney K. Nickens Jr.
Rodney K. Nickens Jr. is an Oakland Hills resident in the 18th Assembly District and is a candidate for the 2021 Assembly District Election Meeting (ADEM) delegate elections to the California Democratic Party Executive Board. Rodney moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013 to pursue a career in activism and social justice advocacy after graduating from UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco in 2016. As the first person in his family to attend college, Rodney worked to put himself through school with the help of grants, scholarships and student loans and understands the issues facing first-generation college students, millennials, working-class families, and essential workers of color firsthand. He credits his mother, a retired nurse and his father, an electrician for instilling in him the values of perseverance, resilience, service and hard work in spite of adversity early on. Their work ethic and sacrifices motivated Rodney to overcome significant hardships in his own life and become a student organizer. Their wisdom and countless life lessons continue to guide him as he fights for racial equity, housing justice, and closing the racial wealth gap. As a millennial political strategist and policy advocate, Rodney has had the privilege of serving in critical roles as a trailblazer on the frontlines of progressive change in California and across the nation for over a decade. Rodney has also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations rooted in millennial civic engagement. As a life-long Democrat, Rodney has donated to and volunteered on numerous local, state, and federal campaigns for progressive Democratic leaders. Rodney is the Founder of R&N Strategies, LLC, a political consulting firm founded in 2019 which focuses on identifying, recruiting, and advising progressive grassroots candidates of color for local elected offices in the Bay Area. He is a 2009 graduate of the inaugural class at the University of California, Merced, a 2011 graduate of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African-American Studies at UCLA, and a 2016 graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he earned a certificate in Social Justice Lawyering. |
Alan Marling
Alan Marling is a projection activist who shines light around the Bay Area. If one of his projections ever made you smile, please consider voting for him. This year he helped campaign for Bernie Sanders and Carroll Fife. As an Assembly Delegate, he will vote for CADEM leadership and endorsements that represent California’s progressive values. 
Rabi'a Keeble
Rabi'a Keeble is a descendent of early Bay area Black settlers, dating from the 1800s. Rabi'a founded a ground breaking woman's all inclusive mosque, and produces weekly videos for Muslim women. Rabi'a is a member of East Bay Housing Organization, a non-profit that works for housing justice. Rabi'a is also the Co-Chair of the American Friend of Combatants for Peace, a Nobel Prize nominated organization that works for peace in Palestine by bringing Israeli's and Palestinians together. Rabi'a is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry, a part of the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Rabi'a worked as an RN in many Bay area hospitals delivering quality care to Bay area residents. Rabi'a is also a published author. She served as an ADEM for District 18 in 2017, and as an alternate presently. |
Chaney Turner
My name is Chaney Turner. I'm an entrepreneur, organizer and equity thought leader born and bred in East Oakland, CA. I’m honored to submit my application for California Democratic Party ADEM18. I have been an organizer for over twenty years. I believe in accessibility, equity, and a dedicated, transparent investment in the economic, social and political lives of those most impacted by state sanctioned violence & gentrification. I’ve volunteered and supported local campaigns & initiatives such as Prop 10, Prop 15 and various Oakland City Council candidates & members. My work in cannabis advocates on a local and national level for equity and influences legislation & policy to support recognizing the medical and economic possibilities of cannabis, de-stigmatizing its use and challenging the criminalization that regularly happens within our communities. In 2019, I was instrumental in the monumental decrease of Oakland’s Cannabis Tax for small equity owned businesses. I currently serve on the Oakland Cannabis Commission, as Commissioner At-Large. I’m running for ADEM18 to further extend my commitment to the community and be a progressive voice. Displacement, lack of access to affordable healthcare, police violence and underfunded schools have been an issue in the Black, Brown & low-income communities. COVID_19 has exasperated those inequalities even more. My work and leadership embodies the belief that those most impacted by inequities deserve access to power in the implementation of grounded, sustainable and community-driven solutions. I look forward to leading hands-on efforts and initiatives in collaboration with others to bring about the change we need in the near future. |
Katherine O'Toole
I am an activist and camerawoman who works on documentary and advocacy videos in Oakland, CA, occupied land of the Ohlone. Both my activism and my day job have given me the most wonderful gift of being welcomed into a huge diversity of spaces and having heart to hearts with many people I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. As a kid I remember bundling up to go out knocking doors with my family as we campaigned for my uncle during his two runs for mayor. Those early conversations with neighbors taught me that you can forge strong connections with people simply by asking what they need and then really listening. In the past few years that lesson has resonated with me deeply. After the shock of 2016 I started organizing with Indivisible and Swing Left, putting pressure on our representatives and organizing trips to the Central Valley to knock doors in CA-10 and 21. I felt immense pride when our groups’ tireless canvassing efforts flipped both seats. Shortly thereafter I joined DSA, looking for an organization that more closely reflected my politics. As a member of DSA’s video team, I got the chance to use my skills as a filmmaker to support local Democratic Socialists running for office, labor unions striking for economic and racial justice and nurses striking for safer work environments and better patient care. There’s real power in using these tools of communication to further political awareness. Alongside that work I began organizing with the 2020 Bernie campaign - sending out 100s of canvassers to win support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. That campaign gave me the chance to connect with strangers every weekend over the ways these policies could reshape our lives. It was one of the most moving political experiences of my life and I look forward to carrying on the spirit of that campaign by winning single payer in California. I am running for ADEM in Assembly District 18. As a delegate, I will use my communication skills to help demystify the processes of the state party so that grassroots organizations in my district can use that knowledge to organize more effectively. I would love the chance to organize at the state party level so we can continue to build the kind of power it will take to enact the progressive, anti-racist, pro-environmental policies we need. |
Kieryn Darkwater I am a disabled, queer, transmasculine, nonbinary, lifelong organizer with the skills and experience that we need to bring the Democratic Party into the accessible, diverse, and inclusive future we all strive for. That future is now, and it's time to step up to the plate and make our vision a reality. To do that we need new blood, new voices, and new experiences to move the party forward. I'm running to support candidates, community leaders, and a party platform that prioritizes:
As a college student leader I worked with Trustees, admin, students, and faculty across various departments and all 4 Peralta District schools for accessibility and support for queer and trans students. I advocated ceaselessly for all gender bathrooms throughout Laney's campus and changing the anti-discrimination policy to include both gender identity and gender expression. I Co-founded the Children's Rights organization Coalition for Responsible Home Education, where I ran everything tech related, coordinated volunteers, started the state chapter program, and educated elected officials in Sacramento and around the country about our work. I have the passion and experience to move the party forward and humbly ask for your vote. More info at: https://mxdarkwater.com |
Melody Davis
Melody Davis is a seasoned community organizer and activist known throughout Oakland as a voice for justice. Melody was born in East Oakland. She is the eldest of nine children. She attended Oakland Public Schools and graduated from McClymonds High School. Melody is a passionate supporter of criminal justice reform, housing rights, education equity and childcare. In 1995, Melody started working with Parent Voices as an advocate for child care. Parent Voices is a parent-led, parent-run grassroots organization fighting to make quality child care accessible and affordable for all families. She helped organize the first chapter of Parent Voices - today it is a statewide organization with 15 chapters. More recently, Melody has been an active volunteer with Oakland Reach. She regularly attends school board meetings and rallies. Oakland Reach educates parents and grandparents about the state of public education, the performance of our schools, and the school choices available. As a dedicated member of the Reach Outreach Team, Melody organizes and mobilizes parents in our most underserved communities. Melody is also active in the West Oakland Leadership Council. She is a part of a group of dedicated residents who help develop tools for community change efforts and advise the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)’s Board of Directors. Melody is a member of the Oakland Interfaith Council and works tirelessly to respond to the homeless crisis in Oakland. She also supports Project Darreis, a project founded by the mother of Oakland homicide victim, Darreis Toyfoya to support other families with an annual XMAS toy drive. Melody retired from Alameda County after 25 years of service to the people of Alameda County. She worked at the Registrar of Voters, the Civil Clerk’s office, the Sheriff’s Department and Social Services. She is the proud mother of three children, grandmother of nine and a great-grandmother to fourteen great-grands. 
Richard Chennault
I am a dedicated spouse, caring, parent, and veteran. I lead through experience, compassion, and a genuine desire for continuous learning. My experience ranges from direct patient care to senior technical leadership positions in some of the Bay Areas' top companies. I am active at the local education level by serving as a parent leader for the San Leandro Unified School District. I promise to bring my extensive professional and community experience to help lead and shape the future of the party. I invite everyone to learn more about me by reading my online profile on LinkedIn and my website. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rchennau/ http://www.chennault.net/ |
Jose Carlos Moreno Soria
My name is Jose Carlos Moreno Soria. I am a young Mexican American San Leandro native. I graduated from California State University East Bay with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Computer Science. I was active in college as a member of Students for Quality Education, a CSU wide student organization fighting for tuition free university and other student needs. After college I attempted to unionize my student coworkers at my university. I then became a member of Our Revolution San Leandro and helped their successful efforts to pass protections for mobile home tenants. Afterwards we began an effort to push for the formation of tenant unions in San Leandro in which I canvassed, collected data, and recruited members. I was then a candidate on the People Powered Progressives slate for Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. I am a member of the working class. I don’t get to stay home during the pandemic. I help ensure that people can still buy not only their essentials, but luxuries and other non essentials. I have seen firsthand how our government, including that of California and our party leaders, do not care about us, about the people who are paid poverty wages yet are deemed essential to the functioning of society. Statement As a Delegate, I will vote with my fellow progressives to elect party leaders who are both not bought by the corporations that dominate California and bold enough to implement the drastic solutions we need to purge the party of corruption and actually fight for politicians and legislation which help ordinary Californians. It is unacceptable that the party accept donations from corporations like Uber which change our laws to increase their profits at the expense of workers. As is the disgraceful handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by California, which has been nothing but empty gestures pretending to take action while not giving workers and businesses the financial support to survive the pandemic. Yet our politicians do as their donors please because our party leaders do not discipline them, rather they continue to fully support them. California has one of the largest economies globally, yet we continue to have countless crises. We do not need to rely on the federal government to solve our problems. California has more than enough ability to solve all of our problems. Yet we are not just held back but brought further down by the corruption in our party which our leaders have not only allowed but participated in. We have allowed ourselves to be dominated by the rich and powerful who seek their own gain at the expense of the vast majority of Californians, rewriting our laws and sucking up all our taxes while they pay practically nothing. We must elect a new leadership, a stronger, bolder platform with real solutions, not half measures and empty words. We must reform and restructure if need be, but we can no longer continue as normal. In California, we do not have the excuse of the Republicans being a threat, those Republicans, that threat, has infested the Democratic party and must be purged if we are to end poverty, police brutality, crime, the housing crisis, raise wages, expand healthcare and education, among many more problems we face. These are all solvable, by California itself. Right now, we pay high taxes for nothing, while the large corporations pay little for everything, changing that starts by changing the Democratic party, it’s platform, activity, and leadership. |
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Mika Lacabe
My name is Mika. I’m 18 years old, a Latina, a vegan, mother to three cats and a gecko, and a freshman Human Biology major at UC Santa Cruz. I believe in animal rights, that Black Lives Matter, and in taking action to fixing our environment and fight climate change. I believe the Democratic Party should stand against factory farming, the oil and gas industry, billionaires, pesticides, fracking, sexual harassment, and pay to play politics. I will vote to endorse politicians who support tuition-free college and Medicare for All – and who fight for animal rights and climate action. And I will never exchange my vote for an endorsement. |
Mike Katz-Lacabe
My candidacy is not sponsored or encouraged by any elected official seeking my endorsement or my support in exchange for their help. It’s not enough to talk about progressive policies without putting them into action and supporting candidates that will do the same. The California Democratic Party includes healthcare for all in its platform but too many of its candidates pay lip service to that portion of the platform. I supported Bernie Sanders because he recognized that healthcare is a right for years and his advocacy has now made it a mainstream issue. He continues to lead by pushing for freeing students from the burden of college debt, something that used to be fully funded by taxpayers in California. As we fight for criminal justice reform, Democrats need to stop supporting candidates that are beholden to financial contributions from police unions, other law enforcement organizations, and the companies that are contributing to the destruction of our planet. I promise to support candidates who represent ALL of California, who support organized labor, who fight for criminal justice reform, who value our privacy and freedoms over law enforcement’s desire for mass surveillance, who believe that government for the people depends on protecting the planet and supporting people with a Green New Deal. I will support candidates who support these principles. Please vote for me and other progressives who don’t owe anything to an elected official and share these values. |
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