About Angélica
Angelica Dueñas, mother, wife, activist, and community organizer. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Raising five children who attend LAUSD schools. BA in Political Science. MA in Organizational Leadership. Accepts zero corporate money, so she is beholden to the people and not special interests.
Who Am I?
I was born in the working-class suburb of Sun Valley, raised by my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dueñas, who immigrated from Mexico. My life resembles that of my local community’s, brought up through hard work, and LAUSD’s public schooling. I’m proud of the education I received from Roscoe Elementary School, Byrd Middle School, and Polytechnic High School. I went on to earn a Human Resources Certification from Los Angeles Valley College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from CSULA, and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University.
Like so many other working-class women, I’m so proud to be the first person in my family to achieve higher education. Of course, that pride and joy was unmatched by my parents and extended family, and it will always be one of those times I hold dear to my heart. It’s a blessing to have such a sense of love, pride, and interconnectedness, not just with my family, but with my greater community; despite the struggles we continue to overcome. I served as a contributing Board Member of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council, and have served two terms as President, and one term as 1st Vice President.
A defining event in my childhood was my mother’s losing of her job in 1997. She had worked 21 years at the Price Pfister factory in Pacoima. This, of course, during a time when countless people lost their jobs to outsourcing, with so many livelihoods swept away, driven out of our country due, in great part, to NAFTA. Our family crisis was the beginning of my commitment to fight for social justice. My dedication to the community was vigorous, and focused to local issues.
“Is it possible that our congress can be controlled by working-class, diversely colored, progressive women and men? Not only do I think it possible, but in view of our country’s further descension toward virtual ruination, I also think it to be necessary.”
However, in 2016, our Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, reawakened a progressive movement with his presidential campaign. The importance of electoral politics was brought to light, so I immediately got involved, and was appointed to serve as a Delegate for the Senator. This commitment to electoral politics was part of something much larger than myself.
Could it be possible that an entire society could come together, proclaim that they will fight for each other even if they are strangers, that our government can do far better for its people, and its people can do far better for each other? Is it possible that our congress can be controlled by working-class, diversely colored, progressive women and men? Not only do I think it possible, but in view of our country’s further descension toward virtual ruination, I also think it to be necessary. Being a mother of five, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. It’s with that sense of conviction and duty that I’m running for Congress.
I’ve been married to Henoc Sanchez since 2006, apportioning our time between hard-earned employment, political activism, and most importantly, raising our five healthy children.
The Bigger Picture
With very little resources in 2022, our campaign passed a crowded primary, effecting a run-off. In the 2022 general election we were able to earn almost half of the vote with less than a 14th of our opponents funding. Our 100% people-powered movement achieved this while taking NO corporate money.
In 2024, the people of the San Fernando Valley will again have the opportunity to elect Angelica in to Congress. The people will have the opportunity to be represented in Congress by an unapologetic progressive who is beholden only to the people of her district and not big-money special interests for the very first time.
I grew up here, lived here all my life; I know, first-hand, the priorities of the District, and empathize with the needs of America’s working families everywhere. Our government will not work for us until voters elect members of America’s working class to Congress. We need people that, not only look and talk like us, but people who will not turn their backs on their own communities for profit and big corporate checks. As a member of Congress, I will put #PeopleFirst and fight for policies that work for our communities to deliver results that bring tangible improvements to the lives of her San Fernando Valley constituents.
This campaign embodies the greater movement taking place across the country right now. In so many of our upcoming Democratic primaries you will find stunning examples of what it could mean to be a public servant. In short, progressive Democrats are running against many incumbents representing the corporatists of both the GOP, and the Democratic Party. A better world is within our reach.
Like I illustrated in the beginning, my political journey is rooted in my local community, serving in my neighborhood council to fill the potholes, fix the streetlights, and provide mutual aid. My higher political ambitions grew out of the progressive movement. I look forward to unseating a man who, in short, is a perfect representative for all that’s wrong with our Congress today.