Meet Jessie Lopez of Santa Ana, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Lopez.

Hi Jessie , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Santa Ana, and my story starts with my family and the values they instilled in me from a very young age.

I grew up in a single parent household, and I watched my parents work incredibly hard, sometimes working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. My mother worked at Hoover Elementary, and I attended Santa Ana public schools, including Hoover Elementary, Willard Intermediate, and Santa Ana High School. I saw firsthand what it meant to work hard, sacrifice, and keep moving forward even when things were difficult. That experience shaped who I am today.
My work ethic started early. At just 13 years old, my sister and I began working at the Swap Meet, helping the Contreras family with their small business. We would wake up at 5 a.m., help set up, sell merchandise throughout the day, clean up, and make about $60 for a day’s work. At the end of the day, we would ride home in the back of a cargo truck. Those early mornings and long days taught me lessons I have never forgotten. I am incredibly grateful to the Contreras family for giving us that opportunity.

I also grew up helping my mother sell Mary Kay. I remember walking through the city in the scorching heat, taking public transportation, and helping her make sales. Those experiences gave me an early understanding of what working families go through to put food on the table and create opportunities for their children.
As I got older, I continued finding ways to give back to my community. I worked at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana, where I tutored young people from the neighborhood, helped oversee the girls’ gymnasium, and worked in the teen space. Those experiences allowed me to see the potential in young people in our community and the importance of having someone believe in you.

During my junior year of high school, I applied for the PROJECT SELF internship through the Orange County Bar Association. I was recruited to work at a local law firm, and after graduating high school, I was offered a full time position. That experience opened my eyes to professional opportunities I had never imagined for myself. I continued my education at Santa Ana College and eventually took my education seriously and was accepted to Cal State Long Beach. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my life. At Cal State Long Beach, I became deeply involved in student activism and organizing. I helped mobilize students around issues that affected working people and students, including campaigns such as “Stand with Women Against Abuse” in support of hotel workers, efforts to fight tuition increases and unnecessary student fees, and support for the California Faculty Association as they fought for fair wages. I also worked to bring greater attention to sexual assault and the challenges students were facing on campus. Some of that work ultimately received coverage in our campus newspaper.

After graduating, I dedicated myself to issue based campaigns in Santa Ana. One of my first campaigns focused on protecting public land while supporting the development of affordable housing. Through these experiences, something became increasingly clear to me: working people like my parents and people like me did not have representation in local government. That realization planted the seed for me to run for office. I do not come from a political family. I was not part of a political dynasty or a traditional political pipeline. I did not have the backing of a political party or powerful political establishment. What I did have was my community, the lessons my family taught me, and a belief that people who work hard every day deserve to have their voices heard in the decisions that affect their lives.

In 2020, I ran for office and was elected with the support of my community and against all odds. My journey from waking up at 5 a.m. at the swap meet to becoming an elected representative was not something I could have imagined as a child. But every experience along the way, the sacrifices I witnessed from my parents, the jobs I worked, the young people I mentored, my education, and my professional experience, prepared me for this moment. I bring that same perspective with me today. I know what it means to work hard for $60 a day. I know what it means to rely on public transportation. I know what it means to watch your parents work multiple jobs and sacrifice so their children can have a better future.

That is where my commitment to public service comes from. I have had to earn every step I have taken in politics. I did not come from a political dynasty or inherit a political machine. I came from a working family, built my relationships one person at a time, and earned the trust of my community. I believe that if people like my family work this hard just to get by, then we deserve better from our government.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I entered public service as a young woman who believed deeply that progressive policies could improve the material conditions of the people I represent. I knew politics would be difficult, but I did not fully understand how personal, relentless, and hostile it could become.

I have learned that when you are willing to be an independent voice, particularly as a young Latina renter, you can become a target. I have been criticized for my appearance, my body, my hair, you name it. I have been attacked by men who disagreed with my votes, including being threatened by a former acquaintance who wanted to control how I voted. I have been told that someone like me could not possibly understand the value of ownership because I am a renter. I have even been told that a Latina like me should not represent the northern part of our city.

Those experiences have taught me something important: sometimes the hostility is not really about the policy. Sometimes it is about who you are and what you represent.

I have also experienced the financial sacrifice that comes with public service. I took a significant pay cut to serve the community that gave me the opportunity to represent them. My base salary is $12,000 a year, yet I have repeatedly faced false accusations that I gave myself a raise.

There have also been moments when the political attacks became much more serious. In 2023, I faced a retaliatory recall effort by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA), California Realtors, and California Apartment Association (CAA) that was fueled by misinformation surrounding a dispute with a former landlord. For nearly a year, I experienced intense online harassment. There were instances of older men following me home, people taking photographs and videos of me and my volunteers at public parks, and my home address being shared online. Having a public safety organization involved in amplifying false information about me was particularly concerning.

In 2025, I faced another public attack over my use of professional development funds to attend a training. That controversy was amplified by right wing media accounts, which drove their followers toward my social media and resulted in waves of insults and harassment. My colleagues even went as far as leaking my flight information online.

The cumulative effect of these experiences has been real. Politics has impacted my personal life and even my health. I would be dishonest if I said otherwise. There have been moments when I have had to step back and do a great deal of personal work just to process what was happening around me. I have had to learn how to work in an environment that can be incredibly hostile without allowing that hostility to change who I am.

I have also experienced workplace dynamics that were deeply difficult and, at times, profoundly distressing. There was conduct I witnessed that caused such a visceral reaction in me that I felt sick. I remember the anxiety of having to work with my colleague and carry the weight of what I had seen, only to then feel as though I was the problem for speaking up about it. I reported the conduct because I do not believe abusive men should be in positions of power. That experience reminded me how difficult it can be to speak up when the culture around you makes you feel that the person raising the concern is somehow the problem. But I also learned that protecting yourself, holding people accountable, and refusing to stay silent are forms of resilience too. I recognize that I am not the only person who has experienced these challenges, but I also know that pretending they do not exist does a disservice to anyone who wants to understand what it takes to serve in public office nowadays.

I work with bullies. That is one of the hardest truths I have had to accept about politics. But I have also learned that bullies do not get to determine who I become. If anything, these experiences have made me more resilient. They have taught me to be more disciplined, more thoughtful, and more intentional about where I invest my time and energy. They have taught me that leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room or responding to every attack. It is about knowing who you are, understanding the impact you want to make, and having the conviction to keep fighting for what matters.

And I am incredibly fortunate not to do this alone. My team and my family have been a source of strength throughout all of this. They have protected me, supported me, reminded me why I started, and helped me keep perspective when things feel overwhelming. I have watched my team face difficult circumstances with me, pick each other up, and continue showing up for our community. There is no one else I would do this with than them. That resilience is something I am proud of.

I have learned that you can be hurt by this work without allowing it to harden you. You can acknowledge that something has taken a toll on you without allowing it to define you. You can experience political retaliation and still refuse to abandon your principles.

The lesson my team and I have carried with us is simple: we fight for what we believe in, no matter the cost. We do this because we believe in a better future, one where our elderly parents do not have to struggle, where students are not burdened by a lifetime of debt, where every child has access to opportunity, and where the future is filled with possibility, not defined by debt and systems that too often serve only a few. So when it gets challenging, I come back to what matters. The people who trusted me with their vote. The people who gave me an opportunity. The families working two or three jobs, like mine. The renters who deserve stability. The young people who deserve opportunity. The working people who deserve to see themselves represented honestly in government.

That is what keeps me going. This work is not for the faint of heart. It has required more resilience than I ever expected to need. But every time I have been knocked down, I remind myself who I am and where I come from. They can’t take hope away from us. I started because I believed our community deserved better. And after everything I have experienced, I believe that more strongly than ever.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I get my work ethic from my parents and from the community that raised me. Growing up, I watched people work incredibly hard just to make ends meet. I saw young entrepreneurs trying to build something with very little, the blue collar workers whose contributions were rarely recognized by the traditional economy, and creators whose work was sometimes taken or overlooked. I learned early that there are people all around us doing extraordinary work who do not always receive the recognition they deserve.

My mother was one of those people. I watched her sell skincare products to work toward goals that always seemed just out of reach. I watched her put herself in uncomfortable situations, take risks, learn difficult lessons, and keep going. Seeing that shaped my own desire to build a better life for myself and, ultimately, for my parents and the community that raised me.

My professional background is diverse. I have worked in the corporate sector, with young people, in community health, and now in local government. While those experiences may seem different on the surface, each one taught me something that I carry into my work today.

My corporate experience taught me how to deliver. I learned the importance of deadlines, measurable outcomes, tracking your work, communicating effectively, and advocating for yourself. I entered that environment at a young age without having all of the tools I needed. I learned by observing, listening, asking questions, implementing what I learned, and continually improving. Over time, I worked my way into managing departmental budgets and overseeing attorney development and diversity initiatives for multiple law firms across California and beyond. That experience taught me how organizations operate, how to manage competing priorities, and how to deliver concrete outcomes.

Working with young people taught me something different. At the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana, I saw firsthand the difference that mentorship, safe spaces, educational support, and investment in youth can make. I also saw the consequences when those resources are missing. That experience has stayed with me and continues to shape how I think about the City’s budget, public education, youth programming, and opportunity.

During the pandemic, I worked as a community health worker helping educate older residents in our community and connect people with information about COVID-19. I saw how deeply disparities in access to information can affect people’s lives. Immigrant communities, including Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Filipino residents, often struggled to access information that was available in a culturally and linguistically relevant way. At the same time, I watched resources and attention flow toward other parts of the county while Santa Ana and Anaheim were experiencing some of the highest rates of infection and death. That experience made the connection between policy and people’s everyday lives impossible for me to ignore. It showed me that political decisions are not abstract. They can determine who receives information, who receives resources, and ultimately who has a better chance of staying healthy and safe.

Those experiences are a big part of why I decided to enter public service.

Today, as a Councilwoman, I am best known for delivering for my community. I take constituent services seriously because when someone reaches out to my office, they are often coming to us because they do not know where else to turn. I believe that public service should be measured not only by what you say, but by what you are able to accomplish for the people you represent.

What sets me apart is the range of experiences I bring to the job. I have worked in competitive corporate environments where results mattered. I have worked with nonprofits and young people. I have worked directly with residents during a public health crisis. I have organized around issues that affect working families. And I have now served in elected office, where every decision has a real impact on people’s lives.

Those experiences have given me a practical understanding of different professions, different communities, and different ways of solving problems. They also shape how I manage my team and my office. I understand that good leadership requires clear expectations, accountability, empathy, communication, and the ability to bring different people together around a common goal.

Most importantly, I have learned to be someone who delivers.

I take the responsibility of representing my community seriously. I know that I am entrusted with an opportunity that my parents and many people in my community never had. I also understand that I will always be held to a high standard, and I welcome that responsibility.

Every day, I show up prepared, work hard, solve problems, and deliver for the people who trusted me with the opportunity to serve them. That is the standard I set for myself, and it is what I hope people know they can always expect from me.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I have learned throughout my journey is that where you come from can shape how you lead, but it does not have to limit where you go.

I grew up watching my parents work incredibly hard and make sacrifices for our family. I started working at 13. I learned early that nothing would simply be handed to me, and that if I wanted something, I had to work for it. That lesson has followed me throughout my education, my professional career, and my time in public service.

But I have also learned that hard work alone is not enough. You have to be willing to learn, to listen, to adapt, and to keep growing. I have entered rooms where I did not have the same experiences or connections as everyone else. I learned by observing, asking questions, doing the work, and proving that I belonged there. Over time, I realized that I did not need to become someone else to succeed. I needed to trust what I had learned and bring my own perspective to the table.

Public service has reinforced that lesson in ways I could never have anticipated. I have learned that success is not simply about what you accomplish for yourself, how much money you make, or what you can accumulate, but about what becomes possible for someone else because you were there. I measure success in the lives I can positively influence, the doors I can help open, and the trajectories I can help change. That is why mentorship matters so deeply to me. I know what it means to navigate a path without the guidance, access, or affirmation that can make all the difference, and I now have the privilege of providing those things to the next generation of leaders. If I can help someone see a future for themselves that they could not yet imagine, open a door that might otherwise have remained closed, and prepare them not simply to enter existing systems but to question, reshape, and improve them, then that is success. In many ways, it is the most meaningful kind of success precisely because it is something I did not have – and now have the opportunity to give forward.

When I think about my mother working multiple jobs, selling skincare, taking public transportation, and doing whatever she could to create a better future for her children, I think about how much of my journey was made possible because she kept going. When I think about the young people I have worked with, the families I represent, and the people in our community who are still fighting for opportunities, I am reminded that the work is bigger than me. There is no room for ego when people’s lives are at stake.

That is probably the most important lesson I have learned: you do not have to come from wealth and power to make an impact. You can build your own path, earn people’s trust, and create something that did not exist before you. That is the work I am proudly leading as a local Councilwoman in Santa Ana.

That means building a political pipeline of our own. It means building a team that knows how to organize, mobilize, run campaigns, and win. It means recruiting and mentoring young people so they can see themselves reflected in every corner of society, including in government. It means bringing jobs and opportunity to our community and empowering the people in my own neighborhoods to believe that they can shape the future of their community. I did not come from a political family or a traditional political pipeline. I had to earn every opportunity. But that has also given me a deep appreciation for what it means when someone believes in you and gives you a chance. I know what that opportunity can change, because I have lived it.

So today, I try to lead with the same values I learned growing up: work hard, stay grounded, listen to people, keep your word, and never forget who you are serving. And when the work gets difficult, I remember who I am. I remember the people who believed in me before I ever held office. I remember the sacrifices that made my journey possible. And I remember that the goal was never simply to make it for myself. It was to make it possible for others to make it too.

That has always been enough to remind me why I keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Votejessielopez.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/councilmember_jessielopez
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteJessieLopez
• Twitter: https://x.com/VoteJessieLopez
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVVpQFMAQ-oqnMP7I2xoFQ