Matthew Adams
CA State Assembly District 9
Lodi, CA
What are the major issues that are getting you into public service as a politician?
I am driven to enter public service because of the critical affordability crisis pricing families out of our communities, alongside the urgent need to support our teachers and public schools. Most fundamentally, I am running to restore a true democracy where the voices of everyday residents are not drowned out by corporate lobbyists and big money.
What is the core of your platform that represents you today?
The core of my platform is centered on ensuring our government works for the people of California rather than powerful corporate interests. This means building an accountable democracy by refusing corporate PAC money, establishing tenant protections to address housing insecurity, and expanding access to high-quality education and career pathways.
What is the thing you are most proud of achieving thus far, and how will it help you as
an elected official?
I am incredibly proud of my work as a regional field organizer with Equality California, where I collaborated on advocacy efforts to strengthen protections for LGBTQ+ youth. This experience underscored the importance of grassroots organizing and showed me how to effectively advocate for our community’s real, on-the-ground challenges.
What goals are you trying to accomplish?
I’m fighting for an economy that works for working people, not just the wealthy. That means universal healthcare, living wages, and bold climate action. We need to dismantle systemic barriers while building institutions that serve everyone, not just those at the top.
What are your political ambitions?
My ambition is to get elected as Assemblymember for District 9, and pass policies that outlast any single politician’s career. Whether in this office or supporting movement organizing, I want to help create a more just, equitable society.
Who inspires you to keep fighting even when the battles seem too much?
I’m inspired by everyday people in our community who show up for each other despite struggling themselves: the workers, students, and neighbors who refuse to accept injustice as inevitable. Their resilience reminds me that change has always come from the bottom up, and that this fight is worth fighting.
Who is your role model from history in public service?
I look to Shirley Chisholm, who refused to let anyone define her limits and brought her full, authentic self into spaces that tried to exclude her. Her campaign motto, “unbought and unbossed”, captures exactly the kind of independence we need in politics today.
What advice do you have for the community to help make change happen, beyond voting?
Get involved with local organizations, show up to city council meetings, and build real relationships with your neighbors! Power comes from collective action, not individual effort alone. Elections are just the beginning. Organize, protest, and hold every decision-maker accountable between elections, because for every room you’re not in, someone is making decisions about your life and claiming to represent you.
