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Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand how devastating mental health struggles can be for families. When a loved one faces deep emotional pain, the entire household suffers — often without meaningful support. I’ve seen families lose work, drain their savings, and struggle alone through sleepless nights, desperate for real help that too often isn’t available.

The truth is, our current system makes it far too hard for families to get the care and stability they need during these critical times. Financial burdens compound emotional ones, and even professionals in the field admit that consistent, effective help is hard to find.

We must do better. We need to explore policies and programs that truly support families in crisis — not just with words, but with accessible resources, financial flexibility, and community-based care that helps families hold on to hope when it matters most.

Reduce excessive regulations and recurring fees that punish entrepreneurs, especially in transportation, construction, and small-business sectors.

 Refocus schools on students and practical skills. Bring back life and trade education such as cooking, woodworking, mechanics, and financial literacy, and expand vocational pathways in fields like HVAC, trucking, and carpentry.

California’s trucking industry is the backbone of our economy — moving food, goods, and essential materials across every community in this state. Yet, over the years, excessive regulations from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have made it nearly impossible for small business owners, independent operators, and family-run fleets to survive.

The federal government is already working to scale back overly burdensome environmental rules that have proven costly and ineffective. California should not continue to impose redundant or conflicting standards when federal agencies are actively removing those same restrictions. It’s time for our state to align with federal policy and protect both our environment and our working families.

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Reforming CARB’s Authority

Protect Jobs, Not Bureaucracy

CARB was created to protect clean air — but over time, its authority has grown far beyond its original mission.

I support common-sense reform that limits CARB’s power to exceed federal law and that ends the punishment of small trucking businesses simply for trying to operate in California.

Regulatory costs are forcing independent truckers out of business, while large corporations absorb the expense and dominate the market. That’s bad for competition, bad for workers, and bad for California consumers.

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🇺🇸 Restoring Balance Between State and Federal Oversight

One Nation, One Standard

California should not maintain outdated or overlapping emissions regulations when the federal government is modernizing or eliminating them.

The Clean Air Act already provides clear national standards. Aligning with federal rules will reduce red tape, restore fairness across state lines, and protect thousands of trucking jobs that keep our supply chains running.

My administration will work with state and federal partners to ensure California’s trucking industry is governed by fair, science-based, and achievable standards — not bureaucratic overreach or political agendas.

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Environmental Tradeoffs of the DEF System

Real Solutions — Not Hidden Pollution

The Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system was introduced to reduce emissions, but we must be honest about the tradeoffs regulators have ignored.

DEF is sold in cardboard boxes containing plastic jugs — materials that ultimately add to landfill waste and plastic pollution.

We were told DEF would protect our air, yet we’ve traded one form of pollution for another.

From manufacturing to shipping to disposal, DEF adds waste and carbon output while its environmental benefits remain not 100% proven.

California must take a comprehensive look at the full environmental impact of these systems and ensure we are not creating new pollution under the guise of stopping another.

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A Path Forward

Clean Air and Economic Freedom Can Coexist

We can protect our environment and support our truckers at the same time.

My plan will:

Review all CARB trucking mandates for legality, cost, and alignment with federal law.

Support transitions to unified federal standards where appropriate.

Promote life-cycle environmental reviews that include packaging, disposal, and hidden costs like DEF waste.

Work directly with truckers, engineers, and small business owners to design policies that achieve clean air without destroying livelihoods.

California’s future depends on balance — between clean air and economic freedom, between innovation and practicality, and between our people and their government.

Under my leadership, we will bring that balance back.

Lower costs at the pump without compromising safety or clean air.

California families and small businesses pay more for gas than anywhere else in the country for three big reasons: higher state taxes/fees, special fuel and climate-program costs, and a tight, outage-prone refinery market. Fixing prices means tackling all three—smartly and fast. 

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Why We Pay More

Taxes & Fees: Californians pay about $0.90 per gallon in combined local, state, and federal taxes/fees—the highest in the nation. The state excise tax alone is near 60¢/gal. 

Climate-Program Pass-Throughs: Compliance costs from programs like Cap-and-Trade and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) are material add-ons, with the EIA estimating up to ~$0.54/gal in environmental program costs. We need transparency and guardrails so these don’t become hidden taxes. 

Boutique Fuel & Outages: California requires a unique reformulated gasoline blend (CARBOB) with summer specs. Fewer refineries make it; when one goes down, prices spike. Supply fragility—not just crude prices—drives big surges. 

Market Structure & Margins: The state created a new watchdog in 2023 to scrutinize refiner margins and data. That transparency must translate into real consumer relief. 

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My Plan to Lower Prices

1) Immediate Relief on Taxes & Fees

Pause annual excise-tax inflation hikes and evaluate a temporary reduction when prices breach hardship thresholds.

Audit layered local/State fees to remove duplicative charges that don’t improve roads or air quality.

Evidence shows taxes/fees are a large, controllable slice of your price at the pump. 

2) Cap Hidden Compliance Costs—Protect the Climate, Stop the Padding

Direct the energy agencies to publish a monthly per-gallon cost of LCFS + Cap-and-Trade so consumers see the pass-through.

Set guardrails that prevent sudden, outsized compliance-cost spikes from being dumped on drivers all at once (use multi-month averaging).

EIA flags environmental program costs as a significant component in California pump prices. 

3) Make Fuel Supply Resilient (End the Spike Cycle)

Fast-track maintenance permits and critical repairs at refineries without lowering safety standards.

During outages, pre-authorize temporary blend waivers (time-limited, health-based) so more suppliers can deliver compatible fuel to California.

Streamline imports and logistics so replacement supply arrives faster when a plant trips offline.

Price spikes in California often follow unplanned refinery outages and limited alternate supply. 

4) Enforce Real Transparency & Competition

Give the state’s new Division of Petroleum Market Oversight the resources and deadlines to convert data into consumer price actions—not just reports.

If watchdog findings show anti-competitive conduct or unjustified windfall margins, trigger penalties under the 2023 law. 

5) Keep Clean-Air Goals—Cut Cost Where It Doesn’t Help

Modernize fuel specs where new tech delivers the same air benefits at lower cost, while preserving health protections.

Use life-cycle analysis so Californians aren’t overpaying for rules that don’t materially improve air quality.

California’s special blends improve air, but narrow suppliers + strict specs = volatility; we can protect health and reduce fragility at the same time. 

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Straight Talk on “Who Should Lower It?”

Taxes/Fees: State government can act—pause/indexing reform, targeted temporary cuts. 

Refineries: The state must clear maintenance bottlenecks, speed outage waivers, and enforce transparency so margins aren’t padded during crises. 

Regulators: Publish the true per-gallon cost of climate programs and smooth volatility so drivers aren’t hit with sudden spikes. 

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Result We’re Aiming For

Lower, steadier prices driven by: Lean taxes/fees, Transparent, capped compliance costs, and A sturdier supply chain that doesn’t collapse when one plant goes down. That’s how we deliver relief without jeopardizing safety or clean air. 

Remove polarizing terms like “global warming” and “climate change” from the political conversation and promote a shared mission to protect California’s natural beauty through common-sense environmental action. Jiménez advocates recycling initiatives, renewable innovation, and sustainable practices that don’t rely on new taxes or unnecessary spending — uniting Democrats and Republicans around stewardship and results.

 From Manuel Jiménez, Jr.

I am proud to be the son of a Mexican father who came to this country on a student visa to study electronics at San Francisco State University, and a mother who was born in Hanford, California, returned to Mexico as a child, and came back at nine years old to work the fields picking cotton and grapes. My mother later became a bilingual educator, specializing in special education, and often stayed after school to help children who needed extra support. She taught me that service is not a job — it’s a calling.

Mi familia’s story is one of struggle, faith, and perseverance — the same story lived by so many Latino families who helped build California from the ground up. My grandfather came from Guadalajara, Mexico, as a Bracero, part of the guest worker program that helped feed this country during and after World War II. He worked the fields across California and returned to Mexico each season to support his family. His sacrifice — and that of thousands of Braceros like him — laid the foundation for generations of opportunity.

That legacy continued through my father-in-law, who also came to this country as a Bracero. Alongside my mother-in-law, they both worked on a chicken ranch in San Marcos, California — on the very land where Cal State San Marcos stands today. They worked tirelessly to build a better life, and my father-in-law eventually became a proud U.S. citizen. Their story represents the heart of the Latino experience in California: hard work, sacrifice, and progress that benefits future generations.

My grandmother’s story is one I carry closest to my heart. In 1953, while near San Pedro, California, she was detained by Border Patrol, beaten, and jailed for three months before being deported to Mexico. With no phones or mail, our family believed she had died. But she never gave up. She tried again, crossed safely, and made her way back to Northern California to reunite her children. When I asked her later how she felt about what happened, she looked at me and said, “They were doing their job, and I was doing mine. You are here now, aren’t you?” Her words taught me that forgiveness and strength go hand in hand — and that courage often speaks softly, through love.

Mi familia worked the fields, studied in classrooms, and built businesses so that I — and others like me — could dream freely. That freedom must be protected for the next generation.

I’m running for Governor because I want California to remain a place where Latino families, small-business owners, and working people can succeed without being buried by over-regulation or broken promises. I want our youth to see paths forward — in college, in trades, in public service — and to know that leadership can come from anywhere, even from families like ours.

Our community deserves representation that understands what it means to start from nothing, to work two jobs, to send money home, and to sacrifice for a better tomorrow. My promise is simple: I will serve with the same heart and humility that my parents, grandparents, and in-laws lived with — con amor por mi familia, y por toda California.

De Manuel Jiménez, Jr.

Me siento orgulloso de ser hijo de un padre mexicano que vino a este país con una visa de estudiante para estudiar electrónica en la Universidad Estatal de San Francisco, y de una madre que nació en Hanford, California, regresó a México siendo niña y volvió a los nueve años para trabajar en los campos, cosechando algodón y uvas.

Mi madre más tarde se convirtió en maestra bilingüe especializada en educación especial, y muchas veces se quedaba después de clases ayudando a los niños que más lo necesitaban. Ella me enseñó que servir a los demás no es un trabajo — es un llamado.

La historia de mi familia — mi familia — es una historia de lucha, fe y perseverancia. Es la misma historia que viven tantas familias latinas que han ayudado a construir California desde sus raíces.

Mi abuelo vino de Guadalajara, México, como bracero, parte del programa de trabajadores invitados que ayudó a alimentar a este país durante y después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Trabajaba los campos de California y regresaba a México cada temporada para mantener a su familia. Su sacrificio — y el de miles de braceros como él — sentó las bases para generaciones de oportunidad.

Esa herencia continuó con mi suegro, quien también vino a este país como bracero. Junto con mi suegra, ambos trabajaron en un rancho de pollos en San Marcos, California, en el mismo terreno donde hoy se encuentra Cal State San Marcos. Trabajaron incansablemente para darle un futuro mejor a su familia, y mi suegro eventualmente se convirtió en un ciudadano estadounidense orgulloso. Su historia representa el corazón de la experiencia latina en California: trabajo duro, sacrificio y progreso para las generaciones que vienen.

La historia de mi abuela es la que guardo más cerca de mi corazón. En 1953, cerca de San Pedro, California, fue detenida por la patrulla fronteriza, golpeada y encarcelada durante tres meses antes de ser deportada a México. Sin teléfonos ni comunicación, nuestra familia pensó que había muerto. Pero ella nunca se rindió. Volvió a intentarlo, cruzó con éxito y regresó al norte de California para reunir a sus hijos.

Años después le pregunté cómo se sentía por lo que había pasado. Ella me miró y me dijo:

> “Ellos estaban haciendo su trabajo, y yo estaba haciendo el mío. ¿Acaso no estás tú aquí ahora?”

Sus palabras me enseñaron que el perdón y la fuerza caminan juntos, y que el verdadero valor muchas veces se expresa a través del amor.

Mi familia trabajó en los campos, estudió en las aulas y construyó negocios para que yo — y muchos otros como yo — pudiéramos soñar en libertad. Esa libertad debemos protegerla para la próxima generación.

Me postulo para Gobernador de California porque quiero que nuestro estado siga siendo un lugar donde las familias latinas, los pequeños empresarios y la gente trabajadora puedan salir adelante sin ser aplastados por regulaciones excesivas o promesas vacías.

Quiero que nuestros jóvenes vean caminos hacia el futuro — en la universidad, en los oficios, o en el servicio público — y que sepan que el liderazgo puede nacer en cualquier lugar, incluso en familias como la nuestra.

Nuestra comunidad merece una representación que entienda lo que significa empezar desde cero, trabajar dos empleos, enviar dinero a casa y sacrificarse por un mejor mañana.

Mi promesa es sencilla: serviré con el mismo corazón y humildad con que vivieron mis padres, mis abuelos y mis suegros — con amor por mi familia, y por toda California.

From Manuel Jiménez, Jr., Candidate for Governor of California

Yesterday, I made my first call to one of the largest Latino organizations in California, based in Los Angeles. I spoke with an influential woman in leadership, and something she said struck me deeply:

> “Our organization does not always conform to the Democratic Party.”

Her words stopped me. They reminded me of a truth too many are afraid to say — Latinos in California and across the nation have been misrepresented. We have been promised opportunity but left with higher costs. We have been told to wait for reform, yet our families still live in uncertainty.

I am running as a Conservative Democrat because I believe it’s time for a new direction — one where our Latino community leads, not follows, and where we build bridges instead of walls between parties.

Some politicians, like Nancy Pelosi, once said they would not negotiate with Donald Trump. I understand frustration in politics, but I reject the idea of shutting doors. I believe in negotiation — with anyone who can bring progress to our people and peace to our nation. Whether it’s President Trump or any Republican representative of California, I will sit at the table. Because what matters most is not party victory — it’s results.

Those results must include real immigration reform — especially for the DREAMers, who were raised in this country, educated here, and love America as their own. They deserve stability, not political chess games.

My commitment to negotiation and understanding comes from my family’s history. My grandfather came from Guadalajara, Mexico, as a Bracero, working the fields that fed this nation before returning home each season. My father-in-law followed that same path, coming here as a Bracero and eventually becoming a proud U.S. citizen. My mother-in-law worked alongside him on a chicken ranch in San Marcos, California, on the same land where Cal State San Marcos now stands — a reminder that progress grows from the sweat and sacrifice of those who came before us.

My grandmother, in 1953, was beaten and jailed for three months after being captured near San Pedro, California, and deported to Mexico. My family thought she was gone forever. When she finally returned, I once asked how she felt about what had happened. She looked at me and said,

> “They were doing their job, and I was doing mine. You are here now, aren’t you?”

Those words shaped my life. They taught me that strength and forgiveness can exist together, and that every generation must build on the sacrifices of the last.

That’s what I want for California — a government that listens, negotiates, and delivers. Not for political headlines, but for families like mine — and yours — who worked the fields, paid their dues, and earned their place in this country.

To the DREAMers, to our farmworkers, and to every Latino family in California:

You are the backbone of this state. You are not forgotten. You are the future.

> “Mi familia built this state, and now it’s my turn to fight for it — for you, and for every Californian who still believes in the American Dream.”

De Manuel Jiménez, Jr., Candidato a Gobernador de California

Ayer tuve mi primera llamada como candidato, con una de las organizaciones latinas más grandes de California, con sede en Los Ángeles. Hablé con una mujer influyente en el liderazgo, y algo que ella dijo me llegó profundamente al corazón:

> “Nuestra organización no siempre se conforma con el Partido Demócrata.”

Sus palabras me detuvieron. Me recordaron una verdad que muchos temen decir: los latinos en California y en todo el país hemos sido mal representados. Nos han prometido oportunidades, pero nos han dejado con más costos. Nos han pedido paciencia, pero nuestras familias siguen viviendo en la incertidumbre.

Me postulo como un Demócrata Conservador porque creo que ha llegado el momento de un nuevo camino — uno en el que nuestra comunidad latina lidere, no solo siga, y donde construyamos puentes en lugar de muros entre los partidos.

Algunos políticos, como Nancy Pelosi, dijeron alguna vez que no negociarían con Donald Trump. Entiendo la frustración en la política, pero rechazo la idea de cerrar las puertas. Creo en la negociación — con quien sea que pueda traer progreso a nuestro pueblo y paz a nuestra nación. Ya sea con el Presidente Trump o con cualquier representante republicano de California, yo me sentaré a la mesa. Porque lo más importante no es la victoria de un partido — son los resultados.

Esos resultados deben incluir una reforma migratoria real, especialmente para los DREAMers, que crecieron en este país, se educaron aquí y aman a Estados Unidos como su propio hogar. Ellos merecen estabilidad, no ser piezas en un juego político.

Mi compromiso con la negociación y la comprensión nace de la historia de mi familia. Mi abuelo vino de Guadalajara, México, como bracero, trabajando en los campos que alimentaron a esta nación antes de regresar a su país cada temporada. Mi suegro siguió ese mismo camino, viniendo también como bracero y convirtiéndose finalmente en un orgulloso ciudadano estadounidense. Mi suegra trabajó junto a él en un rancho de pollos en San Marcos, California, en el mismo terreno donde hoy se encuentra Cal State San Marcos — un recordatorio de que el progreso crece del sudor y sacrificio de quienes vinieron antes de nosotros.

Mi abuela, en 1953, fue golpeada y encarcelada durante tres meses después de ser capturada cerca de San Pedro, California, y deportada a México. Mi familia pensó que había muerto. Cuando finalmente regresó, le pregunté cómo se sentía por lo que había pasado. Me miró y me dijo:

> “Ellos estaban haciendo su trabajo, y yo estaba haciendo el mío. ¿No estás tú aquí ahora?”

Esas palabras marcaron mi vida. Me enseñaron que la fuerza y el perdón pueden existir juntos, y que cada generación debe construir sobre los sacrificios de la anterior.

Eso es lo que quiero para California — un gobierno que escuche, negocie y cumpla. No por titulares políticos, sino por familias como la mía — y como la tuya — que trabajaron en los campos, pagaron su precio y se ganaron su lugar en este país.

A los DREAMers, a nuestros trabajadores del campo, y a cada familia latina de California:

Ustedes son la columna vertebral de este estado. No están olvidados. Ustedes son el futuro.

> “Mi familia construyó este estado, y ahora me toca a mí luchar por él — por ustedes, y por cada californiano que aún cree en el Sueño Americano.”

From Manuel Jiménez, Jr., Candidate for Governor of California

For far too long, political figures have spoken about Latinos — but not to us, and certainly not with us.

When they do, they often speak as though we are one-dimensional — as if every Latino were a farmworker, a hotel housekeeper, or a day laborer. Let me be very clear: there is no shame in honest work. The farmworker, the hotel worker, and the day laborer represent the backbone of this nation. But that is not the full picture of who we are.

We are engineers, doctors, educators, entrepreneurs, attorneys, veterans, and innovators. We serve this country in every field — in public service, in the sciences, in business, and on the frontlines defending our freedoms.

Even within my own family, I have relatives who have served in the California Highway Patrol, U.S. Marines and the Coast Guard, and others who have graduated from Stanford University, San Francisco State University, Sonoma State University, and universities across this great nation.

I am an entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses from the ground up, and within my own family are attorneys, educators, and business owners. We represent every level of success in this country, because Latinos are — and have always been — a part of the American story.

So when political leaders speak about us, they must speak with respect.

We are not a talking point.

We are not a demographic to be courted every four years.

We are a community that has succeeded in every sector, contributed to every cause, and now — will lead this state.

I am proud to stand before you as a Latino, as an American, and as a candidate for Governor of California — not because I am an exception, but because I am a reflection of millions of Latinos who have already proven that we belong in every room, every board meeting, every courtroom, every university, and now — in the Governor’s office.

> “We are not to be spoken down to. We are to be spoken with. We have succeeded everywhere else — and now, we will lead here.”

De Manuel Jiménez, Jr., Candidato a Gobernador de California

Durante demasiado tiempo, las figuras políticas han hablado sobre los latinos — pero no con nosotros, y mucho menos por nosotros.

Y cuando lo hacen, muchas veces nos describen de una sola manera — como si todos fuéramos trabajadores del campo, empleados de hotel o jornaleros.

Quiero dejar algo muy claro: no hay vergüenza en el trabajo honesto.

El trabajador del campo, el empleado del hotel y el jornalero representan la columna vertebral de esta nación.

Pero esa no es la historia completa de quiénes somos.

Somos ingenieros, doctores, educadores, emprendedores, abogados, veteranos e innovadores. Servimos a este país en todos los ámbitos — en el servicio público, en la ciencia, en los negocios, y en las fuerzas armadas que defienden nuestras libertades.

Dentro de mi propia familia, tengo familiares que han servido en los Marines de los Estados Unidos y en la Guardia Costera, y otros que se han graduado de Stanford University, San Francisco State University, Sonoma State University y de universidades en todo este gran país.

Soy un emprendedor que ha construido múltiples negocios desde cero, y dentro de mi familia hay abogados, maestros y empresarios. Representamos todos los niveles de éxito en esta nación, porque los latinos somos — y siempre hemos sido — parte esencial de la historia de Estados Unidos.

Por eso, cuando los líderes políticos hablen de nosotros, deben hacerlo con respeto.

No somos un punto de conversación.

No somos un voto que se busca cada cuatro años.

Somos una comunidad que ha triunfado en todos los sectores, que ha contribuido a cada causa, y que ahora — liderará este estado.

Me enorgullece presentarme ante ustedes como latino, como estadounidense y como candidato a gobernador de California — no porque sea una excepción, sino porque soy el reflejo de millones de latinos que ya han demostrado que pertenecemos en cada lugar: en cada sala de juntas, en cada tribunal, en cada universidad, y ahora — en la Oficina del Gobernador.

 “No debemos ser tratados con condescendencia. Debemos ser escuchados y respetados. Hemos triunfado en todos los ámbitos — y ahora, lideraremos aquí.”