Artesia Mayor Ali Taj hopes to earn O.C.’s vote for the 67th Assembly District
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For Artesia Mayor Ali Taj, a chance to serve in the state Assembly is another opportunity to continue his American dream.
He announced his 67th Assembly District campaign back in September after more than a decade of service on the Artesia City Council.
But with a housing crisis in California, Taj is concerned that the same dreams of a better life that prompted him to immigrate from Pakistan are going unrealized by the next generation — whether immigrant or not.
“When I came here 25 years ago, I could buy a house and make ends meet,” said Taj, a Democrat. “I feel that American dream is slipping away, it’s diminishing. I want to change that.”
Jessie Lopez and Johnathan Hernandez, a pair of progressives from Santa Ana City Council, seek to push the heavily Latino Democrat district to the left as they have now entered the race.
Success didn’t come immediately for Taj, 57, when he left Lahore, Pakistan for Artesia to be with family.
Though he had an undergraduate degree in economics and political science and a master’s in public administration, Taj couldn’t find work for six months before taking odd jobs mopping floors when he arrived in 1999.
He later became a salesperson for the Good Guys electronics store in Artesia and earned $4.35 an hour.
Taj eventually worked his way up to become a vice president of American Express financial services before starting his own business. He first won election to Artesia City Council in 2013.
“That’s the American dream,” Taj said. “Those first six months after coming to the U.S. were very hard on me. But now looking back, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
With his eye on the 67th Assembly District, which encompasses cities in southeast Los Angeles County and north Orange County, housing is a crucial issue to keep that dream alive for others, including his own son in Fullerton.
On the policy front, Taj stresses the importance of boosting housing stock in the state while ensuring that affordability remains an available option.
“Building more housing across California is something that is needed, but the cost of building is very high,” he said. “There are fees that I think we should really take a look at, like development fees.”
Taj also points to his work on making Artesia a starting point for the future light rail Southeast Gateway Line to downtown Los Angeles as something expected to stimulate transient-oriented development in an otherwise fully built-out city.
In addition to housing, Taj is interested in legislation that will encourage small business growth and keep such companies in the state.
Is it a message that will resonate in Orange County cities across the 67th Assembly District?
The campaign scooped up endorsements from a majority on Buena Park City Council and incumbent Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva in Fullerton.
“Taj is a leader who truly understands the needs of our community and has the experience to deliver on his promises,” said Quirk-Silva, who is term-limited in 2026. “I have no doubt that he will be an outstanding representative.”
Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, is seeking to represent the 67th Assembly District and wants to bring a pro-working families agenda to Sacramento.
The race is shaping up to be a competitive one.
Earlier this year, Ada Briceño announced her candidacy. She is the former chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County and serves as co-president of Unite Here Local 11, a hotel workers union.
As an immigrant from Nicaragua, Briceño is making her own appeal to voters as an embodiment of the American dream.
“When I was just 7 years old, my family and I came to the U.S. as refugees and arrived with nothing but hope and determination,” she said. “California gave me the chance to build a better life, and I am committed to ensuring that future generations have those same opportunities.”
She points to her experience organizing for higher wages as the basis for a legislative agenda focused on affordable housing, expanded job training and access to education.
Taj enjoys an early fundraising lead.
To date, he has amassed $234,000 in campaign contributions. Briceño has raised $46,400 since the start of the year.
If elected in 2026, Taj’s campaign believes he would be the first known Pakistani-born member of the state legislature. He stresses that hard work is as important as anything in running a successful campaign.
“It’s not just fundraising, but also having a good, solid team that understands the district,” Taj said. “I’m very confident that things are moving along well and we will get to the finish line together.”
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