A week after meeting the filing deadline of Dec. 6, Antelope Valley resident Getro Elize has officially announced his candidacy for the 25th Congressional District.
Elize, a patient resource worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said his campaign will focus on addressing issues that “have long been neglected by career politicians and past elected officials.”
“We are going to run a campaign that is free of corrupt corporations, (political action committees), and crooked lobbyists,” said Elize in a prepared statement. “We put all our faith and effort into grassroots campaigning and serving the needs of everyday people and families. We need to make the right decisions and not allow any political party to decide who they want in office before any vote is cast.”
He filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Nov. 27 to run as a Democrat, alongside other Democrat candidates including Assemblywoman Christy Smith, filmmaker Christopher Smith and Cenk Uygur, founder of the progressive news outlet “The Young Turks.”
Republican candidates include Steve Knight, a former 25th Congressional District representative; Mike Garcia, an executive at Raytheon; and George Papadopolous, a former aide to President Trump.
The issues Elize says his campaign will tackle include homelessness and housing needs, economic growth, infrastructure expansion, cancellation of student debt and increasing public school pay for teachers, according to his campaign website.
Elize, a father of two, served in the U.S. Army as a cannon crew member and graduated with a degree in finance from Howard’s School of Business. He is a member of the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s largest labor unions.
