Assembly District 14 Candidates
Alfred Twu – Architect/Artist
For the past several years, Alfred Twu has helped everyday Democrats and community members understand, get involved, and make progressive change in state and local politics. As the founding secretary of the California Democratic Renters Council, Alfred helped build a statewide organization that works on growing Democratic Party support for affordable housing, rent control, and other tenant protections.
In 2023, Alfred was among the leaders of the successful effort to save public transit in the Bay Area, organizing at the state and local level to get state funding to keep BART, AC Transit, and other services running. They have also authored resolutions and worked on updating the party platform to increase support for transit, housing, small businesses, traffic safety, and more.
Alfred also works on increasing Asian American & Pacific Islander, Youth, and LGBTQ participation and representation, and serves on the board of multiple state and local Democratic Party organizations, as well as the Berkeley Planning Commission & Landmarks Commission. For more information please visit www.alfredtwu.org
Avery Arbaugh – Labor Commissioner
Avery Arbaugh is a corporate-free progressive community organizer with a long history of fighting for workers, tenants, and climate justice. Avery is willing to fight for a future to believe in, even when it conflicts with the wealthy and the powerful.
As President of the Cal Berkeley Democrats, Avery picketed with UAW student workers standing up for a fair contract, advocated for affordable housing and against the displacement of low-income tenants, and has helped write legislation passed by the Berkeley City Council expanding democratic access to policy-making. Central to Avery’s advocacy work is solidarity not just with the students they represent, but with anybody marginalized by a political system privileging economic power over community interests.
As a Labor Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, Avery has monitored the implementation of pro-worker city policies and fought for workers facing unfair labor practices and bad-faith contract negotiations. As a member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, Avery will continue to advocate for workers and labor unions against entrenched corporate power.
The fight doesn’t end with this election. If elected, Avery will continue to advocate for a common-sense progressive economic, climate, and social agenda, and against imperialism abroad and corporate cronyism at home.
Carol Coyote – Retired Administrative Assistant
Carol Coyote Cook is somewhat new to the political arena, having been inspired into action in 2016 by Senator Bernie Sanders. As she listened to the issues he raised: Healthcare and Housing for All, Living Wages for Workers, Climate Change, Criminal Justice Reform, Ending College Debt, Money Out of Politics – and more, she realized these were ideas she had always believed in but felt that they were impossible to achieve. After the 2016 primary, she decided to get involved politically and work towards helping bring these ideas into reality – into people’s lives.
In 2017 Carol applied for Chapter status with Our Revolution, a new grassroots political organization, started by Bernie Sanders, that focused on getting progressive candidates elected to office.
Over the past several years, Carol has worked as Co-Chair of Our Revolution East Bay, along with others, building it into a viable, progressive organization in the East Bay and playing a behind the scenes roll in getting dozens of progressives elected to office. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Berkeley Tenants Union and as a senior and tenant herself, she understands the difficulties faced by renters and is committed to protecting their rights.
Later in 2017, Carol inadvertently found out about ADEMs and went to a local election and voted for delegates for the California Democratic Party. The ADEM elections seemed to be a secret – not many people knew about them. She was determined to educate people about this “gateway” to being involved in the California Democratic Party and how being elected an ADEM delegate would give one a voice in the Democratic Party. In January, 2023, Carol ran for an ADEM delegate position and was elected in Assembly District 14.
It elected to the Central Committee, Carol will continue her work in getting progressive minded candidates elected to office. She believes electing ethical, progressive candidates is paramount for the survival of our planet. She understands that without action, nothing will happen and that her support of progressive candidates will further support true democracy and impactful change.
John “Chip” Moore – Chair Police Accountability
Equity, community, and access. These are not just words for John “Chip” Moore; they are principles that have guided his life of service, making him a model for both community and business leadership. With a keen understanding of the problems facing our world, Chip not only identifies the issues but, more crucially, envisions the connections needed to solve them. With quiet confidence and effective humility, he has been instrumental in fostering connections within his communities.
Chip currently serves the City of Berkeley as the Chair of the city’s Police Accountability Board, as well as a being a City of Berkeley Planning Commissioner. In the past, Chip also served as the Chair of Berkeley’s BART Community Advisory Group as they tackled the planning for the futures of Berkeley’s BART stations and their function and place in the community.
Active in national service through his lifetime commitment to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, John also works closer to home with community groups like Friends of Adeline and Healthy Black Families. Chip is proud to lead both the Berkeley Unified School District’s Reparations Taskforce as well as the Berkeley Democratic Caucus where he serves as their respective chairs.
Whether creating and launching companies, developing public policy, or securing equitable capital investment, Chip Moore has a proven track record of contributing a strong commitment to his local community and to the businesses that serve it.
With a background that blends business acumen, community service, and democratic ideals, John “Chip” Moore is the candidate who bridges the present to the future for the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, AD-14. His vision, experience, and commitment make him the ideal candidate to usher in a new era for engaged Democrats and to help empower the party’s progressive momentum in the years to come.
Michael Cheng – Retired Chemist
Michael Cheng is a retired chemist. He spent many years solving chemistry related problems by first defining the problem, followed by formulating solutions. His career as an activist is rather short. He heard Bernie Sanders’ statement “We have to get money out of government” in 2015, and it activated his desire to work toward that goal. One of the problem, as he sees it, is the political-military-industrial complex; enabled by the politicians. The harmful effect is demonstrated clearly by the killing of innocent people in Middle East. One solution is to elect ethical people powered progressives official/politicians, not the self-proclaimed progressives; and enact congruent legislations.
Paola Laverde – Incumbent
Paola Laverde is an incumbent on the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. She is a People Power Progressive and a community activist representing District 14. She brings organizing experience, passion, and infectious energy for progressive causes.
She currently serves on the Organizing Committee working with county-wide chartered clubs to have more Party presence at street fairs and other events. Laverde has co-sponsored many successfully approved resolutions including the call for ceasefire in Palestine, the resolution against the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, the resolution in support of taxation of vacant rental units, and the November 2021 resolution urging Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate campaign collusion in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
The former Chair of the Berkeley Rent Board, who served two terms, Laverde understands the importance of holding endorsed candidates and elected officials accountable to ensure they are listening to voters and not just the corporations and interest groups financing their campaigns. In the rough and tumble world of politics, Laverde is respectful but assertive on issues impacting tenants, the working poor, the disabled, and seniors. She is a doer who sits on the steering committees of the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council, Friends of Adeline, and is the former chair of the Berkeley Tenants Union where she is still an active member. In early September, Laverde was part of the committee that organized a celebration, rally, and press conference for the tenants at the Harriet Tubman Terrace Apartments who successfully advocated for the City of Berkeley to hire an ombudsman to help them better communicate with the management company that has not been responsive to the needs of the senior and disabled tenants.
“My goal on the committee as a People Powered Progressive has been to give voice to those who believe they are being ignored by their elected officials and the Party. I believe the Democratic Party should be putting the needs of people over profit, ensuring our most needy are taken care of. I also bring my energy and enthusiasm to canvases to educate voters about candidates and ballot measures to ensure they have the information they need to make informed decisions when casting their vote.”
Sadia Khan – School Board Trustee
Sadia Khan is a community organizer who has spent the past decade working to create better living conditions for tenants, advocating for k12 and higher education funding, and ensuring that our community has access to food and housing. During the pandemic Sadia secured over 2 million dollars in funding to support food accessibility and delivered food from door to door for those impacted by COVID.
Outside of fighting for food and housing justice, Sadia has spent years working on voter education and engagement to ensure that as many eligible voters are able to make their voices heard. This includes helping co-author Voter Language Access best practices guide that is now hosted on the CA Secretary of State’s website. Some of the past campaigns she has worked on include Fund the UC campaign, Prop 16, Students for Imam Jamil and Rise’s camping for tuition free college. Additionally, Sadia is the founder of CYP Foundation, an organization focused on ensuring that every person has the freedom to choose their own happily ever after, and protecting survivors of forced and child marriages.