My grandmother, Anne Ashford, loved living here in Claremont. Nonna, as she was affectionately known to those of us who were kids at the time, hosted family dinner at her house every Sunday.

As a result, I grew to love Claremont, and years later, graduated from Pitzer College. It was at the Claremont Colleges where my wife, Rachel (a Scripps alum), and I met in 2015.

After moving back to Claremont, I was appointed to serve on the City’s Traffic & Transportation Commission. Shortly thereafter, I began a new role at Claremont McKenna College, another of the Claremont Colleges.

Now, with my civic background, our family’s Claremont story, and an understanding of the challenges facing us at every level of government today, I am running for Claremont City Council (District 3) in the November 2026 election.

I am deeply committed to politics, government, and our shared future. After graduating from Pitzer, I spent a year on a state-level political campaign, nearly four years at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and two-and-a-half years working for the City of Pasadena.

It is this experience that I am running on – as well as a passion for safe, livable communities, my knowledge of how government ought serve the people it represents, and my belief that the City of Claremont needs, deserves, and demands continued strong leadership at the local level.

I have attended nearly every twice-monthly meeting of the Claremont City Council since Rachel and I moved back to Claremont. Not only do I understand the role of our City Council, but I also grasp the challenges and opportunities ahead of us in Claremont.

I am hopeful about the future of our community, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you for caring about Claremont like I do. I can’t wait to share more soon.