SantaMariaTimes.com | February 13, 2015 –
Former San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney and Templeton Unified School District Trustee Jordan Cunningham will make a bid to become the next representative of California’s 35th Assembly District, replacing current and soon-to-be-termed-out Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian.
The Central Coast native and Republican announced his candidacy earlier in the week and is the first individual to throw their name into the ring for the June 2016 race to replace Achadjian and represent the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County communities from Sacramento.
“I have kept criminals off our streets and our families safe,” Cunningham said about his decision to run. “Each day, I stand up for taxpayers and work to defend local residents and business owners. As our next Assemblyman, I’ll provide a voice for the region that I have always been proud to call home.”
Cunningham developed a passion for public policy at a young age and has used both his education and experience to benefit those around him, he said.
After receiving his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2004, he started worked as a private practice attorney, moved on to become a federal law clerk, and finally worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Wanting to serve the public and return to the Central Coast to raise his children, Cunningham took a job as a deputy district attorney in San Luis Obispo County in 2010.
During his three years with the District Attorney’s Office, he prosecuted a wide variety of crimes – including fraud, assault, domestic violence and environmental crimes. He currently works in private practice.
His work inside the courtroom, as well as his dedication to the community, has been recognized throughout the years, and nothing demonstrates Cunningham’s ability to provide commonsense leadership more than the number of regional leaders backing his campaign, he said.
“I have known Jordan for decades,” 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold said. “He has always demonstrated a commonsense approach when tackling the issues facing our region and our residents. As our Assemblyman, he will be an asset to the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara communities that he represents.”
Cunningham has received endorsements from local business owners, public safety leaders and numerous elected representatives, including Santa Maria Councilwoman Etta Waterfield, county District Attorney Dan Dow, 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton and Arnold, as well as Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley and former-Mayor Ray Johnson.
He serves as a Templeton Unified School District trustee and is also president of the Central Coast Taxpayers Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to taxpayer education and advocacy. Cunningham also volunteers for local youth organizations.