David was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL, the youngest of six children, five boys and one girl. His mother was a mechanic and handy woman and his father drove trucks as a wholesale vendor for a national baked goods distributor. His mother often worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, requiring David and his siblings to learn to become self-sufficient from an early age.

 

At the time David was born, the family had spent years stuck renting a neglected home, much too small for the family’s needs, from a slumlord. Constant rent increases, predatory loans, and high interest used cars meant temporary survival. Healthcare was a luxury used only for school requirements and extreme emergencies. David recalls going without power for months, his mother cooking and heating bath water on a camp stove. Eviction led the family to relocate to rural Georgia.

 

David had a passionate interest in government and law from an early age. His unconventional upbringing shaped his studies. He was determined to gain the expertise to ensure no one faced similar experiences. David started working fast food jobs at 15, often maintaining full time hours during most of high school. He became a vocal advocate for workers rights and spoke out against the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

David ultimately made the decision to join the Army as a paralegal to gain formal job training and to finance his education. After completing initial training, he gained an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, lack of financial support and the mental strain of isolation under the DADT policy led to removal after his sophomore (yuk) year.

 

David returned to Georgia and worked a series of jobs- bartending, restaurant and retail management, event coordinating- while working to finish undergrad. He met his now husband, David Woloz, a Los Angeles native attending a graduate program at SCAD. David completed his bachelor’s in history at Savannah State, an HBCU, and the couple moved to LA, settling in Boyle Heights with their rescue pets. David worked as legal support staff while obtaining his juris doctorate from Southwestern Law School in Koreatown. David believes that those who shape the law should have a deep understanding of the law.

 

David has a unique perspective, a wide depth of experience, and a long history of advocacy. He has spent decades crafting policy positions and plans for implementation and hopes to have the privilege of representing the people of the 34th district.