I’m Liam Hernandez, and I’m running for Congress in California’s 26th District. I come to this race with lived experience not wealth or political connections, but the realities faced by working families and immigrant communities trying to stay afloat. My family means everything to me. They’re the reason I work hard, push through challenges, and believe so deeply in building a future where every family can feel secure and supported.

I’ve relied on SNAP and SSI, and I live with autism and bipolar disorder. These experiences have shaped who I am and strengthened my commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice. I’ve also seen firsthand how broken our health care system is. My uncle suffered a massive heart attack known as the “widow maker,” and because health care was unaffordable, he took an Uber to the emergency room instead of calling an ambulance. No one in America should ever have to make that decision while their life is on the line. That experience is why I strongly support Medicare for All because health care must be a right, not a privilege.

I also support universal child care because I’ve seen firsthand how family members who are single parents struggle to balance work while caring for their children. No parent should have to choose between earning a paycheck and making sure their child is safe and supported. Universal child care is essential to giving families stability and kids a strong start in life.

Housing is another crisis I’ve seen up close. Too many families are being priced out of their own communities. I support building more low-income housing and expanding housing overall to meet the real needs of our community. Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live, and we won’t solve homelessness or housing insecurity without increasing supply and investing in affordability.

What pushed me to run was the recent military-style immigration raids in our district. These tactics don’t make us safer they terrorize families and destroy trust in our communities. We need leaders who will call out this cruelty and take bold action to stop it.

I’ve also spent much of my life riding Amtrak and Metro trains. Public transit has been my connection to work, school, and the people I love. Those experiences built my passion for infrastructure and my belief that strong, modern, and accessible transit systems are essential for opportunity and mobility. That’s why I support fare-free buses and expanded access to transportation because reliable, affordable transit connects people to jobs, education, health care, and each other, and no one should be left behind because they can’t afford a ride.