Key Facts
Background
Helen Tran is a first-generation college graduate and received a B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Education from UC Santa Cruz. She is the Director of Human Resources and Risk Management for the City of West Covina, a member of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity San Bernardino, and a School Site Council Member for the San Bernardino School District [6]. Tran previously served as the Director of Human Resources for the City of San Bernardino and served on San Bernardino’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission. She is a member of the San Bernardino County Trails Committee, the Verdemont Revitalization Project, the San Bernardino League of Women voters, and the National Women’s Political Caucus [2].
Tran grew up in San Bernardino and is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She and her husband have three children [2].
Key Issues
Environment
Tran wants to clean up local parks and ensure the Parks Department has sufficient staff and resources for restoration and maintenance. She wants to ensure that San Bernardino’s kids have a safe place to play. She wants to ensure that city trash services and bulky item pickup respond quickly to resident complaints [2].
Infrastructure
Tran wants to invest in infrastructure using federal and state dollars to rebuild roads and telecommunications infrastructure. She wants to make street services and repairs more efficient, and to invest in resurfacing and rebuilding streets where appropriate. She wants to fight for additional state and federal funds to upgrade the current transportation infrastructure, repurpose blighted buildings and lots, and work with community organizations to reduce blight [2].
Economy
Tran wants to attract high-paying jobs by streamlining permitting for businesses that are building and expanding. She wants to revitalize downtown San Bernardino by reducing homeslessness, incentivizing business development, and hosting additional community cultural events. She wants to create startup loans to provide low-cost funding to entrepreneurs building local businesses that provide good jobs and partnering with schools, including CSUSB and SBVCC, to provide workforce development and opportunities for students [2].
Homelessness
Tran wants to build additional housing and emergency accommodations, expand comprehensive mental health services, and work with drug and alcohol treatment service providers to help unhoused people transition to stable life and employment [2].
Public Safety
Tran wants to revitalize high-crime areas and promote public safety by providing incentives for new businesses to open, adding lights and cameras where appropriate, and increasing police presence. She wants to work with law enforcement and medical services to reduce emergency response times, prioritize life-threatening emergencies, and provide help fast [2].
Education
Tran wants to fully fund youth sports and afterschool programs, and expand the youth mentoring program and social service outreach for at-risk children. She wants to increase STEM learning opportunities by partnering with local high-tech companies and CSUSB and SBVCC. She supports investing in San Bernardino’s public libraries and expanding hours so that students have a safe place to do homework. [2].
Endorsements
Pete Aguilar, Member of Congress (CA-31); Mark Takano, Member of Congress (CA-41); Ted Lieu, Member of Congress (CA-33); Judy Chu, Member of Congress (CA-27); Joe Baca Sr., Former Member of Congress (CA-42); Betty Yee, CA State Controller; Fiona Ma, CA State Treasurer; Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Connie Leyva, State Senator District 20; James Ramos, CA State Assembly District 40; Anthony Rendon, CA State Assembly Speaker & Representative from Assembly District 63; Eloise Reyes, CA State Assembly Majority Leader & Representative from Assembly District 47; Mike Fong, CA State Assembly District 49; Joe Baca Jr., San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors District 5; Carey Davis, Former San Bernardino Mayor; Patrick Morris, Former San Bernardino Mayor; Frank Navarro, Mayor of Colton; Rachelle Arizmendi, Mayor of Sierra Madre; Tony Ding, Mayor of San Gabriel; Farrah Khan, Mayor of Irvine; Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland; Malia Vella, Vice-Mayor of Alameda; Paul Barich, Mayor of Redlands; Eddie Tejeda, Redlands Mayor Pro-Tem; Kim Bernice Nguyen, Garden Grove Mayor Pro Tem; Theodore Sanchez, San Bernardino City Council; Fred Shorett, San Bernardino City Council; Virginia Marquez, Former San Bernardino City Council; Jim Mulvihill, Former San Bernardino City Council; Benito Barrios, Former San Bernardino City Council; Toni Momberger, Former Redlands City Council; Clarissa Cervantes, Riverside City Council; Gaby Plascencia, Riverside City Council; Ruben Valencia, Ontario City Council; Jocelyn Yow, Eastvale City Council; Vinh Truong, Duarte City Council; Henry Lo, Monterey Park City Council; David Ryu, Former Los Angeles City Council District 4; Letitia Clark, Tustin City Council; Andrew Chou, Diamond Bar City Council; Diedre Thu Ha Nguyen, Garden Grove City Council; Thai Viet Phan, Santa Ana City Council; Mai Vang, Sacramento City Council; Denise Delgado, Coachella City Council; Susan Longville, San Bernardino Valley Water Municipal District Board Member; Channing Hawkins, President of West Valley Water District; Thomas Wong, President, San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District; Dr. Scott Wyatt, SBCUSD School Board President; Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, SBCUSD School Board Member; Dr. Margaret Hill, SBCUSD School Board Member (late); Mayra Ceballos, SBCUSD School Board Member; Dr. Dale Mardsen, Former SBCUSD Superintendent/San Bernardino Resident; Frank Reyes, San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees/District Area 1; John Longville, San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees/District Area 3; Dr. Angelo Farooq, Riverside USD Board Member; Randal Ceniceros, Mountain View School District Board of Trustee; Betty Lieu, Torrance School Board Member/President; Robert Garica, Jurupa Unified School District Board of Trustees Area 1; Trisha Murakawa, El Camino Community College District; Cindy Wu, Mountain View School Board Member & Los Angeles County School Trusteee’s Association; Donna Wang Su, Evanston/Skokie School Board Member; Minh Ngo, Milpitas School Board Member; Dr. Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson, Vallecitos Water District Director*/Neuroscientist; San Bernardino County Democratic Party; San Bernardino County Young Democrats; Inland Empire Labor Council, AFL-CIO; San Bernardino Retirees’ Association; Painters & Allied Trades, District Council 36; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 477; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 47; Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 364; Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 398; International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 12; United Nurses Associations of California (UNAC); Women’s Political Caucus (WPC); Run For Something; Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties; Riverside County National Organization for Women; United Steelworkers (USW) Inland Empire Legislative Education Committee; Fund Her; SEIU Local 121 RN Nurse Alliance; SEIU Local 2015; Ironworkers Local 433; National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW); Teamsters Local 1932; Chicano Latino Caucus of San Bernardino County; Sheet Metal Workers Local 105; Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) – Inland Chapter; San Bernardino Peace Officers Association (SBPOA); San Bernardino Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association (SEBA); San Bernardino County International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 935; United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1167; United Auto Workers (UAW); Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters; National Women’s Political Caucus of Pomona Inland Empire (NWPC-PIE); San Bernardino Westside Action Group (WAG); Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) Action Fund; Emily’s List; East Valley Associations of Realtors; Hardy Brown, Sr., Community Advocate/Author at Black Voice News; Jason Eshelman, IBEW Local 477 Business Manager; Pam Montana, San Bernardino Resident/Community Advocate/Educator; Fay Aldridge, San Bernardino Resident & Parks, Community Services and Recreation Commissioner; Joyce Seeger, San Bernardino Resident & Arts and Historical Preservation Commissioner; Alejandro Faz, San Bernardino Resident & Animal Control Commissioner; Keneesha Boyd, San Bernardino Resident & Verdemont Revitalization Project Leader; George Avery, Former San Bernardino Fire Chief; Tom Hannemann, Former San Bernardino Fire Chief; Dan Harker, Former San Bernardino Assistant Fire Chief; John R. Chamberlain, Deputy Fire Chief, SBCFDP (Ret.); Annie Lam, Executive Director for League of CA Cities API & Women’s Caucuses; Laurie Marsden, SB Resident; Tim Applen, San Bernardino Resident & Laymon Candy Company Owner; Linda Laymon Applen, San Bernardino Resident & Laymon Candy Company Owner; David Friedman, San Bernardino Small Business; Sherri Juras, San Bernardino Resident/Retired SBCUSD Educator; Richard Lawhead, SBPD Captain (Ret.)/Past POA President; Steven Turner, SBPD Sergeant (Ret.)/Past POA President; Paul P. Flores, Retired IUOE Business Agent; Dr. Manzoor Massey, San Bernardino Small Business; Dianne Landeros, Community Advocate; Steve Filson, Retired SBPD Sergeant*; John Montecino, Retired SBPD Sergeant; Cheylynda Barnard, Social Worker & SEIU 721 Member; Maria Torres, San Bernardino Resident & SEIU 2015 Member; Charles McNeely, Former San Bernardino City Manager; Linn Livingston, Former San Bernardino City HR Director; Anne Alvarado, Former San Bernardino HR Manager; Brent Mason, Former San Bernardino City Finance Director; DeJonae Shaw, Nurse & Union Member; Heather Johnson, San Bernardino Resident/ Community Advocate/Educator; Stephanie Liggins, San Bernardino Resident/ Community Advocate/Retired Educator; Jim Smith, San Bernardino Resident /Community Advocate/Veteran; Gayla Smith, San Bernardino Resident/Retired Nurse; Casey Dailey, Former City Planning & Charter Advisory Commissioner; Jeff Breiten, SBPD Captain (Ret.)/Past President of the City of San Bernardino Retirees Association; Jesse Valenzuela, Inland Empire Community Advocate; Frank Garcia, Inland Empire Community Advocate/Veteran; Priya Vedula, Health Policy and Community Advocate; Leti Briggs, San Bernardino Resident/Community Advocate; Martha Zepeda, San Bernardino Resident/San Bernardino County Transitional Assistance Deputy Director; Bill Sandefur, San Bernardino Resident/Community Advocate; Sue Wickramasinghe, San Bernardino Resident & School Administrator; Amy Thompson, San Bernardino Resident & School Administrator; John Chavez, San Bernardino Resident & Healthcare Social Worker; Gwen Easley, San Bernardino Resident & Educator; Cindy Ta, San Bernardino Small Business/Realtor; Tai Huu Huyhn, San Bernardino Small Business; Ken Le, San Bernardino Small Business; Christine Hanafi, San Bernardino Resident & Small Business Owner; Hamid Hanafi, San Bernardino Resident & Small Business Owner; Maria Centeno, San Bernardino Resident & Small Business Owner; Francisco Roman, San Bernardino Resident & Small Business; Allison Kean, Inland Empire Realtor; Gustavo Adolfo Chamarro, San Bernardino Resident/Educator; Steve Filson, SBPD Sergeant (Ret.); John Montecino, SBPD Officer (Ret.); Sylvia Londean, San Bernardino Resident; Jan Tankey, Retired SBCUSD Educator; Karri Rogers, San Bernardino Resident/SBCUSD Educator; Tisa Rodriguez, Community Advocate; Steven Figueroa, Education Advocate; Scott Rubel, Attorney at Law/Workers’ Compensation Law; Emrick Singh, San Bernardino Small Business; Christian Shaughnessy, San Bernardino Resident; Yolanda Johnson, Community Advocate; Joseph Hamer Salas, SBCUSD Educator/Community Advocate; Angela Wilkinson, Community Advocate; Thomas Pierce, San Bernardino Resident/CSUSB Professor Emeritus; Laura Kamptner, San Bernardino Resident/CSUSB Professor Emeritus; Frank Montes, Community Advocate/Small Business; Daphne A. Hawkins, AD47 Delegate and President of the Rialto Democratic Club
Sources
1 Ballotpedia
2 Official Website
3 The Sun
4 Run for Something
5 Facebook
6 Voters Edge