
STEPPING INTO HER POWER
What happens when a woman takes power?
The dynamics of leadership change.
Stepping Into Her Power is a Welead OC initiative that promotes access and opportunity for the next generation of Progressive Democratic women leaders. Welead OC provides resources, mentorship and guidance to Progressive women Democrats interested in engaging in the political process, whether it's running for local city council and school board seats, creating and organizing their communities or working as a campaign professional, launching their candidate to victory.
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Welead OC strives to create a diverse and inclusive environment that is representative of the communities we serve.
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Through Stepping Into Her Power, Welead OC strives to inspire women to take ownership of their political leadership by providing the essential tools, knowledge and support needed to become effective and informed leaders of the future.
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Meet Jessie Lopez.
She knows what it's like to work two jobs just to get by
Ward 3 Santa Ana City Councilwoman, Jessie Lopez, candidate for California’s 68th Assembly District, is someone who has walked in your shoes.
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​Born and raised in Santa Ana as the daughter of immigrants, she watched her mother work countless hours just to keep a roof over her family’s heads. There were nights when they didn't know if they’d have enough food, and times when they weren’t sure if they’d make rent. While juggling two jobs to put herself through college, Jessie lived that uncertainty every single day.
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When Jessie fights for affordable housing, fair wages, and working families in Sacramento, it won't be political theory for her—it will be personal.
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This is exactly why she’s running a different kind of campaign.
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While her opponents rely on corporate donors and special interests, Jessie is building something different: a people-powered movement funded by grassroots supporters like you. Every $5, $25, or $50 donation represents real people who believe we deserve leaders who understand their struggles.
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Since joining the Santa Ana City Council, Jessie has proven that this approach works. She’s worked to expand affordable housing, addressed homelessness with real solutions, and protected the community's resources—all while staying true to the people who elected her, not the lobbyists who didn't.
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But here's what Jessie needs you to know: the corporate interests and big-money donors backing her opponents have deep pockets. They're betting that their war chests can drown out her grassroots voices.
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They're wrong—but only if you're with her.
When she became the first in her family to graduate college, it wasn't because Jessie had advantages others didn't. It was because she had people who believed in her and a community that lifted her up. That's exactly what she’s building together in this campaign.
Your contribution today doesn't just fund yard signs and mailers. It funds a movement that says working families deserve a voice in Sacramento. It says that someone who has struggled to pay rent and worked two jobs to survive belongs at the decision-making table.
Jessie knows what it's like to count every dollar and make tough choices about what you can afford. If you're in that place right now, please don't worry about donating—just know that she’s fighting for you.
But if you can chip in—even just $5—you're not just supporting her campaign. You're investing in a future where someone who understands your struggles is fighting for you in the State Assembly.
P.S. Every dollar raised from grassroots supporters like you sends a powerful message: that working families matter, that our voices count, and that authentic leadership isn't for sale. Will you join us?