A Statement from Boona Cheema on Why She Supports Mark Rendón for Assembly
CAMPAIGN STATEMENT
October 13, 2026
I support Mark Rendón for California Assembly District 14 because his priorities reflect what I believe government owes its people: affordable housing, accessible healthcare, strong public schools, and accountability to the communities it serves.
Housing and homelessness are especially important to me. We need policies that recognize the dignity of people living outside and give families a realistic chance to remain in their communities. Rendón’s support for social housing offers a direction I welcome: treating housing as an essential public responsibility. I want Sacramento to help create lasting affordability and practical pathways into stable homes.
His commitment to CalCare is another reason for my support. Nobody should have to postpone medical treatment because they cannot afford it, or worry that illness will consume their savings. A healthcare system should put patients first. Rendón makes universal healthcare a central priority, and I want that commitment represented in the Assembly.
His experience also matters. Rendón spent 29 years teaching music in Oakland public schools and served in his teachers’ union. To me, that background brings a valuable perspective on the everyday needs of students, educators, and working families. Public education deserves sustained investment and representatives who understand its importance firsthand.
I also value his stated refusal to accept corporate and PAC donations. That commitment sets a standard of independence I want from elected officials. Voters deserve to know whose interests their representative is prepared to defend.
Supporting Rendón does not require believing that one legislator can solve every problem. It means choosing the priorities we want advanced and the kind of public service we expect. For me, his focus on healthcare, housing, education, and democratic accountability deserves support.
I want District 14 represented by someone willing to make human dignity the starting point for policy. That is why I support Mark Rendón.
Boona Cheema
Former Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)
John George Lifetime Social Justice Award Recipient
Honorary Doctorate of Humanitarian Letters