A candidate for California governor, Ian Calderon, visited the Monterey Park Tract, a small unincorporated community southwest of Ceres, on Wednesday as part of his campaign. Calderon previously served as a state assemblymember for Southern California from 2012 to 2020 and became the youngest Assembly majority leader in state history in 2016.
At the community center, Calderon spoke with residents about their concerns and criticized what he described as a lack of new solutions in state government. “We just have this, this box of solutions that we always pull from, and we keep electing the same people pulling from that same box of solutions,” Calderon said. “Nothing is ever going to change, it is going to continue to stay the same.”
Calderon explained that he left the Legislature in 2020 to spend more time with his family, which now includes four young children. He is running as a Democrat.
The Monterey Park Tract was established as a district in 1941 and has historically faced challenges accessing clean drinking water. The area covers 31 acres and has been known for its Black heritage.
Calderon acknowledged that he had not heard of the community before Stanislaus County Supervisor Channce Condit introduced him to it. Octavia Williams, who has lived there for four years, commented on Calderon’s visit: “It’s great for him to start with the smallest and probably longest-living community out here to start his campaign.”
Condit described Calderon as a longtime friend and said he wanted him to hear directly from residents about issues such as cost of living and infrastructure needs. “I brought a gubernatorial candidate here today to the tract as a reality check of how some folks in California are living,” Condit said. “And there’s no better people who can show us how average people are living than you folks today.”
Milton Jordan, president of the Monterey Park Tract Improvement Association, grew up in the community before moving away as an adult. He helped organize the event by setting up tables and playing music while residents gathered.
Calderon arrived after attending another event at CSU Stanislaus earlier that day. He emphasized his intention to bring jobs—such as those in technology, warehousing, and manufacturing—to Central Valley communities like Monterey Park Tract. “We’ve got a lot of tech jobs, warehousing jobs, manufacturing jobs that can move out here to the Central Valley,” he said.
He also pledged not to seek higher office beyond governor if elected: “We’re the fourth-largest economy in the world,” Calderon said. “We talk a lot about that, and what I don’t want to continue to do is be in a position where we’re dependent on the federal dollar.”
Tyrone McKinney manages Monterey Park Tract’s water system and noted ongoing issues despite improvements: leaks have decreased but rust remains a problem. He expressed hope that Calderon would support upgrades: “I’m hoping to talk to the [candidate] today that it needs to be upgraded,” McKinney said.
The community’s wells were previously contaminated by nitrate and 1,2,3 TCP—a chemical linked with legacy pesticides—and now receives water from Ceres at higher rates than city residents pay.
Bettie Yelder appreciated Calderon’s attention: “It’s just good to see that somebody cares about the guy at the bottom of the stack,” she said. She raised concerns over pesticide spraying from nearby almond orchards: “They come out and spray and it’s like, ‘Oh my god they’re spraying again,’” she said.
Yelder has relied on bottled drinking water provided by local authorities due to well contamination attributed partly to nearby dairies.
During his speech, Calderon addressed affordable housing barriers and responded when an attendee questioned nonprofit spending on homelessness programs: “There’s been no accountability and no oversight,” he replied. “There’s been ‘Oh look at what we did…but there’s no follow-through – and that’s just why people are so frustrated with government…’”
Another resident suggested focusing on education if elected governor; Calderon agreed more investment was needed where disparities exist.
Asked about prison reform, Calderon shared personal experience regarding his late brother’s struggles after incarceration due largely to mental health issues: “So yeah people fall through cracks,” he said. “My family has experienced this…it’s something we need more time and attention into.”
After answering questions from attendees—many concerning local quality-of-life issues—Calderon took photos with participants before leaving.
He stated his purpose was learning firsthand about Central Valley life: “This area is very beautiful…they’re just asking for a little attention…that isn’t a lot to ask your state for,” Calderon concluded.
