Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Democrat Gil Cisneros in the race for a San Gabriel Valley House seat that is open for the first time in a generation.

“Gil Cisneros is an outstanding public servant and leader,” Pelosi said in a statement released Thursday, noting a variety of legislation the two have worked together on in Congress. “Gil is a shining example of an elected official who fights for the people, not corporate special interests. I am proud to support him and look forward to working with him again.”

This endorsement is significant because Pelosi rarely picks favorites in the Democratic primaries and Cisneros is one of a dozen candidates who have filed to run and are vying for the seat held by Rep. for the past 25 years. Grace Napolitano is busy. Napolitano, who is also the oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced her retirement in July.

“I am deeply honored to have the support of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi,” Cisneros said. “Speaker Pelosi’s steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing progressive values ​​have been transformative for our nation. This support not only reflects her confidence in our shared vision for a better America, but also underscores the importance of our collective commitment to accessible health care, quality education and economic opportunity for all.”

Cisneros serves the 31st Congressional District, which includes the cities of Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Covina, Duarte, El Monte, Irwindale, La Puente, La Verne, San Dimas, South El Monte and West Covina. He moved to El Monte from Virginia in October and previously lived in Orange County.

Cisneros served one term in Congress in 2019-2020 after winning a competitive race in an Orange County district closely divided between Republican and Democratic voters. As a freshman lawmaker, Cisneros was part of a group of freshman lawmakers who wanted to effect change: He was part of a group that first introduced impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump and he was also part of a small group of Democrats in the House of Representatives they signed a letter promising to oppose Pelosi’s return as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Cisneros said at the time that he respected Pelosi, but his constituents were asking for change. Pelosi ultimately reached an agreement with that legislation to limit her time as speaker to another four years.

Cisneros lost re-election to Republican Young Kim in 2020 and was later appointed deputy secretary of defense by Biden, where he oversaw military personnel and readiness until he resigned in September to run for election. He moved back to California from McLean, Virginia, where he had lived for the past two years.

Cisneros said he grew up in a family of veterans. After high school, he served in the Navy and said he was the first member of his family to graduate from college. Around 200

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he started working as a shipping and distribution manager for Frito-Lay until one day in 2010, when his life changed after winning a $255 million lottery jackpot.

Cisneros was 39 when he came in

the fortune

That led him to a career in philanthropy. He and his wife founded the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation to fund college education for Latinos in the Pico Rivera area.

In 2014, after earning an MBA, he earned a second master’s degree in urban education and was later appointed to Obama’s Advisory Council on the Arts, marking his first political appointment.

Napolitano has endorsed California Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) as her preferred candidate to take her seat in the House of Representatives.

The race has attracted a large field of six Democrats, three Republicans and two third-party candidates, according to candidacy filings with the LA County Registrar’s office. Other Democratic candidates include Citrus Community College Trustee Mary Ann Lutz, Senator Susan Rubio of Baldwin Park and personal injury attorney Gregory Hafif. The Republican candidates are Elvira Moreno, Pedro Antonio Casas and Daniel Bocic Martinez who will compete against Napolitano in 2022.

The district is heavily Democratic, with registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans more than 2 to 1, and Latinos making up about 55% of district residents.

Despite running as a Democrat, Cisneros was once a registered Republican.

“I’m a Democrat,” he told the Times when asked about the switch. “I will pit my Democratic record against (my opponents) every day.”