Brought to America by his mother, Robert immigrated to the United States when he was just 5 years old. He says becoming a citizen is his proudest moment, and it’s the reason he went into public service.
Robert is most widely known for his tenure as Long Beach mayor and his leadership of the city during the worst of the pandemic.
We have made tremendous progress in the last 3 years. In 2017 alone, we hit the lowest unemployment rate in our city’s history, had the best year on record for tourism, and the largest cargo volume ever at the Port of Long Beach. Our city is booming with more than $3 billion in private investment. Long Beach is also home to companies like Virgin Orbit, Zwift and Laserfiche, which have all announced plans to expand and create jobs here in our city.
I am working to ensure our strong economy is working for everyone. We are making progress—when I was first elected, Long Beach had a poverty rate greater than 21%. Three years later, our citywide poverty rate has dropped to 18.8%. I will continue to work to bring inclusive economic growth. That’s why I called for an Economic Development Blueprint to lay out our city’s economic vision for the next decade. It was released last year and will help create a local economy that benefits every Long Beach resident by supporting good jobs and ensuring inclusion for all aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.