Families across the 40th District are being stretched to the limit. Groceries, gas, housing, healthcare, and insurance costs keep rising while wages struggle to keep up. Joe understands this because he grew up in a family that worked hard for every dollar and because he has spent his entire career fighting to help working people get ahead.

As President of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association and later as Vice President of the Orange County Central Labor Council, Joe represented more than 270,000 workers across retail, healthcare, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, public safety, and the trades. He fought for affordable healthcare, fair wages, job security, and financial stability for families across every part of our community. Joe knows how to negotiate real solutions and stand up to powerful interests when they drive up costs for working people.

Young Kim and Ken Calvert have taken the opposite approach. Both have voted for budgets that raise premiums, weaken protections for pre-existing conditions, and cut Medicaid, which millions of Californians rely on for care. Both supported tax policies that benefit large corporations while doing nothing to bring down prices for families. Both have voted against lowering prescription drug costs and against expanding tax relief that helps parents, seniors, and the middle class.

Joe believes we deserve better. He will fight every day to make life more affordable and to protect workers from policies that put corporate profits ahead of household budgets.

Joe believes the economy should work for the people who power it. Families deserve stability, opportunity, and leaders who put working people first. In Congress, he will push for:

🔷 Lower prescription drug costs by protecting and expanding Medicare’s negotiating power;

🔷 Cap out of pocket expenses for seniors and families;

🔷 Protect the Affordable Care Act from cuts that would raise premiums in California;

🔷 Expand tax relief for working families through the child tax credit and earned income tax credit;

🔷 Invest in workforce and affordable housing so families can live close to where they work;

🔷 Support childcare that helps parents stay in the workforce and lowers costs for families;

🔷 Address rising insurance premiums by strengthening wildfire resilience, mitigation, and disaster planning;

🔷 Invest in clean, reliable energy that reduces long-term household energy costs; and

🔷 Crack down on corporate price gouging and anti-competitive behavior that drives up consumer prices.

Housing costs are out of control in California, and families across the 40th District feel it every day. Joe believes people deserve the chance to live close to where they work, raise their families in stable communities, and retire with security. He also knows that homelessness is a complex crisis that requires compassion, accountability, and real investment in mental health and recovery services.

Joe also understands that families are being priced out by forces beyond their control. Large corporate investors have been buying up homes in bulk, limiting inventory, and driving up prices for everyday people. Housing should be for families who want to build a life in our communities, not distant corporations looking to turn a profit.

In Congress, Joe will focus on solutions that respect neighborhoods, protect public safety, and expand opportunity for working people. Unlike Young Kim and Ken Calvert, who vote for talking points instead of results, Joe will support practical steps that help families, seniors, and veterans right now.

Joe believes housing policy should be practical and community driven. People deserve safe neighborhoods, stable homes, and a government that actually helps. In Congress he will fight to:

🔷 Increase federal funding for workforce and middle-income housing so teachers, nurses, first responders, and young families can live in the communities they serve;

🔷 Support tax credits and financing tools that help cities build housing near jobs and transit without overburdening local infrastructure;

🔷 Promote adaptive reuse of empty office buildings to create new homes without expanding sprawl or harming open space;

🔷 Crack down on large corporate investors that buy up single-family homes and distort the market;

🔷 Expand federal support for mental health and addiction treatment programs that address root causes of homelessness;

🔷 Strengthen veteran housing programs through HUD-VASH and supportive services;

🔷 Increase resources for cities to respond to homelessness with coordinated services, not unfunded mandates; and

🔷 Protect homeowners from predatory insurance practices and advocate for fair, stable policies in high-risk areas.

Joe believes healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and stable for every family. As President of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, he helped create a healthcare system that covered firefighters, retirees, and their families with better care at lower cost, all without raising taxes. He knows how to negotiate with insurers, cut waste, and fight for coverage that actually works for people.

Joe has seen what families go through when healthcare fails them. He responded to emergencies where high costs kept people from seeing a doctor until it was too late. He has supported coworkers battling cancer, post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI), and life-changing injuries. And like many families, Joe and China navigated years of complex medical decisions during their IVF journey and again when caring for Joe’s medically fragile father, a retired firefighter.

While Young Kim and Ken Calvert have voted repeatedly to raise premiums, weaken protections for pre-existing conditions, and slash funding for Medicaid and mental health care, Joe will put families first.

In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Protect coverage for pre-existing conditions;

🔷Lower prescription drug prices by expanding Medicare’s negotiating power;

🔷Cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors and families;

🔷Protect the Affordable Care Act from cuts that would raise premiums in California;

🔷Support mental health treatment, crisis services, and addiction recovery;

🔷Increase funding for community clinics and primary care in underserved areas;

🔷Strengthen insurance protections so families aren’t hit with surprise medical bills;

🔷Expand access to reproductive healthcare and maternal care; and

🔷Invest in cancer research, firefighter health studies, and long-term health monitoring for first responders.

Joe believes healthcare is not about politics. It is about stability, dignity, and whether families can get the care they need when they need it. He will fight to make sure your health, and your family’s health, always comes before the profits of insurance companies or pharmaceutical giants.

Joe believes America needs strong, professional border security and an immigration system that is safe, orderly, and consistent with our values. As the grandson of immigrants and a career public safety leader, Joe understands both sides of this issue. We can enforce the law with strength and we can do it with basic human dignity. These goals are not in conflict.

Right now, the system is breaking down. Border agents do not have enough resources. Fentanyl traffickers are exploiting gaps in enforcement. The asylum system is backlogged for years. And across the country, ICE has carried out sudden, chaotic street raids that lack transparency, disrupt communities, and raise serious questions about accountability.

This confusion and fear help no one. It does not make us safer, and it does not reflect who we are. What makes us safe is professionalism, clear rules, and leadership that puts solutions ahead of politics.

That is where Joe differs from both Young Kim and Ken Calvert. They have voted in lockstep with the same MAGA leadership that blocks bipartisan border solutions, politicizes enforcement, and then uses the chaos as a talking point. They attack the symptoms while refusing to fix the system.

To address these issues, Joe will fight to:

🔷Increase the number of border agents and provide modern tools to stop drug trafficking, human smuggling, and cartel activity;

🔷Strengthen oversight and accountability for ICE operations so enforcement is targeted, constitutional, and focused on real public safety threats;

🔷Require clear procedures, documentation, and judicial review for interior enforcement to prevent unpredictable, politically motivated raids;

🔷Expand immigration courts and staffing to eliminate years-long case backlogs and restore timely, consistent decisions;

🔷Modernize the asylum process so legitimate claims are resolved quickly and fraudulent claims do not overwhelm the system;

🔷Protect Dreamers/DACA recipients and create an earned pathway to citizenship for people who contribute, follow the law, and strengthen their communities;

🔷Simplify legal immigration so families and employers are not trapped in a broken bureaucracy; and

🔷Improve coordination between federal, state, and local agencies so the burden does not fall on border communities alone.

Joe believes the choice is not between “open borders” and cruelty, despite what extremists claim. The real choice is between chaos and competence. Young Kim and Ken Calvert chose chaos. Joe Kerr chooses competence.

Fewer than 2% of members of Congress come from working-class or union backgrounds, and only a handful nationwide have ever served in union leadership roles representing large memberships. Joe Kerr is one of the rare candidates with decades of experience leading labor organizations representing hundreds of thousands of workers at the bargaining table.

Joe Kerr’s life and career have been shaped by working people and the power of collective action. Raised in a working-class family, Joe learned early that strong unions mean safer jobs, fair pay, affordable healthcare, and dignity at work. Those values guided his career and continue to drive why he is running for Congress.

For 18 years, Joe served as President of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, representing more than 1,200 firefighters and paramedics. He negotiated contracts, protected pensions, expanded healthcare coverage, improved safety standards, and ensured workers had a real voice on the job. He also served as Vice President of the California Professional Firefighters, representing more than 30,000 firefighters statewide, and as Vice President of the Orange County Central Labor Council, representing over 270,000 workers across dozens of industries. Joe understands that while jobs may differ, the need for respect, security, and fairness is universal.

Throughout his labor leadership, Joe delivered real results — protecting retirement security, expanding healthcare access without raising taxes, preventing layoffs during economic downturns, improving workplace safety, and helping pass more than 200 worker-focused bills through bipartisan collaboration. He has spent his career sitting across the table from powerful interests and winning real gains for working people.

Today, workers’ rights are under increasing pressure from policies that weaken unions and shift power toward large corporations. While Young Kim and Ken Calvert have supported the same political movement advancing these attacks, Joe has always stood with working people and defended the right to organize and bargain collectively. Joe believes the economy works best when workers have a strong voice. 

In Congress, he will fight to:

🔷Defend collective bargaining rights for all workers, including federal employees;
🔷Protect the right to organize without intimidation or retaliation;
🔷Support the PRO Act to strengthen unions and protect workers’ rights;
🔷Strengthen workplace safety standards and enforcement;
🔷Support fair wages, predictable schedules, and job security;
🔷Protect retirement benefits and oppose cuts to earned pensions;
🔷Expand access to affordable healthcare for workers and retirees;
🔷Invest in apprenticeship programs, job training, and workforce development;
🔷Support Buy American policies that protect domestic jobs; and
🔷Ensure workers have a seat at the table when policies affect their livelihoods.

Working people make this country run, but too often Washington listens to corporations instead of workers. Joe Kerr has spent his entire career standing up to powerful interests and delivering results for working families, and in Congress he will continue fighting to ensure working people finally have the representation they deserve.

Joe spent more than three decades protecting California families as a firefighter and first responder. He knows what real public safety looks like. It is not political slogans or fearmongering. It is trained professionals, strong partnerships with local law enforcement, and a community that trusts the people sworn to protect them.

Across the country, crime has become a political football. Joe believes the stakes are too high for that. Whether responding to fires, medical emergencies, or violent incidents, Joe learned that public safety requires preparation, accountability, and a system that works for everyone.

Meanwhile, politicians like Young Kim and Ken Calvert use crime for fundraising emails but vote against investments that actually make our communities safer. Joe will bring a practical, experienced approach to Washington.

To address these issues, Joe will fight to:

🔷Increase federal funding for local law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency personnel;

🔷Expand mental health crisis response teams that reduce strain on police and improve safety outcomes;

🔷Strengthen partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies to stop drug trafficking, organized crime, and retail theft rings;

🔷Increase support for forensic labs, evidence processing, and technology that helps law enforcement close cases;

🔷Invest in community-based violence prevention programs that have been proven to reduce crime;

🔷Support federal grants that help cities hire and train officers while maintaining high professional standards; and

🔷Crack down on fentanyl trafficking by increasing inspections, detection technology, and collaboration with border agencies.

Joe believes public safety should never be partisan. Families deserve leaders who take the issue seriously, listen to law enforcement, and invest in real solutions that work.

Joe spent more than 30 years answering 911 calls as a firefighter. He has responded to shootings, held pressure on wounds, comforted families, and seen firsthand what gun violence does to a community. For Joe, gun safety is not a political argument. It is a responsibility to protect families and prevent tragedies before they happen.

Our district knows this pain too well. In recent years, CA-40 has endured multiple mass shootings, including the tragedy at Cook’s Corner, a place many of us know and love. Families and first responders are still carrying the weight of that day. Joe believes we owe them more than thoughts and prayers. We owe them action that keeps guns out of dangerous hands while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.

Young Kim and Ken Calvert have consistently taken NRA support and voted against bipartisan gun safety reforms, including enhanced background checks that are supported by the vast majority of Americans. Even after mass shootings in our own communities, they continue to side with the gun lobby over public safety. Joe believes leaders should listen to first responders, not special interests.

Joe believes the Second Amendment and public safety can coexist. Responsible gun owners know this better than anyone. We can protect constitutional rights and protect our communities at the same time. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Require universal background checks for all gun sales;

🔷Close loopholes that allow prohibited buyers to obtain firearms;

🔷Support red-flag laws that temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others, with strong due-process protections;

🔷Enforce waiting periods to prevent impulsive acts of violence or self-harm;

🔷Keep high-capacity magazines and military-style assault weapons out of civilian circulation;

🔷Strengthen mental health services, crisis intervention programs, and resources for schools; and

🔷Improve coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement to prevent illegal gun trafficking.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. They create jobs, support families, and give our communities their character. Joe has spent his career working alongside small business owners, from the shopkeepers who support first responders, to the workers and tradespeople who keep our economy moving, to the families who pour everything they have into keeping their doors open.

Joe knows small businesses thrive when government keeps costs stable, cuts through red tape, and helps level the playing field against large corporations that can afford lobbyists and loopholes. He also understands that workers and small businesses depend on each other. When families have healthcare, fair wages, and economic stability, they spend money locally and strengthen the entire community.

While Young Kim and Ken Calvert often support tax breaks and subsidies for large corporations, Joe’s focus is on the people who actually drive our economy: the local businesses and workers who keep our communities growing.

Joe believes a strong local economy is built from the bottom up. When small businesses thrive, our communities thrive, and families across the 40th District have the stability and opportunity they deserve. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Expand access to low-interest loans and grants for small businesses, especially during economic disruptions;

🔷Cut unnecessary federal red tape and streamline licensing, permitting, and compliance for small businesses;

🔷Support tax incentives that encourage hiring, workforce training, and local economic investment;

🔷Strengthen protections for small businesses against unfair competition from large corporations and monopolistic practices;

🔷Invest in infrastructure improvements that help local businesses grow, including roads, broadband, utilities, and transportation;

🔷Support childcare and family-leave policies that help small businesses recruit and retain employees; and

🔷Increase support for veterans, first responders, and minority-owned small businesses through targeted federal programs.

Reproductive freedom is personal to Joe. He and his wife, China, went through a long and difficult fertility journey before welcoming their son, Joey, through IVF. That experience shaped Joe’s belief that every family deserves the freedom to make their own medical decisions without interference from politicians.

Joe understands what it feels like to sit in waiting rooms, navigate impossible choices, and hope for a miracle. No family should ever be denied the medical care they need, and no politician should ever have the power to take that freedom away.

Joe believes reproductive freedom is a fundamental right. Families deserve compassion and medical privacy, not political judgment and interference. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Support federal legislation that restores the protections of Roe v. Wade and safeguards access to reproductive healthcare nationwide;

🔷Protect IVF and fertility treatments from partisan attacks;

🔷Defend access to birth control and ensure insurance coverage is affordable and reliable;

🔷Support paid family leave for parents and caregivers;

🔷Oppose any effort to criminalize patients, doctors, or healthcare providers; and

🔷Ensure women, families, and providers can access safe, legal, evidence-based care.

Joe believes education should open doors to opportunity, whether that path leads to college, a union apprenticeship, career certification, or lifelong learning. Strong public schools, dedicated educators, and affordable higher-education pathways are essential to building an economy where every family has a fair shot.

Teachers deserve respect, resources, and a voice in the decisions that affect their classrooms. Parents deserve confidence that their children are safe, supported, and receiving a quality education. Students deserve the chance to succeed without being buried in debt simply for pursuing their goals.

Joe strongly opposes efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to dismantle the Department of Education, weaken public schools, and shift resources away from students and teachers. Young Kim and Ken Calvert have backed this agenda and supported proposals that threaten federal support for special education, school nutrition, classroom resources, and teacher training. Joe will stand with educators, students, and working families.

As a member of the California Workforce Development Board, Joe helped shape programs that prepare young people and adult workers for high-quality jobs in growing industries. He believes the country must invest equally in college pathways and skilled-trade training so students can pursue the future that fits their talents, not just the one they can afford.

In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Increase federal funding for public schools so districts can hire and retain qualified teachers and support staff;
🔷Reduce class sizes by investing in teacher recruitment and retention programs;
🔷Expand mental health counselors, school psychologists, and student wellness programs;
🔷Strengthen school safety through evidence-based programs, modernized facilities, and partnerships with local first responders;
🔷Make community college tuition-free nationwide and expand Pell Grants to lower the cost of four-year public colleges;
🔷Invest in apprenticeship programs, union training centers, and career-technical education partnerships that connect students directly to good-paying jobs;
🔷Reduce student-loan burdens by lowering interest costs and strengthening income-based repayment and public-service loan-forgiveness programs;
🔷Increase federal investment in workforce training partnerships between community colleges, labor organizations, and local employers;
🔷Increase federal support for special education so students with disabilities receive the services they are guaranteed;
🔷Protect teachers and librarians from political censorship and ensure educators can focus on teaching; and
🔷Expand broadband access and classroom technology so every student has the tools they need.

Joe believes education should create opportunity, not financial barriers. He will work to strengthen public schools, make higher education and job training more affordable, and ensure that every student, regardless of background, has a pathway to success.

Joe believes public service is a promise. It is a commitment to honesty, accountability, and putting people ahead of politics. After decades in the fire service and years representing frontline workers, Joe knows that trust is something you earn every day through your actions.

That is why he is running. Washington is overflowing with political games and self-interest, and too many members of Congress have forgotten who they work for.

In recent years we have seen efforts across the country to undermine elections, weaken checks and balances, and give more power to politicians who put their party above the people. Both Young Kim and Ken Calvert have supported leaders who attack democratic institutions, ignore ethics standards, and normalize corruption. Voters deserve better. Joe will fight to strengthen our democracy and restore integrity to public service.

Joe believes democracy is not a partisan issue. It is an American one. And it is the responsibility of every elected official to protect it, honor it, and defend the people who depend on it. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Support term limits for members of Congress so public service does not become a permanent political career;

🔷Ban stock trading by members of Congress and require stronger ethics rules for elected officials;

🔷Protect the right to vote and expand access to early voting, vote-by-mail, and secure ballot drop boxes;

🔷Strengthen the certification process for elections so no one can overturn the will of the voters;

🔷Increase transparency in campaign finance so billionaires and dark money groups cannot buy influence; and

🔷Hold elected officials accountable when they abuse power or undermine democratic norms.

Joe has stood shoulder to shoulder with people from every background throughout his career. In the fire service and in the labor movement, he fought for workers who relied on fair treatment, equal opportunity, and a safe workplace. Joe believes every person deserves dignity, respect, and the full protection of the law, no matter who they are or whom they love.

In Washington, too many politicians use division as a political tool. Both Young Kim and Ken Calvert have repeatedly supported legislation that limits rights, targets vulnerable communities, and turns basic freedoms into partisan fights. Joe believes leadership means protecting people, not singling them out. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Support the Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ+ Americans have equal protection in housing, employment, and public life;

🔷Protect marriage equality and oppose any attempt to roll back existing rights;

🔷Support funding for HIV and AIDS prevention, research, and treatment;

🔷Strengthen anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities in employment, housing, and healthcare;

🔷Promote equal pay and strengthen protections against workplace discrimination; and

🔷Ensure that federal agencies enforce civil rights laws fairly and consistently.

Joe believes every senior deserves dignity, stability, and the freedom to age safely in their own home. He also understands the enormous responsibility families carry when caring for aging parents, especially while raising children of their own. Joe and his wife, China, lived this reality when they cared for Joe’s medically fragile father in their home after his mother passed away. They were part of the sandwich generation, helping their young son grow while managing medical appointments, complex needs, and day-to-day caregiving.

That experience taught Joe just how emotionally demanding, financially draining, and bureaucratically frustrating caregiving can be. The late nights, the constant worry, the mounting costs, and the endless paperwork showed him how much families sacrifice to do the right thing. It is why he believes seniors and caregivers deserve real support, not political soundbites.

While politicians like Young Kim and Ken Calvert vote for budgets that threaten senior services and weaken long-term care programs, Joe will fight to strengthen the support systems families depend on so seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers are not left behind.

Joe believes caring for seniors is one of the most meaningful responsibilities a family and a community can share. No one should have to navigate it alone. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Protect Medicare and Medicaid funding and oppose any attempts to cut, privatize, or restrict access to essential services;

🔷Lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs for seniors and protect access to preventive care;

🔷Support programs that help seniors remain safely in their homes through home health services, mobility assistance, and caregiver support;

🔷Expand tax credits, paid family leave, and direct support for caregivers who shoulder medical, financial, and emotional responsibilities;

🔷Increase federal funding for Alzheimer’s research, dementia care, palliative care, and respite services;

🔷Strengthen oversight of nursing homes to ensure safe staffing levels, quality care, and accountability for abuse or neglect;

🔷Improve access to nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels and community-based senior services;

🔷Support transportation and mobility programs that help seniors stay independent and connected; and

🔷Work closely with frontline healthcare workers and unions like SEIU-UHW, UNAC-UHCP, and NUHW to ensure policies reflect the real-world needs of caregivers, patients, and long-term care workers.

Joe spent more than 30 years on the front lines of California’s wildfire crisis. He knows what it feels like to stand in front of a wall of fire, protect families in danger, and make split-second decisions that save lives. He also knows that climate change is no longer an abstract debate. It is a daily reality for millions of Californians, including families across the 40th District.

After retiring from the fire service, Joe continued his mission to protect communities. Working with researchers at UC San Diego’s world-leading Scripps Institution, he helped pioneer early detection wildfire cameras that now cover much of the western United States. These cameras have already identified hundreds of fires in their earliest stages, giving firefighters precious time to contain them before they become disasters.

Joe also served as Vice Chair of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, appointed by Governor Newsom, where he enforced the Clean Water Act, held serial polluters accountable, and protected drinking water for more than eight million residents.

While politicians like Young Kim and Ken Calvert vote against climate funding, disaster preparedness, and clean energy investments, Joe has spent decades actually solving these problems.

In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Secure federal funding for advanced wildfire detection technology, including the UCSD camera network;

🔷Increase resources for firefighter staffing, equipment, protective gear, and mental health support;

🔷Protect homeowners facing skyrocketing insurance rates by strengthening federal resilience programs and incentivizing home-hardening;

🔷Invest in vegetation management, prescription burning, and science-based mitigation strategies;

🔷Expand federal partnerships with state and local agencies to improve evacuation planning and emergency response;

🔷Hold polluters accountable for environmental damage that threatens public health and water quality;

🔷Support clean energy and climate-smart infrastructure that reduces emissions while creating local jobs; and

🔷Strengthen federal disaster relief programs so families and small businesses can rebuild quickly after fires.

Joe believes keeping our communities safe requires practical solutions, not partisanship. Wildfires don’t care about politics, and our response to them should be the same.

Clean water, safe neighborhoods, and reliable infrastructure are essential for every family in the 40th District. Joe has spent years protecting these resources. As Vice Chair of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, he helped enforce the Clean Water Act for a region that serves more than 8 million residents. Joe held polluters accountable, strengthened water protections, and fought for safe, sustainable communities across Southern California.

California faces real challenges. Drought, aging infrastructure, flooding risks, and wildfire damage put both families and property at risk. Joe believes protecting our environment is not about politics. It is about public health, economic stability, and the ability for families to live safely in the communities they love.

Young Kim and Ken Calvert have repeatedly voted against clean water protections, environmental safeguards, and federal investments that help California modernize its infrastructure. Joe will take a very different approach. He will work with scientists, engineers, local governments, and first responders to protect our communities and make sure federal dollars come home to California.

Joe believes clean water and safe infrastructure are basic promises government should keep. He will work every day to protect the environment families depend on and to ensure California receives the federal support it needs. In Congress, Joe will fight to:

🔷Strengthen enforcement of the Clean Water Act to protect drinking water and public health;

🔷Expand federal investments in water recycling, groundwater storage, and drought resilience;

🔷Upgrade aging infrastructure including pipelines, storm water systems, and water treatment facilities;

🔷Support wildfire prevention, mitigation, and early detection technology that protects both property and insurance markets;

🔷Promote clean energy and climate resilience strategies that reduce long term costs for families;

🔷Hold serial polluters accountable and make sure corporations, not taxpayers, pay for the damage they cause;

🔷Strengthen FEMA and federal disaster programs so communities can rebuild faster after wildfires or floods; and

🔷Support programs that improve air quality and reduce pollution across suburban and inland communities.