MAE CENDAÑA TORLAKSON CHALLENGES GRAYSON SUPERPAC TO DONATE TO AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

June 2nd, 2016

PITTSBURG, CA— Assembly District 14 has been the subject of more independent expenditure spending than almost any district in California, with over $1.5 million dollars spent by outside millionaires trying to defeat Mae Cendaña Torlakson. In recent days, Edvoice, the biggest spender in the race, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars falsely attacking Mae Cendaña Torlakson by claiming that she cut afterschool programs. In fact, Torlakson has led in expanding after school programs.  In one case alone, Torlakson worked hard to obtain over $114,000 to serve 100 more students year round.

Torlakson issued the following statement in response to the attacks:”Edvoice claims to be an organization that cares about educating our young people, yet they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars making false accusations and attacks.  I challenge Edvoice to stop lying about my record with the after school and daycare programs and to instead donate $1.2 million to local afterschool programs in our community – dollar-for-dollar – to match what they have spent campaigning against me.If Edvoice really cares about our young people, they should show with their pocketbooks that they care about young people as much as they care about negative campaigning. The money they have spent on this campaign could have expanded after school programs to 1,000 more children.”

For a full list of Torlakson’s endorsements, click here.

Torlakson is a manager at the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, which is administered by the University of California Office of the President. Torlakson helps educationally disadvantaged students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and has led in the creation of partnerships with businesses such as mentoring programs with Cisco and SanDisk.

A longtime advocate for community parks and open space, Torlakson is serving her third elected term on the board of the Ambrose Recreation and Park District, which provides recreation services and after school programs to 26,000 residents of Bay Point and Pittsburg.

Torlakson is a founder of the Friends of the Delta Trail. She led efforts that secured $4.5 million for the Great California Delta Trail, which will provide shoreline access and a continuous trail network through the five Delta counties.

Born in the Philippines, Torlakson immigrated to the United States in 1988 and became a U.S. citizen in 1994. Torlakson raised two children, both of whom graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

Torlakson is married to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who represented the region in the State Assembly and Senate before winning statewide office in 2010. They live in the Contra Costa County community of Pittsburg.

The 14th Assembly District represents portions of Contra Costa County and Southern Solano County. It includes the cities of Benicia, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, Martinez, Suisun, Walnut Creek, and Vallejo.