Pete Aguilar

Pete Aguilar's first job, at twelve, was working beside his grandfather in the San Bernardino County Courthouse cafeteria.¹ His family's Inland Empire roots span four generations, and he lives in Redlands with his wife, Alisha, and their two sons.¹ Student loans and federal grants helped him pay for college.¹

He earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Redlands in 2001.² There, he worked as a Head Start teacher's aide and helped revive the campus Habitat for Humanity chapter, recruiting volunteers and financial support.³ The group assisted with at least six house builds in the Inland Empire.³ His subsequent career included business ownership and a credit union executive role.²

Aguilar served on Redlands' council from 2006 to 2014 and as mayor from 2010 to 2014.² He entered Congress in January 2015 and now chairs the House Democratic Caucus.² He served on the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.² He sponsored the Wounded Warrior Access Act, enacted in November 2023, requiring the VA to offer an online tool for claimants to request their records.⁴⁵

His published agenda supports more affordable housing, citizenship pathways for immigrants, abortion access and protections for Social Security and Medicare.⁶ He also advocates college affordability, early education and technical career training.⁶