Anyone seeking election for public office needs a good slogan. And Zennon Ulyate-Crow has one. Actually, he has a couple: “A new leader California deserves” and “Fighting for something more, not more of the same”.
Born and raised in Topanga, 23-year-old Zennon is running for California State Senate, District 24. He’s hoping to bring a new generation of leadership to Sacramento.
Witnessing friends and neighbors displaced by wildfires, the flight of entertainment industry jobs, and the growing affordability crisis in Los Angeles, Zennon developed a core belief: You cannot complain if you are not willing to act.
One of eleven candidates hoping to win the District 24 primary in June, Zennon says seven are serious contenders. The top two with the most votes, irrespective of party affiliation, will be on the ballot in November. The incumbent, Senator Ben Allen, is termed out and won’t be running.
Zennon’s parents, Ryan Ulyate and Judith Crow, hosted a fundraiser brunch at their Topanga home for Zennon, their only child. Judith put on a lovely spread that was well attended and funds were indeed raised.
In his address, Zennon said one of his eleven fellow candidates has $2M in his election coffers. ZUC is hoping to raise a relatively modest $100,000. He’ll be relying on social media, word of mouth and coffee morning fundraisers from people who believe in his message and want to give a smart young man from Gen Z a chance to make a difference.
Plenty of fans, family friends and neighbors attended this fundraiser. He was introduced by his kindergarten teacher, Amy Weisberg, who has taught at Topanga Elementary for 31 years. Amy remembers five-year-old Zennon as delightful, always curious and with a zest for learning. “He’s always been someone to jump right in and solve problems,” she said. “He’s raring to go and we need young people like Zennon to step up and take over.”
Zennon is Executive Director of People First CA and Organizing Director for the Westside Young Democrats. His platform centers on a government that delivers results, environmental stewardship, affordability, and strengthening Los Angeles’s entertainment industry, with a focus on keeping California vibrant, resilient, and inclusive.
He believes in Medicare for all. Great idea, but how would he pay for that? “By making sure we close tax loopholes for wealthy individuals and corporations,” he said.
A child of District 24, after Topanga Elementary, Zennon graduated from Palisades High School, and went on to graduate from UC Santa Cruz, where he honed his political skills helping his community.
“I’ve passed legislation to build affordable student housing statewide, served as the youngest commissioner in Santa Cruz history, and worked on the progressive outreach team for the Biden campaign in DC,” said Zennon, who is confident he is ready for office.
One of the Topanga fundraiser attendees, Scott Ferguson, a leader in Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP), expressed concern about living in a high fire hazard zone like Topanga where home insurance is in crisis. “We’ve got to fix that somehow,” said Scott.
Zennon thinks we need to start the fire conversation by talking more about prevention and helping make the home insurance market more competitive with incentives at the state level. He also supports the idea of safe controlled burns to prevent fire spreading.
With 50 per cent of emissions attributed to transportation according to Zennon, he wants public transport to be more affordable, along with affordable housing near public transport hubs.
Unsurprisingly, Zennon’s parents are his biggest fans and supporters. Musician Ryan Ulyate and Judith Crow (who does computer graphics for feature films) were the first to raise their hands, pledging $1,000 to their son’s campaign. There was another $1,000 donation, along with three for $500, two for $250 (that I could see from hands raised) and multiple pledges for $100. The campaign is serious, and up and running. Gen-Z politics begins with Zennon.
