Meet Tony

Tony was born and raised in Pacoima by hard working immigrant parents. Andres and Maria Cardenas raised him and his ten brothers and sisters in their Pacoima home since the 1950’s. 

As the youngest of eleven children, Tony was taught the value of hard work and community service. At the age of six he began to go to work for his father and helped with his father’s gardening business every summer and weekend. 

In elementary school, middle school, and high school, he experienced a double standard and was told to have low expectations for himself. His high school counselor told him that college was not for him. Tony had to fight to be given the classes he needed to take that were required if he was going to attend college. He was accepted to the University of Santa Barbara to be an electrical engineering student. When he told his math teacher the good news, his math teacher laughed at Tony and told him “You can’t cut it, they will eat you alive. Try junior college.” 

After receiving his electrical engineering degree from UCSB, Tony moved back to Pacoima and went on to create a successful small business. As a member of the community, running for office was never part of his plan.

A community activist convinced Tony to run for the State Assembly. Tony was successful in becoming the first Latino Assemblyperson to represent the San Fernando Valley. He successfully represented our community in the State Assembly, the LA City Council, and now serves our community as the first Latino to represent the San Fernando Valley in the United States House of Representatives. While Tony may have been the first person from the Valley who was elected to these positions, he was determined not to be the last. Tony helped other men and women born and raised in the northeast valley to be elected and successfully represent us. Tony is proud to serve the community he grew up in and is dedicated to building a better world for everyone.