Candidate for
United States Representative; District 18

Dennis Cardoza... Effective Representation for the Northern San Joaquin Valley, including San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties!

Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced) has played a prominent role in representing the people of California's heartland. Elected in 1996 to the first of three very effective terms in the State Assembly, Dennis currently serves on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Governmental Organization Committees and chairs the Select Committee on the Department of Motor Vehicles and Select Committee on the Development of the 10th University of California Campus. He formerly served as Chairman of the Assembly Rules Committee.

Mr. Cardoza helped forge the Moderate Caucus of Democrats. He has been honored by a wide group of Valley organizations for his efforts to cut taxes, help family farms and promote education and safety issues for children. Earlier this year, Dennis was named "Legislator of the Year" by the California State Sheriff's Association. The University of California also honored him as Legislator of the Year for his work on behalf of U.C. Merced. Further, the Small Business Roundtable and Small Business Association honored him as 2001 Legislator of the Year.

Dennis Cardoza has developed a reputation as a champion of common-sense solutions to the challenges facing 21st Century California. He authored what was then the largest tax cut ever to pass the Legislature, which has returned $5 billion to California vehicle owners through significant and ongoing reductions of license fees.

Dennis has been a strong and effective advocate for the families of men and women who served in our country's hour of need. He has been a great friend of veterans of all conflicts and wars, and has worked on their behalf as a member of the Governor's Commission on Veteran's Homes. During his freshman term, he wasted no time in authoring urgency legislation to provide tax relief for people hard hit by the ruinous losses resulting from the devastating floods of 1997. Never forgetting his roots, he wrote many pieces of legislation to stimulate the local economy, and has worked to ensure small communities in his district were not left out of the digital revolution.

Dennis has been untiring in establishing a University of California campus in the Central Valley. There are already branches operating in Fresno, Bakersfield and Modesto.

Despite his quick rise to a prominent position in the Assembly, Dennis has never forgotten his agricultural roots. His grandparents emigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal in the first part of the 20th Century to farm the rich Merced County soil. The Cardoza family raised dairy cattle and grew sweet potatoes, almonds, watermelons, wheat, oats and alfalfa.

Dennis Cardoza lives in Atwater with his wife, Dr. Kathleen McLoughlin, and their three children, Joey, Brittany Mari and Elaina.