A Better Deal for Marina

My name is Athena Burciaga—a community organizer, a proud Chicana, and a transgender woman from a working-class family.  Growing up, my family didn’t have much money, but we always had each other. From that experience, I learned a simple truth: we are more powerful together than we are divided, no matter the challenges we face.

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I’m running for City Council because local government should work for the people who live here—not outside interests. But today, our leaders are not meeting the moment. Behind the promise of “new business,” Marina is at risk of becoming a high-end bedroom community for Silicon Valley’s tech industry—driving up rents, straining our resources, and pushing locals out.

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Marina needs new leadership—leaders who will bring young people into the political process and ensure their voices are heard. As we see on the national stage, apathy in our democracy threatens all of us, and local leadership has never mattered more.

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My age does not mean inexperience. I have the skills, determination, and lived experience to create real change. I brought people of all backgrounds together, including the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and the members of the state legislature, to help create the Rainbow Raft Pride Center at California State University Monterey Bay. Through that work, I saw firsthand how compassionate, equitable, and powerful our community can be when we come together.

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This campaign is about people and possibility.