Edwin Saucedo is the deputy chief of staff for California Attorney General Rob Bonta and helps lead the largest state Department of Justice in the country with more than six thousand employees. Saucedo serves as a senior advisor for Bonta, whose office is at the forefront of fighting for the people of California, whether it is protecting trans students from getting outed by school districts, ensuring reproductive rights are protected, or fighting for environmental justice.
What is your greatest career accomplishment to date?
I joined the California Department of Justice as director of external affairs shortly after Attorney General Bonta was appointed in 2021. During the early days of his administration, I was tasked with building a statewide engagement strategy to introduce AG Bonta—formerly a state legislator representing 500,000 constituents—to 39 million new constituents across California. Within the first year, I secured over two hundred speaking opportunities up and down the state to introduce AG Bonta and oversaw his briefings and preparation for each meeting and event.
I organized discussions with the Mayors of California’s largest cities and their local community leaders to discuss best practices to combat hate crimes. Simultaneously, I convened over two hundred local law enforcement leaders across California to find opportunities for partnership to improve public safety and community relations. Lastly, I fostered statewide relationships with local elected officials, helping our office amplify outreach of important information such as tenant rights bulletins and consumer protection notices.
What is your greatest personal accomplishment to date?
During my time at the University of Southern California, I was honored to have been elected student body president. This was a meaningful accomplishment for me because my mom immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of fifteen with a third-grade education. Growing up, she always told me that education was the key to success and something no one could ever take away from me. When I was being sworn in as student body president, I couldn’t help but get emotional seeing my mom in the crowd tearing up because I, the first person in our family to go to college, was able to overcome many odds and became the leader of my university. After my undergraduate degree, I continued my educational journey, earning a master’s of public administration at USC and a master’s of global affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
What do you do today to impact your community?
Outside of my day-to-day work, I try to stay engaged in causes that are important to me. Most recently, I completed the AIDS LifeCycle, cycling 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles and raising over $5,000 for the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I am an active member of the Democratic Party, serving as an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention and previously the California Democratic Convention. Lastly, I mentor numerous young people of color, helping them advocate for increased pay, job opportunities, and professional development.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I want to have a career at the intersection of local economic development and international relations. I am passionate about paradiplomacy: the practice of subnational governments establishing international partnerships to fulfill political, cultural, or economic goals. I want to bridge my experience in government and policy with my interest and skills in the global affairs space. At the same time, I want to continue advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and supporting first-generation college students.
What is the biggest issue that you want to help solve, and why?
Economic mobility. I want to see Latino/a/x people be able to succeed across all industries and have role models that look like us represented everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, CEOs, movie stars, we are severely underrepresented in these fields and many more. I am passionate about creating new economic opportunities for our communities and finding ways to build wealth. This can help turn renters into homeowners, support increasing educational attainment, and provide people more agency with their life decisions.
What is a moment when you realized the impact of your work?
When I first started working in government, I worked in the California legislature on a bill that would require landlords to state a cause for evicting a tenant. The bill had both very strong support and opposition, drawing hundreds of people to call their legislators and make the drive to Sacramento to advocate for their position. In one of the committee hearings, one supporter of the bill went up to public comment and broke down in tears talking about how much she needed the eviction protections. In Spanish, she talked about how if she lost her apartment, she and her three children would not be able to afford relocating anywhere else and could end up homeless. I remember getting a knot in my throat thinking about how the policy I was working on could mean so much to so many people and it gave me the motivation to continue fighting despite the strong opposition.
Who inspires your leadership?
My community inspires my leadership. I grew up in Southeast LA in a community where 4 percent of the population has a college degree and less than 1 percent attains a master’s degree. Where the median household income is stagnant around $50,000. And where every day, hundreds of freight trucks loaded with cargo from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach make their way north to destinations across the country, leaving behind only a trace of dangerous air toxins and a freeway scarred with potholes.
In all the spaces I occupy and the places I go, I always have my community front and center. I think about all of the people who were not as privileged to continue their studies or did not have the support to pursue the career of their dreams. In my work, I fight for communities like mine to ensure that there are more opportunities for people who come from similar backgrounds. For far too long I have seen marginalized communities wait for promised opportunities that never materialize. I have a moral obligation to seek these opportunities and bring them back home.
What is a surprising hobby or interest that helps you stay creative and energized?
I am a part of a gay kickball team that keeps me active and social every Saturday. Being part of a kickball league has allowed me to make friends in different professions and have fun while being slightly competitive. I am also a runner, recently finishing my first marathon in Honolulu, which has motivated me to pursue additional marathon medals in other cities. Lastly, I love traveling and learning about new cultures, I have had the opportunity to travel to nearly forty countries, and I am constantly amazed by the art, food, and history of each country.
What is your Latino background?
I am Mexican American. My mother immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico, at the age fifteen and my dad from Michoacán, Mexico, at the age of twelve.
What song do you listen to that motivates you?
“Non-Stop” from Hamilton, (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
