Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Erica Mosca, Nevada Assembly District 14

This is the final week we are highlighting progressive candidates running in the 2024 elections! Erica Mosca (she/her/hers) has the distinction of being the first Filipina to serve in the Nevada State Legislature. This millennial teacher and military spouse grew up in a low-income household and became the first in her family to go to college, graduating with highest honors from Boston University, and then pursuing postgraduate studies in education at UNLV and Harvard. To inspire others to follow in her footsteps, Erica founded a non-profit foundation to enable former students of hers to likewise become first-generation college graduates. Today, Mosca chairs the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Caucus in the Nevada Assembly. She is passionate about empowering students to grow into leaders in their communities and upending structural inequity and systemic racism.

Where are you based?
I proudly live in East Las Vegas, NV.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
I currently serve as a Nevada State Assemblywoman in District 14. I do not have any opponents this cycle so I will be elected serve our state again for a second term.

What inspired you to run?
I was inspired to run to partner with our community and ensure representation. I'm proud to be the first Filipina to ever serve in the NV State legislature and I am grateful I can be an example for our young people that I never saw growing up. I am a former teacher and started and ran a college access non-profit for my former students for a decade. I ran to ensure issues I saw that they faced every day could be overcome at scale through policy solutions. Whether it's ensuring students could access their transcript despite owing a fee to making sure all students are equitably tracked onto the college and career readiness diploma here in NV, I hold and champion legislation that solves actual community member problems.

© Erica Mosca for NV State Assembly District 14

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
The main change I hope to bring is modeling for others how to get civically engaged and ensure their voices are heard and their issues are addressed. For example, last session I organized community visits every week though our capitol is in Northern NV, I knew it was important that our East Las Vegas community members understood their rights and access to the statehouse and the work of their state legislators. I want to connect community with government to collaborate and solve problems together.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I first won office in 2022 and I am proud that I was able to pass 5 out of 6 of my bills last session as a freshman legislator and that the 6th bill is already a committee bill for next session. I was able to accomplish this by taking on actual issues that people face, organizing folks to have a voice and share their experience and working with unique coalitions to show impact.

With Vice President and current Democratic nominee for President, Kamala Harris. © Erica Mosca for NV State Assembly District 14

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
I know it's important that we support those who need it most in a way that actually gets solutions to people and is fiscally creative. I tackle issues by listening, collaborating with others and being informed by those who are most impacted.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
I'm proud to call myself a pragmatic progressive meaning I know my values and where I stand, but I also live in reality in how things can be executed at the ground-level. This is important when crafting legislation and acknowledging we must work together-- no matter which side on the aisle — to actually fix problems for people.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
My unique identity is an incredible asset in the Legislature. As a first-generation college graduate, a person of color and someone who grew up low-income, I think about issues and solutions differently than my counterparts who have read about the issues but not actually ever experienced the issues. I have unwavering empathy, a skill for follow up and an assets-based mindset about our community that helps me be a legislator in line with my own values.

What is your motto in life?
Change must be from the community, for the community. Those with lived experiences have the most to teach us about how to solve community problems and we must amplify their voices to be the changemakers

Where can we find out more about you?
Check me out at ericamosca.com — thank you! (editor’s note: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)