Inland Empire United Action Fund is backing Christian Shaughnessy because his commitment to Ward 2 is not political, it is personal. He grew up in San Bernardino, lost a close friend to gang violence just a few blocks from his childhood home, and made the decision to dedicate his life to changing things. Today, he works full time in Ward 2 as a housing specialist, helping young people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. Christian is dedicated
and willing to listen to the community as seen through his advocacy background with local organizations.
We back Christian on homelessness because he is already doing the work, full time. He chairs the San Bernardino County Youth Coordinated Entry System, handling some of the most difficult cases of youth homelessness in the county. He runs a program that gives vulnerable young people emergency shelter through motel vouchers. He does not just talk about homelessness — he is one of the people in the county actually solving it case by case. Christian currently leads the homeless youth program in collaboration with the City of San Bernardino providing emergency shelter and stability for youth.
Safety is deeply personal to Christian, and that is one of the reasons we support him. He has seen the direct impact of gang violence in his own community. He is committed to expanding proven violence intervention programs, getting more detectives working to solve crimes and bring justice to victims, and strengthening services for people who have been victims of crime and domestic violence. He also wants to take serious action on human trafficking. This is not abstract policy for him.
infrastructure?
Christian has felt this personally. He once hit a pothole in San Bernardino that cost him thousands of dollars in car repairs — money that a working person should never have to spend just to get to work. He is committed to a real, accountable program to fix streets and intersections. He is also committed to cracking down on negligent landlords who let buildings become dangerous for tenants. Working families deserve safe streets and safe housing, full stop.
Good jobs with real wages are a central reason we are endorsing Christian. He is committed to bringing in investment that creates actual career-path employment, supporting local small businesses, and ensuring that workers in our warehouse and logistics sector earn wages that let them live in the cities they work in. He has also walked the walk — he helped organize the first Starbucks union in the Inland Empire, which means he understands worker power from the inside. Rundown and neglected buildings are known to drag down property values for working families, Christian believes there should be code enforcement to strengthen housing laws and protect neighborhoods.
No, and that is one of the things we respect most about Christian’s campaign. He has refused contributions from corporate PACs, large developers, and billionaires. His campaign is funded by regular people and working families. He has earned the endorsement of over 30 labor unions, including the Inland Empire Labor Council — which represents more than 90 unions and over 400,000 families across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. That is what a workers’ campaign looks like. Christian does not take money from negligent landlords.
Christian has openly spoken out against Flock Cameras. He has encouraged the city to reject any technology that could be used to assist federal immigration enforcement.
Inland Empire United is proud to endorse Christian. He has also earned the endorsement of the IE Labor Council, which represents over 90 unions and 400,000-plus families in our region, the San Bernardino County Democratic Party, Teamsters Local 1932, United Food and Commercial Workers, United Auto Workers, and dozens more. He also has support from Planned Parenthood, Run for Something, and a wide network of local community leaders. This is a coalition built on people power.
Learn about other candidates like Christian by visiting our Endorsements page here:
2026 Primary Election Endorsements