Thank you. I know Perry, and what I hope people understand is you need to take his age out of the quotient, and just look at his accomplishments, his analytical thinking, and his understanding of our country. He’s impressive whether he’s 26 or 62. And mark my words: We’re going to see the rest of the CA40 candidates — including Young Kim — parroting what we’re reading from Perry’s interview. Because he’s the thought leader in this race.
Hey, I had a thought the other day and you might be able to make it happen. The CA40 race seems like a golden opportunity to try out ranked choice voting. The large field of disparate candidates seems made for if-this-guy-doesn’t-win-I-prefer-her.
Of course you can’t have ranked choice voting without legally kicking it off. But what about a ranked choice POLL? If enough people were given the opportunity to rank the candidates we and they could learn some interesting things about style, viability, voter flexibility, etc.
I personally believe that ranked choice is the baby step that will start us toward multiple parties and coalitions, and if a poll could be structured it would help candidates and backers get a better sense of what compromises people are willing to make, while also teaching voters about the method in a less high stakes way.
Love this Robin. I am a big proponent of rank choice voting as one of the many, many reforms we need to help strengthen our democracy. Rank choice voting, expand the House, abolish the electoral college, and end partisan gerrymandering (for everyone at the same time).
Yes, I think Perry’s experience is what gives him credibility. I’m an old boomer. I’m working hard to save Democracy. When we do, I want you, Jeff, to be one of the pillars and rely on Perry and the other motivated young ones to get it all done. If we stop the destruction right now, it will take decades.
I really appreciate you spending so much time with Perry, and recording the interview here.
Insightful questions and answers. While spending some time on the defense , and see a very clear vision of his goals and understanding of local California politics.
I hope his message appeals to voters who have been forgotten---the middle class----or the supposed middle class.
Thanks Perry for standing up for solar and affordable housing and future issues our Republican officials have ignored for so long.
This is one of the most substantive conversations with an aspiring candidate I’ve read in ages. Perry knows why he’s doing this and what specifically he would focus on.
His living at home is part of the point of why he’s running. It’s not just talk, he’s a Berkeley grad who can’t afford to live in the community he was raised in. He’s also a good son helping care for a sibling. There is everything right and nothing wrong with this.
Impressive young man. I would vote for him if I lived in the 40.
Love this. I am an elder millennial, and these issues resonate with me, even though I have entered my 40s. It's not just Gen Z, as millennials enter middle age, we are struggling with student loan debt, childcare costs, healthcare costs, aging parents and unaffordable housing. Policies since Reagan have amounted to generational theft. Even if just one of these things were fixed--healthcare, childcare, housing, student loans--most people would be so much better off.
I read this article. I appreciate the verbatim transcript. My first thought was. “If a man (or woman) lives long enough, they might just get to see everything.
There came a Pharoah that did not know.
Perry seems like a nice enough guy. And one hopes that his enthusiasm will lead to him to do great things. I just do not believe representing CA40 in the House of Representatives is one of those things in the upcoming 2026 election.
First off. It seems like just last week, Gagnier was the candidate to beat Young Kim. Wait. It was. Right after it was Esther Kim.
Meade seems to be this week's flavor of the month.
There is a part of me that was confused by his inconsistency. While he now positions himself as someone willing to take on Young Kim. I have to ask. Where was he in 2024? He states, “We did a huge program to help get Dave Min and Derek Tran elected. And it worked really, really well.” Who is "we?" Why was he also not focused on promoting Joe Kerr? Why were those two districts more important than the one in which he actually resides? He did not knock on one door, make one phone call, or donate $1.00 to the CA40 candidate in the last election. Now we are being led to believe he is passionate about the district where he lives. Yet did nothing last year to achieve the outcome of flipping the district.
His willingness to help the better supported candidates strikes me as opportunistic. Especially given how Joe Kerr moved the district to the left with minimal resources.
He also states about his time as a student. “I helped get the capstone to provide the school district solar panels.”
What does that mean exactly? I have a very difficult time believing a district superintendent or school administrator entrusted any part of a multi million dollar project to an 18 year old (or younger) with zero experience in little things like building construction or project management.
The colloquial term is resume’ expansion. Great strategy when one is looking to get their career started. Not so great at this level of government.
He is running in CA40. A district that is R+4. A moderate right leaning district. This is NOT NY14 where Rep. Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a D+40 (or higher) registration advantage.
He has amassed a decent war chest in a very short period of time. He is going to need that (and more) to introduce himself to the voters in both the primary and the general elections. Then there is the burden of his youth when the average demographic is a 50 something white male. Do we actually believe that a voter is going to entrust that much responsibility to someone who lives at home? That question is rhetorical. While I support what he is doing. I just do not believe there are enough Dem, moderate GOP, or NPP voters to get him passed a well funded incumbent like Young Kim. His living at home will be all the cudgel she needs. While his motives are certainly admirable. Political discourse never goes that deep. The hit pieces practically write themselves. Given Young Kim’s war chest. Meade is a dream opponent for Young Kim. She will not have to spend much of her war chest to beat him. This is significant given that she spent north of $10 million to defeat Joe Kerr in 2024. Who had zero institutional support from the DNC or DCCC. Meade all but guarantees her another two years. Young Kim will also be able to help other GOP candidates in toss up districts. Helping the GOP maintain their majority.
I asked this once before on a different thread. The question everyone should be asking. Which candidate can actually defeat Young Kim? It is not Meade. Too young. Lives at home. It is not Esther Kim. Carpetbagger. It is not Gagnier. For any number of reasons. All of them are first time candidates. Meaning no one knows them. But they know Young Kim.
The Dems seemed determined to blow up the opportunity of taking back the House.
If this race is any indication. I am doubtful of the chances of the Dems doing exactly that.
Thank you for this, Jeff! This is so insightful -- excited to support Perry! Thank you for all the work you have been doing in covering the early stages of this race. I'm super excited to keep reading.
It is so hard to beat an incumbent. Once someone is in it is very hard to defeat them even if you spend more money. It is not like there has never been money in politics. Citizens United just allowed more money to be spent. I am not sure getting rid of it will help that much. I don't know if any one has an answer to this
Perry Mead looks great; he sounds great. Why, however, did you just print the transcript of most of your conversation? It made your report over long and buried many pearls of wisdom and hope. I would have preferred a tighter, edited article, but, boy, did I like the message! Thanks, nevertheless, for that!
I am sorry, Jeff. as I am very grateful that you brought this profile of Perry Mead to us. Sometimes, my snarky English teacher persona, which I usually tamp down, bursts forth. Thanks for introducing us to this young beacon who promises to light up a better future for Orange County and maybe for the country at large. Keep up the good work!
Thank you. I know Perry, and what I hope people understand is you need to take his age out of the quotient, and just look at his accomplishments, his analytical thinking, and his understanding of our country. He’s impressive whether he’s 26 or 62. And mark my words: We’re going to see the rest of the CA40 candidates — including Young Kim — parroting what we’re reading from Perry’s interview. Because he’s the thought leader in this race.
Hey, I had a thought the other day and you might be able to make it happen. The CA40 race seems like a golden opportunity to try out ranked choice voting. The large field of disparate candidates seems made for if-this-guy-doesn’t-win-I-prefer-her.
Of course you can’t have ranked choice voting without legally kicking it off. But what about a ranked choice POLL? If enough people were given the opportunity to rank the candidates we and they could learn some interesting things about style, viability, voter flexibility, etc.
I personally believe that ranked choice is the baby step that will start us toward multiple parties and coalitions, and if a poll could be structured it would help candidates and backers get a better sense of what compromises people are willing to make, while also teaching voters about the method in a less high stakes way.
Love this Robin. I am a big proponent of rank choice voting as one of the many, many reforms we need to help strengthen our democracy. Rank choice voting, expand the House, abolish the electoral college, and end partisan gerrymandering (for everyone at the same time).
💯
Yes, I think Perry’s experience is what gives him credibility. I’m an old boomer. I’m working hard to save Democracy. When we do, I want you, Jeff, to be one of the pillars and rely on Perry and the other motivated young ones to get it all done. If we stop the destruction right now, it will take decades.
I really appreciate you spending so much time with Perry, and recording the interview here.
Insightful questions and answers. While spending some time on the defense , and see a very clear vision of his goals and understanding of local California politics.
I hope his message appeals to voters who have been forgotten---the middle class----or the supposed middle class.
Thanks Perry for standing up for solar and affordable housing and future issues our Republican officials have ignored for so long.
GET YOUNG KIM OUT!
The Interview is a huge help to those of us looking for a viable candidate to run again Young Kim. Thanks for sharing it!
This is one of the most substantive conversations with an aspiring candidate I’ve read in ages. Perry knows why he’s doing this and what specifically he would focus on.
His living at home is part of the point of why he’s running. It’s not just talk, he’s a Berkeley grad who can’t afford to live in the community he was raised in. He’s also a good son helping care for a sibling. There is everything right and nothing wrong with this.
Impressive young man. I would vote for him if I lived in the 40.
Totally agree. It is so difficult for young people to get started around here these days, even if they’re hardworking and well-educated.
I would too but sonce I can't, I will look into campaigning for him. Maybe you can too. Let's spread the word. 😀
Impressive!
Excellent Jeff. Very interesting. It made me reconsider some things...
Thanks for taking the time to meet with Perry and post your conversation with him.
Thanks for this! I've known Perry since 2019.
Love this. I am an elder millennial, and these issues resonate with me, even though I have entered my 40s. It's not just Gen Z, as millennials enter middle age, we are struggling with student loan debt, childcare costs, healthcare costs, aging parents and unaffordable housing. Policies since Reagan have amounted to generational theft. Even if just one of these things were fixed--healthcare, childcare, housing, student loans--most people would be so much better off.
Perry has my vote!
Kerr for me. No more left wing populists.
I read this article. I appreciate the verbatim transcript. My first thought was. “If a man (or woman) lives long enough, they might just get to see everything.
There came a Pharoah that did not know.
Perry seems like a nice enough guy. And one hopes that his enthusiasm will lead to him to do great things. I just do not believe representing CA40 in the House of Representatives is one of those things in the upcoming 2026 election.
First off. It seems like just last week, Gagnier was the candidate to beat Young Kim. Wait. It was. Right after it was Esther Kim.
Meade seems to be this week's flavor of the month.
There is a part of me that was confused by his inconsistency. While he now positions himself as someone willing to take on Young Kim. I have to ask. Where was he in 2024? He states, “We did a huge program to help get Dave Min and Derek Tran elected. And it worked really, really well.” Who is "we?" Why was he also not focused on promoting Joe Kerr? Why were those two districts more important than the one in which he actually resides? He did not knock on one door, make one phone call, or donate $1.00 to the CA40 candidate in the last election. Now we are being led to believe he is passionate about the district where he lives. Yet did nothing last year to achieve the outcome of flipping the district.
His willingness to help the better supported candidates strikes me as opportunistic. Especially given how Joe Kerr moved the district to the left with minimal resources.
He also states about his time as a student. “I helped get the capstone to provide the school district solar panels.”
What does that mean exactly? I have a very difficult time believing a district superintendent or school administrator entrusted any part of a multi million dollar project to an 18 year old (or younger) with zero experience in little things like building construction or project management.
The colloquial term is resume’ expansion. Great strategy when one is looking to get their career started. Not so great at this level of government.
He is running in CA40. A district that is R+4. A moderate right leaning district. This is NOT NY14 where Rep. Ocasio-Cortez enjoys a D+40 (or higher) registration advantage.
He has amassed a decent war chest in a very short period of time. He is going to need that (and more) to introduce himself to the voters in both the primary and the general elections. Then there is the burden of his youth when the average demographic is a 50 something white male. Do we actually believe that a voter is going to entrust that much responsibility to someone who lives at home? That question is rhetorical. While I support what he is doing. I just do not believe there are enough Dem, moderate GOP, or NPP voters to get him passed a well funded incumbent like Young Kim. His living at home will be all the cudgel she needs. While his motives are certainly admirable. Political discourse never goes that deep. The hit pieces practically write themselves. Given Young Kim’s war chest. Meade is a dream opponent for Young Kim. She will not have to spend much of her war chest to beat him. This is significant given that she spent north of $10 million to defeat Joe Kerr in 2024. Who had zero institutional support from the DNC or DCCC. Meade all but guarantees her another two years. Young Kim will also be able to help other GOP candidates in toss up districts. Helping the GOP maintain their majority.
I asked this once before on a different thread. The question everyone should be asking. Which candidate can actually defeat Young Kim? It is not Meade. Too young. Lives at home. It is not Esther Kim. Carpetbagger. It is not Gagnier. For any number of reasons. All of them are first time candidates. Meaning no one knows them. But they know Young Kim.
The Dems seemed determined to blow up the opportunity of taking back the House.
If this race is any indication. I am doubtful of the chances of the Dems doing exactly that.
Thank you for this, Jeff! This is so insightful -- excited to support Perry! Thank you for all the work you have been doing in covering the early stages of this race. I'm super excited to keep reading.
It is so hard to beat an incumbent. Once someone is in it is very hard to defeat them even if you spend more money. It is not like there has never been money in politics. Citizens United just allowed more money to be spent. I am not sure getting rid of it will help that much. I don't know if any one has an answer to this
Perry Mead looks great; he sounds great. Why, however, did you just print the transcript of most of your conversation? It made your report over long and buried many pearls of wisdom and hope. I would have preferred a tighter, edited article, but, boy, did I like the message! Thanks, nevertheless, for that!
Feel free to devote your free time toward running a free political site …
I am sorry, Jeff. as I am very grateful that you brought this profile of Perry Mead to us. Sometimes, my snarky English teacher persona, which I usually tamp down, bursts forth. Thanks for introducing us to this young beacon who promises to light up a better future for Orange County and maybe for the country at large. Keep up the good work!
I loved having a straight transcript. It’s a very meaty post. Much appreciated.