Fellow Southwestern Petalumans,
I’m Blake Hooper, and I’m running to represent the district of Petaluma where I’ve lived almost my entire life – and more importantly its people – as your next Petaluma City Council Member. Born to parents moved from Wisconsin and Maryland, I was three years old when we moved to Grevillia Drive in Petaluma. I got to grow up with Mr Hash’s farm over my back fence, on a street full of houses with other young families growing up alongside me. Other than a few years for college, I’ve lived in Petaluma for as long as I can remember. During my youth, my parents and our community made Petaluma a phenomenal place to grow up. But as I got older, many of my neighbors struggled; until one by one they started to move away from the city they loved. This sparked my resolve to do everything I could to help families like them do better.
After attending elementary school and junior high in Petaluma – even spending a few years going to school in the portable buildings in the fairgrounds – my adolescent schooling finished up traveling by bus to Technology High School in Rohnert Park. If not for public transit, I would have been deprived of the education that inspired me to serve on Petaluma’s Transit Advisory Committee as an adult. I spent my college years in Santa Cruz, learning exactly how governments at all levels can help people in smaller cities like Petaluma.
A year after graduating college, I went to a community organizing retreat where I met my wife, Iliana. She shares in my love of Petaluma (it didn’t take much convincing), and a commitment to public service that has only strengthened our bond over the years. We got married at St Vincents, where I’d been an altar server growing up, and Iliana made me promise that this was the place where we’d raise our family.
Growing up next to Petaluma’s green belt was a special experience for me that I believe more of us should get to share in. So, after graduating college with a BA in Politics, I got straight to work for the people of Sonoma County. I went to work with Sonoma County Conservation Action to help residents all over Sonoma County advocate for more parks and open spaces, protections for our agricultural land, and combating urban sprawl. This led to my advocating for Measure M, making sure our County Parks – including Helen Putnam Regional Park – are properly funded and open to everyone.
Growing up with an US Army Veteran for a mother I understood the value of, and the troubles facing, the VA. My upbringing helped me to realize the need that veterans all over Sonoma County and Petaluma have for benefit assistance. That is why I was proud to serve as a caseworker and field representative for Congressman Jared Huffman, starting in 2016. There I helped the people of Sonoma and Marin Counties, who’d fallen through the cracks, navigate the Federal Government to obtain their benefits, and secure expanded housing opportunities for veterans. In the aftermath of the Tubbs Fire, I helped survivors navigate FEMA and the SBA so they could begin to rebuild their lives.
In 2019 I joined the California State Senate as a Legislative Aide. My daily commute between Petaluma and Sacramento is worth every minute; because it means that I can help the state design programs that benefit the people of cities like Petaluma. I’ve been especially interested in working on building better responses to wildfires and floods, home insurance, and of course, improving housing affordability so that families like mine can afford to stay in the places they love.
Since 2016, I’ve volunteered on boards and commissions at the city and county level. Beyond the Transit Advisory Committee, I’ve served on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, and since 2020, on the Planning Commission, including a year serving as Chair.
I love Petaluma and its history. This is the city I grew up in and is the place where I’ve built my life. As your next Fifth District Council Member, I promise to take what I have learned, actively and continuously listen to your needs, concerns, and aspirations, and fight like hell for you every single day as your representative and advocate. Petaluma deserves representatives who not only care about the city, but know how to fight for what matters most: our community.
Together, we can protect what we love about Petaluma, and plan for the future Petaluma needs.
In Service,
Blake Hooper
Candidate for Petaluma City Council District 5