What Does “Putting Families First” Mean for California Parents and Children?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
In Genesis, God established the family before any other institution. As the family goes, society goes.

In 1950, one in eight marriages ended in divorce. Today it’s over 50%. That breakdown creates absenteeism — especially fatherlessness. God warns that unless the hearts of fathers turn back to their children, the land experiences a curse. I believe we are living in that reality.

When a child is raised by a loving mother and father, they’re more likely to be emotionally stable, spiritually grounded, and successful in society.

Putting families first means:

• Protecting parental rights — the state shouldn’t co-parent your children.
• Rebuilding economic stability so families can actually afford to live here.
• Strengthening marriage and fatherhood, not replacing the family with government.

If we want to heal California, we must heal the family.

How Does Faith Shape Your Vision for Reviving California Culturally and Spiritually?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
Faith is foundational for a healthy society. The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. When faith flourishes, morals flourish — and people can self-govern.

John Adams said our Constitution was made only for “a moral and religious people.” Without those values, government expands to control chaos.

I want to see faith welcomed back into public life, not suppressed. That includes:

• Protecting religious freedom in every sphere
• Welcoming prayer and the Bible back into the public square
• Upholding values like “do not steal” and “do not murder,” which build a safe society

We’re not forcing anyone to believe anything — we’re simply restoring the freedom to live out your convictions. My own transformation from addiction to pastor has shown me: policy matters, but transformed hearts revive culture.

What Does Restoring Freedom Look Like for California Families, Small Businesses, and Communities?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
One of the most meaningful freedoms is economic freedom. When families can earn, save, invest, and buy a home, they have mobility and opportunity.

My parents immigrated from Korea and lived the American Dream — starting businesses, buying real estate, and sending their kids to college debt-free. They modeled generational freedom.

Following their example, I started a business in 2010, invested in real estate, and my wife and I have lived financially free — even giving our pastoral salary back to the church for 15 years.

Freedom should not be a rare privilege. It should be achievable for every Californian.

Restoring freedom means:

• Reducing regulatory barriers for small businesses
• Lowering taxes so families can save and invest
• Protecting religious freedom without government interference

Freedom gives families room to breathe again.

How Will You Balance Public Safety With “Compassionate Justice” in California?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
A governor’s first duty is to protect the people. Defunding the police was, in my view, foolish. Romans 13 teaches that government bears the sword to restrain evil — police authority is from God.

Policies like Proposition 47, which downgraded many felonies to misdemeanors, opened the door to retail theft, carjackings, and lawlessness. People literally calculate $950 of merchandise on their phones, walk out, and face no consequences.

Voters passed Proposition 36 in 2024 to fix this — but the current administration hasn’t funded enforcement. As governor, I will enforce it.

But justice must also be compassionate. My vision includes:

• Reopening prisons as centers of rehabilitation, not just punishment
• Providing trade skills training for inmates
• Allowing faith-based programs with proven results to operate freely
• Partnering with churches and nonprofits to reintegrate former inmates into community

Punishment alone doesn’t change people — transformation does.

6. What Immediate Steps Are Needed to Restore Economic Opportunity and Affordability in California?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
California families face the highest taxes, highest gas prices, some of the highest energy costs, and one of the highest median home prices in America. Yet we are the world’s fourth-largest economy — and 35% of Californians live near poverty after cost-of-living adjustments.

This is a policy failure.

I would take immediate action:

• Reform CEQA so it can no longer be used to block housing and infrastructure
• Open more land for housing — we only use about 5% of the state
• Build single-family homes, not just high-density apartments
• Set a goal of 500,000 new homes per year
• Fix water infrastructure, including dredging the delta to increase capacity rather than sacrificing water access to protect an artificially introduced smelt fish

I believe in environmental stewardship — “creation care” — but not at the expense of human flourishing. We can have clean air and water and make California affordable again.

What Does a Parent-Empowered, Truthful Education System Look Like for California?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
Parents are the primary stewards of their children — not the state. A healthy education system honors that.

A truthful, parent-empowered education system includes:

• Full transparency in curriculum
• Academic excellence focused on real skills
• Respect for faith, not hostility toward it
• Allowing prayer, Scripture, and moral values back into the public square

When we remove faith, morality, and parents from education, children suffer. When we empower parents, protect transparency, and teach truth, students thrive.

How Will You Address Homelessness With Both Accountability and Compassion?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
Homelessness is heartbreaking — but our response has been ineffective and expensive. Los Angeles County spent billions and still can’t account for $2.5 billion. Statewide, we spent $24 billion in five years and homelessness increased by roughly 40%.

We must be honest about who is on the streets:

• 80% are struggling with addiction or mental illness
• 20% are simply poor and need a safety net

For the 20% who are poor:

• Provide temporary housing and job support

For the 80% battling addiction or mental illness:

• Offer treatment through proven faith-based and nonprofit programs like the Dream Center
• Require accountability for those engaging in criminal behavior
• Move homeless individuals out of dangerous freeways and into designated safe zones with sanitation until they can transition into treatment or housing

I was once a drug addict myself. Jesus changed my life. I know people can be restored. We need a system that helps people heal — not one that enables dysfunction.

How Will You Restore Government Integrity and Protect Constitutional Rights in California?

Pastor Ché Ahn:
During the 2020 lockdowns, I sued Governor Newsom because the lockdown violated First Amendment religious freedom. Before filing, I prayed for confirmation — and God gave me Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you.”

We lost in lower courts but won 6–3 at the U.S. Supreme Court. That ruling set national precedent: no governor or president can shut down churches during an emergency again.

California has violated constitutional boundaries in many areas:

• Declaring itself a sanctuary state against federal law
• Becoming a transgender sanctuary state, undermining parental rights
• Codifying extreme abortion laws like Proposition 1

As governor, I will:

• Uphold the U.S. and California Constitutions
• Support counter-measures or lawsuits against unconstitutional policies
• Challenge gerrymandering such as Proposition 50, restoring independent redistricting
• Return power to “We the People,” not political elites

Government integrity means aligning our laws with the Constitution and protecting the freedoms of every Californian. I intend to fear God more than political backlash and to govern with transparency, accountability, and courage.