Steven Veres is running for reelection to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 2 in the Nov. 3, 2026, California general election.
Veres has served on the LACCD board since 2011, according to BallotReady profile data. He is the immediate past president of the board and was elected 2nd vice president for 2026, according to an LACCD announcement. Five candidates are in the race. The other four nonpartisan candidates are Adriana Cabrera, Kristina Irwin, Robert Payne and Roy Payan, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles; high school diploma from Loyola High School
- Residence: Sherman Oaks, according to his LACCD trustee page, where he lives with his wife, Cynthia, and their three daughters
- Background: Son of immigrant working-class parents, according to his LACCD trustee page
Experience and public service
Veres has held elected and appointed positions across local and state government, according to his LACCD trustee page and BallotReady profile data:
- LACCD Board of Trustees: Board trustee since 2011; immediate past president; 2nd vice president for 2026
- City of San Fernando: Served as mayor and councilmember (2003–2007)
- California State Senate: Staff director for Senate President Kevin de León
- California State Senate: District director and special advisor for Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (2018–present)
- California State Assembly: District director (2004–2010)
- Metropolitan Water District: Member
- Metropolitan Transit Authority San Fernando Valley Service Sector Governance Council: Member
- Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy: Appointed member
- Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee: Member
- Friends of the Los Angeles River: Volunteer board member
Earlier in his career, Veres taught in the Culver City Unified School District (1998–2000), served as a graduate teaching assistant at the UCLA History Department (2000–2003) and worked as managing editor of the San Fernando Sun Newspaper (2001–2002), according to BallotReady.
On the issues
Veres described his legislative priorities on his LACCD trustee page. The following positions are the candidate's own claims:
- Tuition-free community college: Veres said his legislative work includes making community college tuition-free.
- Parks funding: Veres said he helped secure funding to build 17 new parks in Los Angeles.
- Homeless hiring tax credit: Veres said he helped develop the California Homeless Hiring Tax Credit.
- Film and television tax credit: Veres said he helped negotiate the effort to triple California's film and television tax credit in 2014.
Endorsements
No endorsements were provided in the materials reviewed for this profile.
Candidate information was drawn from Veres's LACCD trustee page and BallotReady profile data. Policy positions reflect the candidate's own statements. The Platinum Tribune did not interview the candidate for this profile.
