David Rahimian: Humble Beginnings
How did David get to the position he is in today? He started from the very bottom. Like many college students, David was not aware of what he wanted to pursue in life. Luckily, during his undergraduate years at CSUN as a Political Science major, David was advised by a classmate’s mother (who was involved in politics) to go and volunteer to help in Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign for mayor during the 2000-2001 term. As David recalls, “I put a suit on… It was the middle of summer, it’s a hundred degrees outside and they (the candidate’s campaign office) are like ‘Okay we want you to go distribute these lawn signs to people’s homes… Now they are like ‘okay, we want you to go on the phone: read a script and say this is the person who is running for mayor, would you be interested in voting for him?’ From that point I learned a lot about what it means to be a part of a grassroots campaign.” David’s experience with politics began by performing menial tasks; however, he gained a strong work ethic during this period, which would soon pay off.
Antonio Villaraigosa lost his campaign in 2000-2001, but David decided to stick with him and when he ran again for mayor in 2004-2005, and David was a part of his campaign. He continued attending CSUN but on a part-time basis and on the days he did not have class, he was at the campaign headquarters from 6 a.m to 11 p.m. Villaraigosa went on to win the 2004-2005 campaign, and the timing was perfect for David because he graduated college soon afterwards, and was appointed as Antonio Villaraigosa’s representative for the West San Fernando Valley. Regarding his time as a mayoral representative, David says “[I worked] with community organizations, connected them with city services and kind of fielding anything that people need.”
Following David’s stint as the mayor’s representative for the West San Fernando Valley, he was appointed as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s special assistant. When asked about his time with Villaraigosa, David answered, “I got to see a side of L.A. that nobody ever sees. I was with the guy for twenty hours a day for a few years straight, and when you are young that is fun to do, but I also learned a lot about how the city works.” David’s patience while beginning his political career opened new doors for him. He could easily have left when Villaraigosa lost the 2000-2001 campaign. But his decision to follow through on this path provided him with invaluable skills and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that would prepare him for a successful career in city government. While working in the mayor’s office, David was able to form strong relationships with various Los Angeles city departments, for whom he served as a liaison since he stopped working with the Mayor.
Antonio Villaraigosa lost his campaign in 2000-2001, but David decided to stick with him and when he ran again for mayor in 2004-2005, and David was a part of his campaign. He continued attending CSUN but on a part-time basis and on the days he did not have class, he was at the campaign headquarters from 6 a.m to 11 p.m. Villaraigosa went on to win the 2004-2005 campaign, and the timing was perfect for David because he graduated college soon afterwards, and was appointed as Antonio Villaraigosa’s representative for the West San Fernando Valley. Regarding his time as a mayoral representative, David says “[I worked] with community organizations, connected them with city services and kind of fielding anything that people need.”
Following David’s stint as the mayor’s representative for the West San Fernando Valley, he was appointed as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s special assistant. When asked about his time with Villaraigosa, David answered, “I got to see a side of L.A. that nobody ever sees. I was with the guy for twenty hours a day for a few years straight, and when you are young that is fun to do, but I also learned a lot about how the city works.” David’s patience while beginning his political career opened new doors for him. He could easily have left when Villaraigosa lost the 2000-2001 campaign. But his decision to follow through on this path provided him with invaluable skills and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that would prepare him for a successful career in city government. While working in the mayor’s office, David was able to form strong relationships with various Los Angeles city departments, for whom he served as a liaison since he stopped working with the Mayor.
Read more about David's work on the Villaraigosa campaign while a CSUN student in this 2005 profile.
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