Misi Tagaloa

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Misi Tagaloa

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

University of Hawaii, Manoa

Graduate

California State University, Long Beach, 1993

Personal

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Misi Tagaloa ran in a special election to the Long Beach City Council to represent District 1 in California. He lost in the special general election on November 5, 2019.

Tagaloa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Tagaloa is affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Biography

Tagaloa was born in Motootua, Samoa. He earned an undergraduate degree from American Samoa Community College and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He obtained a graduate degree from California State University, Long Beach, in 1993.

As of 2019, Tagaloa was president and CEO of a nonprofit housing developer and an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ.

Tagaloa was affiliated with the following organizations:

• Retirement Housing Foundation, National board member
• Young Horizons, Board member
• Long Beach Community Action Partnership, Board member
• Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization, Board president
• Tafesilafai: Pacific Islander Festival, Co-founder

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Long Beach, California (2019)

General election

Special general election for Long Beach City Council District 1

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Long Beach City Council District 1 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Zendejas (Nonpartisan)	31.5	858
	Submit photo	Mariela Salgado (Nonpartisan)	25.5	695
		Misi Tagaloa (Nonpartisan)	18.8	513
	Submit photo	Ray Morquecho (Nonpartisan)	7.7	209
	Submit photo	Joe Ganem (Nonpartisan)	5.9	162
		Elliot Ruben Gonzales (Nonpartisan)	5.5	149
		Shelbyrae Black (Nonpartisan)	2.9	79
		Shirley Huling (Nonpartisan)	2.1	58

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,723
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2014

See also: Long Beach, California city council elections, 2014

The city of Long Beach, California held city council elections on June 3, 2014. A primary election took place on April 8. Lena Gonzalez and Misi Tagaloa advanced past Pilar Pinel and Ricardo Linarez in the District 1 primary. Gonzalez defeated Tagaloa in the general election.

Long Beach City Council, District 1, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Lena Gonzalez	60.7%	1,668
	Nonpartisan	Misi Tagaloa	39.3%	1,078
Total Votes				2,746
Source: City of Long Beach

Long Beach City Council, District 1, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Lena Gonzalez	43.9%	1,016
	Nonpartisan	Misi Tagaloa	31.5%	728
	Nonpartisan	Pilar Pinel	8.3%	193
	Nonpartisan	Ricardo Linarez	16.3%	377
Total Votes				2,314
Source: City of Long Beach

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Misi Tagaloa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tagaloa's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I serve as President and CEO of Canopy Communities, an affordable housing provider. I also serve as the Senior Minister at Second Samoan Congregational Church UCC. My education includes a Bachelors in Civil Engineering, a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters and Ph.D. in Practical Theology. I'm a graduate of Leadership Long Beach. I serve on the boards of Retirement Housing Foundation, Young Horizons, Long Beach Community Action Partnership and Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization. I am married and have three adult children. I have dedicated my life to improving people's lives. For too long our District has been an afterthought to special interests, insiders and bullies at City Hall. This is why there is apathy, low voter turnout, non existent civic engagement and sub optimal service deliveries. I intend to change that.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Work With You to Make Long Beach Work For You
• Bringing People Together To Solve Problems
• Building a Better and Safer Long Beach

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Affordable Housing: I believe shelter is a basic human right. I will work with developers in the industry to entitle, finance and construct housing for every income level. I will ask designers to come up with creative ways to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce construction costs by recycling and re-purposing building materials.

Homelessness Crisis: I believe in the divinity of the individual. I will work with Housing, Health Department and First Responders to make sure these members of our community are friended and given the help they need to transition into adequate living arrangements. Connecting them to services and a community where they belong starts the process towards going home.

Cleaner Air & Neighborhood Justice: The First District has the highest rates of childhood asthma. We need to lower exposure of our children to diesel emissions from the port. As a city we need to divest from fossil fuels and invest in sustainable energy sources. I will put in place policies where the cost borne by the community is factor into the Cost of Goods that flow through the ports.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

It's proximity to people and their day to day challenges. I look forward to engaging constituents in what make their lives meaningful. I'm looking to reduce unnecessary suffering in the First District by equipping my constituent with tools to order their lives towards the common good.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mother. Her persistence, her tenacity, her joy, her passion for life. With her life, she has set an example of how to engage life: Head-on and with a Smile.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Bible, Letter from the Birmingham Jail, The Gulag Archipelago and Forrest Gump.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

They should tell the truth, or at least don't lie.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I love to serve people and have an impact on their lives.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Listening to constituents, engaging in conversations, extracting pain points and enacting policy that reduces unnecessary suffering.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was the Space Shuttle challenger explosion in 1986. I was 21 at the time and I remember the sadness at work. Everyone gathered around the TV in the CEO's office and watched the news coverage. One memorable crew member - Christa McAuliffe the first teacher on the flight.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a billing administrator for a group of anesthesiologists. I was there for three and a half years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Life after Google - It's a forward thinking meditation about the next economy after Big Data. Still reading it.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Super Misi

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Mauga o le Atu Olo. It's a Samoan medley about the environment and how elements that are found naturally such as mountains, sun, wetlands, wind, gold, birds, flowers, water and sprouts sooth and heal the soul.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Confidence versus competence.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Yes. The power of relationship building and honest brokering. This office is also responsible for holding our differences without loss.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not at this level.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The office holder should have a wide range of expertise and professional experiences so she can help as much as possible. She should also be able to hold people's confidences and trust and have the capacity to listen to differences without loss.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2019 Elections

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Government

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External links

Suggest a link

• City of Long Beach - Official candidate list