The Carlmont Junior State of America (JSA) invited California Assemblyman Rich Gordon Oct. 28 to tell students how he took an unexpected, but passion filled turn into politics.

Gordon worked his way through local politics with five years on the San Mateo County Board of Education and 13 years on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to the Assembly in 2010 and explained his whole political career could be traced to his religious roots.

Gordon was not headed for politics. Gordon is a graduate from Northwestern with his major in divinity. He was a Methodist minister and his work with the community made him fall in love with public service. He then moved back to San Mateo and worked in the nonprofit sector, where he founded the Youth and Family Assistance.

Gordon said, “My faith taught me everyone has worth, and that everyone mattered.”

Gordon said his faith led him to believe strongly in bipartisanship and made him determined to end the gridlock in Sacramento.

“On the first day in office, I told my staffers that I wanted to meet every assemblyperson and they asked, ‘Even the Republicans?’ and I said, ‘Of course’ because I need to work with others to get legislation passed,” said Gordon.

Gordon used the story to bridge the partisan divide that strongly exists in our politics today. He reminded the students that one needs to work with everyone to create a solution that can work.

JSA Vice President James Xie said, “In effect, many of his bills are supported by both parties, as most of his colleagues respect him and realize that he is trustworthy. He is what JSA aims to do, create effective leaders that do not fear compromise.”

Gordon’s sense of bipartisanship and open mindedness is exactly what politics needs in these times to legislate effectively.