U.S. House of RepresentativesCandidate for District 19

From an early age, Jimmy Panetta was instilled with the value of service and the importance of giving back to our community and country.

Jimmy was elected to represent the 20th Congressional District in 2016. After redistricting, the new 19th Congressional District contains much of Congressman Panetta’s current district on the central coast of California, including the coastal areas of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, and adds the northern part of Santa Cruz County, the southern part of the City of San Jose, and the northern part of San Luis Obispo County.

In Congress, Jimmy serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on Agriculture, and the House Committee on Armed Services. Jimmy Co-Chairs the Agriculture Research Caucus, For County Caucus, Naval Education Caucus, and the Cut Flowers Caucus, and also serves on the following Caucuses: Asian Pacific American Caucus, Bus Caucus, California Aerospace Caucus, California Democratic Congressional Delegation, Cannabis Caucus, Cybersecurity Caucus, Diabetes Caucus, Endangered Species Act Caucus, Explosive Ordinance Disposal Caucus, Friends of Australia Caucus, Gun Violence Caucus, Land-Grant and Public Research Universities Caucus, LGBT Equality Caucus, Medicare for All Caucus, Military Mental Health Caucus, National Service Congressional Caucus, Navy Marine Corps Caucus, New Democrat Coalition, Oceans Caucus, Organic Caucus, Pro-Choice Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus, Progressive Caucus, Quiet Skies Caucus, Service Organization Caucus, Travel & Tourism Caucus, U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, Wine Caucus, and Work for Warriors Caucus.

Jimmy began his legal career in 1996 as a prosecutor for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Based on his experience in the criminal justice system — pursuing justice for victims, protecting families and making communities safer — Jimmy was appointed to the California Councils on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which provided guidance to the Governor’s Office on critical criminal justice programs.  Prior to being elected to Congress, Jimmy served as a Deputy District Attorney in Monterey County, where he was assigned to the Gang Team in Salinas, responsible for prosecuting violent gang members.

In 2003, Jimmy was commissioned as an Intelligence Officer with the United States Navy Reserve and served on active duty with a Special Operations task force deployed to Afghanistan. Based on his meritorious service in a combat zone, Jimmy was awarded the Bronze Star.  After returning home, Jimmy served as a board member of the Veterans Transition Center where he worked to address veterans’ homelessness and pushed for the opening of Monterey County’s first Veterans Treatment Court, and along with local leaders and fellow veterans, worked to establish the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery.  Based on his work, Jimmy was named a Monterey County Veteran of the Year in 2015.

Jimmy has also served on the Boards of Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, a non-profit that assists at-risk youth with job training and placement, Community Foundation for Monterey County, and the National Steinbeck Center.  He also served as Chair of the Monterey Peninsula College Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and as a Trustee on the Foundation for the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Jimmy received his law degree from Santa Clara University and his undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of California at Davis.  Prior to attending UC Davis, Jimmy attended Monterey Peninsula College. 

Jimmy is married to Carrie McIntyre Panetta, and they have two daughters, Siri and Gia.

• As a United States Representative, I’m fighting to give people opportunities for a better life.

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  Having grown up on the Central Coast and in a family devoted to public service, I’ve dedicated my career to giving back to our community and country. As a former prosecutor, I delivered justice for victims and their families and helped steer gang members away from a life of crime. As a former officer in the U.S. Navy and veteran of the War in Afghanistan, I served my country and fought for our shared values.

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  Now, as a U.S. Representative, I’m working hard to preserve, promote, and advance the opportunities for the people and working families of our congressional district. From San Jose to Santa Cruz and from the Monterey County coastline to the rolling hills of Northern San Luis Obispo County, our newly drawn 19th Congressional District is dynamic and diverse in many ways. We have common values that I have fought and will continue to fight for as your U.S. Representative.

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  As we emerge from the pandemic, I’m working to lower the prices at our grocery stores and gas pumps with increased infrastructure investment in our roads, rail, water, and broadband, and reduce the supply-chain backlog by bolstering our manufacturing capabilities so that more products are made in America. At the same time, I’m fighting to protect our environment by reducing our carbon output, help people get housed and make housing more affordable with grants and tax credits, expand health care and lower the price of prescription drugs, reform the immigration system, and ensure for equal rights and everybody’s right to vote. I will continue to bring new ideas and civility to Congress and our community so that we can work together to govern and solve problems.

   

  It’s an absolute honor to serve you in Congress and I’d be humbled to have your support.

  I hope to continue my work as your U.S. Representative for the “New-19th” and my fight

  to provide more opportunities for the people of our home.