Meet Marc Iannarino

What sets Marc apart from the millionaires running Congress? 

He’s walked in our shoes.

From leaving home at a young age to working service jobs and serving his country, Marc understands the weight of responsibility and what it means to juggle bills and schedules, all while wondering whether it will be enough to get by. 

Born and raised all over the Midwest and East Coast before putting down roots in Southern California, Marc learned early how to adapt to new people and places. Each move taught him resilience, hard work, and the importance of community — values that have guided him from his service in the U.S. Navy to the bar he tends today.

When Marc watched the 9/11 attacks unfold on a classroom television, he felt inspired to serve. He later enlisted in the United States Navy, spending four years on active duty and completing two overseas deployments, including one to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. His dedication to service earned him the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, among others.

Marc returned to civilian life in 2009 and did what millions of Americans do: rolled up his sleeves and worked, often two or three jobs at a time. From working behind the bar and in restaurants, to leadership positions in media and advertising, Marc’s career has spanned diverse roles, giving him a unique understanding of the challenges so many Californians face. In each job he’s held, Marc saw that far too many of us are just one emergency away from losing it all.

Marc’s journey has shaped his belief that public service should mean exactly that. He knows firsthand what it’s like to wait months for a VA appointment, to see friends take extra shifts to cover rent hikes, and to watch families dream of homes they can’t afford. And he’s watched politicians who have never lived those realities slash critical programs people depend on to get by. 

Marc is running for Congress because fewer than two percent of U.S. representatives come from working-class backgrounds — even though nearly half the residents of CA-48 do. That gap is why essential programs like Medi-Cal, SNAP, and Social Security are too often treated as expendable by leaders out of touch with everyday life.

Marc believes in open, honest, and accountable representation. He’ll hold regular town halls, answer tough questions directly, and always put the people of CA-48 before party or profit.

His campaign is built on a simple truth: Washington works best when it’s run by people who know what it’s like to stand in line, work a double shift, and fight for a fair shot.