By Darine Sammour, October 13, 2026
Former Cal Poly Pomona accounting graduate Jaskirat Sondh is running for mayor of Rancho Cucamonga.
Sondh graduated from CPP in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting and has since taken on many roles, such as businessman, substitute teacher, accountant and content creator.
“I think the benefit of going to Cal Poly Pomona is you get to see life from multiple different perspectives because the campus is so diverse,” Sondh said. “When you’re surrounded by all these multicultural environments, it really opens up your world view to creating more inclusive environments for the people you come across.”
According to Sondh, he always knew he wanted to get into politics, but he didn’t know he was going to run for mayor someday.
His interest in politics began in the Democratic Socialists of America. When he used to serve there, he would also stream on Twitch, a social media platform where creators are able to livestream to mass audiences. He said his Twitch chat pushed him to get more involved in the community.
Sondh said he served on DSA’s electoral committees but noticed the organization had little focus on Rancho Cucamonga because they assumed that the city’s make up is mostly conservative people. He researched the city’s demographics and presented his findings to the group. He found that Rancho Cucamonga is divided between republicans, democrats and a small portion of independents.
Rancho Cucamonga is 36.7% democratic, 35% republican and 20.4% no preference, according to the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters.
As the current mayor of Rancho Cucamonga, L. Dennis Michael, plans to retire in November. Sondh brought this to the attention of the DSA to let them know a seat would open. He encouraged them to take the chance on him.
Sondh said he received little support from the DSA, which told him the organization would not be able to endorse his campaign. “Elections should be used to push the movement forward,” Sondh said. “Whether we win, whether we lose, it should be used to build class consciousness within the population.”
Sondh is a first-generation American. He was born in the United States, and his parents were immigrants from India who arrived in the U.S. during the Sikh genocide of 1984.
College of Letters, Arts & Social Science Senator and political science student Ruth Rocha, who is also a first-generation American, said she wishes to work in the California Assembly or become an elected official.
“Sometimes I just think about all the opportunities that I have being at Cal Poly Pomona and it makes me emotional,” Rocha said. “Being a first-gen Latina and seeing all of the opportunities I have makes me so proud.”
Sondh said he once viewed politics primarily through national offices such as Congress and the governor’s office but later began to see local government as a starting point for change.
“I think it’s really important to run locally and be that voice,” Rocha said. “I think it often gets overlooked, but it’s just as important, if not even more important. You can make a lot of change within the city.”
Sondh said the city should invest more in community programs, including poverty relief and youth programs. He also expressed concern about the possibility of the city declaring bankruptcy.
Sondh said he wants to expand the public utilities citywide to reduce electricity and internet bills to as low as 50% with the goal of saving at least $3,000 for Rancho Cucamonga residents.
“Seeing the ideology of the other opponents made me realize there is no one representing what I believe in,” Sondh said. “I saw a failure in city government; they are not addressing the material concerns of the people living in Rancho Cucamonga, and I think I can do a better job of addressing those needs.”
Sharyn Fisk, associate professor for the college of business administration with the accounting department and former professor of Sondh, said he volunteered with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, which allows accounting students at CPP to apply their coursework while serving the community. Fisk said this experience might have encouraged Sondh to take on leadership roles in the future.
“I’d be thrilled if all students pursued some leadership in helping their communities,” Fisk said. “Whether it’s leadership in starting their own business or leadership in government.”
Sondh and his group volunteers are campaigning ahead of the Nov. 3 election through social media posts on Instagram and TikTok.
Sondh said he wants his fellow Broncos to get involved in their communities.
“Something I struggled with throughout my life was information paralysis, the idea that I don’t know enough to get involved, but the reality is you can just go out there and do things,” Sondh said. “Just show up. Philosophers have studied the world, but the point is to change it.”
