SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Erika Gonzalez, who has served on the police advisory commission and planning commission, says as a third-generation South Lake Tahoe resident, she wants to represent “the people who actually live and work here.” Her key platform points center around housing, economy, trust and civic participation.

Gonzalez said that even though she’s third-generation, her family came to Tahoe differently than most. Rather than skiing and snowboarding, her family has worked in hospitality—something that she highlights in her campaign. “Conversations around Tahoe sometimes ignore foundational community members who are swing shift people, hospitality, people who work. People like my family are who allow people to party and city council hasn’t had someone with that background.”

She also highlighted that if she won, she would be the first Latina to serve on council, and the first person of Latino descent serving in the 61 years that South Lake Tahoe has been a city.

“Growing up here, I have insight from how much it’s changed. And coming back, I have the skill and experience to engage with how the town is run,” said Gonzalez. Her regular job is as an anti-human trafficking attorney, which she says has helped her understand root causes of issues such as labor and housing. “I’m interested in representing people who are not represented and don’t have a seat at the table.”

That role also has informed how she thinks about transparency. “In representing crime victims, we are taught to be as different from a perpetrator as possible. Perpetrators hide information, which enables fear and mistrust,” she explained. “That has become my north star to give full information, to make it digestible and ensure there is understanding. When there is transparency, people can make informed decisions on engaging with systems.”

While she believes that running for office should be accessible to everyday people, she also recognizes that not everyone has 9 to 5 hours or the understanding of how to participate. She hopes to build more trust to improve civic engagement.

Given her time working on the planning commission and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) Living Working Group, Gonzalez is interested in examining the vacation home rental economy as well as using regulations to match workforce housing.

She says she cares about the lake and environment, and also wants to have frank conversations that people do need to live here. “When we’re balancing interests, we want to protect the lake and its clarity, but sometimes those conversations do not address that people who work here need a place to live.”

Gonzalez is also interested in continuing the work to diversify the economy, which they see in the strategic plan. She wants businesses that aren’t strictly seasonally dependent, and noted the lack of jobs such as interpreters or paralegals—something she didn’t find when pursuing law, and recognizes the difficulty of finding work in Tahoe post-education.

She also said, “Our community is directly impacted by immigration—South Lake Tahoe’s economy functions with our immigrant population. It’s my interest and true belief to look out for all the residents in this community to protect and represent everyone as they are now.”

Having engaged with local government through the commissions, she said that the work is “fun, but not easy” and felt that she could step up to the role. Similar to what she said when applying for the open seat last year, she said, “I have no aspirations to move up the political ladder—I want to give back to my community and have someone who can represent the Latino community. Tahoe prepared me for Berkeley and for law school, and now I’m ready to use my skillset here.”

“I hope even if I don’t win, I can inspire more Tahoe kids, the younger generation, Latino kids… if there’s anything of my legacy, I want to encourage people to make time for this,” said Gonzalez.

To read more about Erika Gonzalez’s campaign and platform, visit https://www.erikafromsouthlake.com/.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.