Gabriel Ortega

Gabriel (Gabe) Ortega, CliffordMoss Project Advisor, is a California Central Valley native with a background in grassroots organizing and candidate campaigning with on the ground experience connecting low-income communities and communities of color to mobilize for change. His interest in politics started in high school when he took notice of the presidential elections. Gabe left his hometown of Manteca, California to attend UC Santa Cruz, earning his B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Astrophysics. As Gabe tells the story, while in physics lab, he got distracted with election news and discovered an exciting congressional candidate. After graduating in 2021, he continued his work locally in the Stockton/Manteca area, later going on to work for that very candidate that had inspired him, Congressman Josh Harder. As a top field organizer for the Congressman, Gabe focused his efforts on empowering disenfranchised Latino communities to get involved in the political process for the first time. At CliffordMoss, Gabe delivers leadership in grassroots organizing, bilingual communications, and volunteer trainings. He is especially excited about empowering diverse groups of people to get invested in their communities to shape the future. Gabe’s hobbies include grilling, backpacking, and traveling across California and abroad.