Matt Gray is presently a candidate for State Assembly, District 5.  As a lawmaker he will focus upon improving California's business climate and promoting the needs of small businesses.  By creating jobs, growth, and new business opportunities, Matt recognizes California's economy will recover sooner and with a more stable revenue base.

A graduate from the California State University, Sacramento, Matt’s formal education is in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Public Relations and Mass Media.  Matt has also completed extensive studies in Organic Chemistry and Political Science.

Matt's political adventure began when he joined the office of State Assemblyman John Vasconcellos in March, 1993, as a Legislative Intern.  He stayed with the Assemblyman and transitioned into the Senate in 1996, where he advanced through successive staff positions of leadership to become Deputy Chief of Staff.  In this expansive role, Matt represented the Senator on presenting legislation to policy committees, as a member on various boards, and by staffing legislation and influencing policies affecting the state’s education, public safety, transportation, environment, agriculture, and water climates.

In 2004 Matt left the Legislature to become a lobbyist for Capital Alliance, a lobbying and government strategies firm representing a consortium of business interests whose focus is renewable energy, public safety, medicine, transportation, manufacturing, water, technology, education, civil rights, and communication.  

Matt is often called upon by the media for interviews on public safety matters, and in the stories juxtaposed with the Speaker of the Assembly, Senate Pro Tempore, and even the Governor.  He is also a repeat guest on the Bruce Maiman show, Talk 1530 AM, KFBK.

Of the many responsibilities accepted by Matt, the most important include facilitating ongoing constructive dialogues about public policy issues, balancing disparate interests to yield mutually beneficial results, and establishing effective support networks.  As an independent thinker, Matt has maintained lasting and trusting relationships with—and sponsored legislation through—both Democrats and Republicans, and is valued for his straightforward and reliable approach to achieving desired results as well as his unique perspective.

Throughout his career with the California Legislature and in lobbying, Matt has regularly worked with numerous state agencies to foster partnerships, coordinate events, and steward legislation.  State agencies include the State Department of Education, Energy Commission, Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health Services, Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Youth and Adult Corrections Agency. 

Notable events and legislation include filing the lawsuit to prohibit the sale of prison construction bonds through AB 900 (Solorio, 2007), defeating SB 1665 (Machado, 2008) to sell more prison bonds, defeating AB 1189 (Solorio, 2008) to sell yet more prison bonds, defeating AB 2914 (Calderon, 2008), to impose a tax upon all adult entertainment products and services, defeating AB 1551 (Calderon, 2007), to impose a tax upon all adult entertainment products and services, the 2003 School Violence Prevention Summit, SB 1667 (2001) to promote school violence prevention plans based upon an established body of research, SB 524 (2004) to protect private secondary schools offering driving instruction, SB 1399 (2004) to transform our system of Corrections into a truly rehabilitative entity, and SB 1692 (2004) to improve vision screening standards for pupils in our public schools, inter alia.

            Matt is also the Editor Emeritus for the Senate Daybook.  The Senate Daybook is a daily publication through the Senate Rules Committee which reaches every legislative office and staff member, the Office of the Governor, Department of Finance, and other selected recipients with up-to-date internal legislative news and Capitol events.

Beyond his role as Deputy Chief of Staff and as Daybook Editor, Matt is a three-time honorary panel member for the State Board of Education in hearing the annual recommendations of the California Association of Student Councils (CASC).  In preparation for their presentations, CASC delegates conferred with and sought advice from Matt on numerous issues pertaining to education and public safety matters.

Outside of his life in the Capitol, Matt is a Big Brother mentor for “Big Brothers, Big Sisters.” He places great emphasis upon the influence mentors have over youth and their becoming self-affirming, responsible and productive individuals, and believes we as a society cannot pay too much attention to the healthy development of our children into becoming self-affirming and autonomous individuals.

Matt has worked on numerous political campaigns as either a Campaign Manager, Political Consultant, or support staff.  He is currently an advisor to Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety (TiPS), Victims Foundation, and The Justice & Reconciliation Project (JRP).

Finally, Matt never ventured far from his scientific roots and is co-creator of a patent-pending neutron synthesis process (MQNF.com).  A review of the download access logs for the theory papers on this emergent technology reveals a “who is who” list of nuclear facilities and educational institutions throughout the world.  Matt firmly believes that different perspectives are critical to understanding complex issues, and supports electromagnetism as the true Unified Theory that has been almost entirely overlooked by the physics community.