ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Drawing from his background in law, education and law enforcement, Republican candidate Ralph Nwobi recently outlined how his experience has shaped his political priorities as he campaigns to address issues facing constituents ahead of the June 2 primary election.

Nwobi, an attorney and former law professor, is running on a platform focused on affordability, public safety, immigration reform and education. He also emphasized that transparency and accessibility would be central to his approach if elected to represent California’s 7th Congressional District.

The district, which was reshaped following Proposition 50 redistricting of the state’s congressional boundaries, spans portions of Sacramento County that includes the communities of Elk Grove, Galt and Rancho Murieta as well as parts of El Dorado and San Joaquin counties.

Originally from Nigeria, Nwobi said he became a naturalized U.S. citizen after immigrating to the country more than 20 years ago. He said his experience navigating the immigration system has shaped his perspective on federal immigration policy, which he noted is an issue in District 7 due to its growing immigrant population.

Nwobi said his stance is clear: to support and encourage legal immigration while opposing unlawful immigration.

“We are a nation of laws… and I believe things should be done the right way. I believe people should wait in line and migrate to the U.S. legally,” Nwobi said.

He added that when immigrants follow the legal process, they contribute to the economy from the beginning by paying required application fees.

“I’m all about what benefits America, I’m all about what benefits District 7 residents, and that’s why I’m running,” Nwobi said.

Nwobi said his policy views are also shaped by his legal career. He currently operates a private practice, Nwobi Law Group, handling criminal defense, immigration, family law and civil litigation cases. He said he has practiced law in courts across California’s 58 counties.

His experience spans multiple sides of the justice system, including serving as a public defender in Los Angeles County and working as a correctional officer in Texas and Nevada. He said those roles helped shape what he described as an “evidence-based approach” to policymaking.

“As a lawyer… it teaches you, if nothing else, that facts matter. It teaches you that truth matters,” Nwobi said. “When it comes to policies, there has to be an evidence-based approach to solving problems for District 7 residents.”

Affordability is another key issue driving his campaign, which he said remains one of the top concerns across the district. He pointed to rising gas prices, grocery costs and housing expenses as ongoing pressures on working families in the region.

Nwobi said his campaign is focused in part on creating stability for constituents, which he described as essential for productivity and encouraging residents to remain in California.

“We have to look at housing almost from a moral sense, not just the economic part of it. If a person doesn’t feel stable, they’re not at their best,” he said. “You want to make housing affordable so people can actually stay, have roots at a place and begin to think of how to contribute to the economy.”

“Housing ties to people’s stability… that affects how you function in society,” Nwobi added, noting that homelessness is another component of the affordability issue he would work to address.

He also said elected officials can become disconnected from constituents as they gain wealth and distance from everyday financial pressures. Nwobi said his own experiences keep him grounded in those challenges.

“I can’t lose touch with the average person because I am the average person,” he said. “So, when I fight for these affordability issues, it’s something that’s based on lived experiences.”

On public safety, Nwobi said his law enforcement experience gave him an in-depth perspective on police-community relations. He said he supports more education for young people on how to interact with law enforcement officers during traffic stops and other encounters.

“There are certain life skills that should be taught,” he said. “I think that would drastically reduce a lot of fatalities that happen during interactions between law enforcement and young people.”

Nwobi also stressed the importance of education and supporting teachers, noting that California should prioritize improving student outcomes and teacher pay. His experience in education includes substitute teaching positions with Elk Grove Unified School District and Stockton Unified School District.

He said he wants families to have access to a strong education for their children, adding that he speaks as a father with children currently in school.

“We want our kids to have good education with less government interference,” Nwobi said. “Teachers should be paid well because education affects everybody across the board.”

Having lived and worked in the Sacramento region since 2011, Nwobi said his combined experience allows him to address the needs of both urban and rural communities within the district, including downtown Sacramento and suburban areas such as Elk Grove.

He also emphasized his ability to work across party lines in Congress, describing himself as a “common sense Republican” focused on bipartisan solutions.

“You can have all kinds of ideas, but if you can’t get other people to work with you, nothing gets done,” he said.

Having previously run as a write-in candidate for Congress in 2018, Nwobi said his current campaign is driven by improving quality of life and elevating attention to the district at the national level.

“It’s time we start electing people based on competence,” Nwobi said. “I believe I have the life experience, skill set and mindset necessary to get the job done for District 7 residents.”