Mark Pulido

Mark Pulido
Official portrait, 2025
Mayor Pro Tempore of Cerritos
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 8, 2026
Preceded byLynda P. Johnson
In office
March 13, 2013 – March 19, 2014
Preceded byBruce W. Barrows
Succeeded byCarol Chen
In office
April 26, 2017 – April 25, 2018
Preceded byNaresh Solanki
Succeeded byNaresh Solanki
Member of the Cerritos City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 26, 2025
In office
March 11, 2011 – April 1, 2020
Mayor of Cerritos
In office
March 19, 2014 – March 11, 2015
Preceded byBruce W. Barrows
Succeeded byCarol Chen
In office
April 25, 2018 – April 17, 2019
Preceded byGrace Hu
Succeeded byNaresh Solanki
Personal details
BornMark Emmanuel Pulido
(1968-12-21) December 21, 1968
Norwalk, California
PartyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
University of Chicago (MPP)

Mark Emmanuel Pulido (born December 21, 1968) is an American politician and the current Mayor Pro Tempore of Cerritos, California since 2026. He had acted as Mayor from 2014 to 2015 and 2018–19 and Mayor Pro Tempore from 2013 to 2014 and 2017–18. Pulido has also been a member of the Cerritos City Council since 2025, previously serving from 2011 to 2020. He was the first Filipino-American to serve as Mayor and on the City Council.

A member of the Democratic Party, Pulido is currently a candidate in the 2026 California State Assembly election, running for the 67th district.

Early life

Mark Emmanuel Pulido[1] was born on December 21,[2] 1968[3] in Norwalk, California.[4] His father, Rudy, worked as a bridge engineer who oversaw the construction of freeway overpasses and interchanges in Southern California. His mother, Esther, was an artist[5] and, on her side, Pulido's grandfather, Alfredo, and great-grandfather, Alejo, were both servicemen with the Philippine Scouts.[6] Pulido moved to Cerritos, California, in 1973.[4] He attended Whitney High School and founded its Filipino club, Club Kaibigan, in 1984.[6][7][8] He received his bachelor's degree in history and Asian American studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; he also became the university's first Filipino-American student body president in 1992.[9] Pulido received his master's degree in public policy at the University of Chicago and was also named a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow.[10]

Career

Before serving on the Cerritos City Council, Pulido was a member of the ABC Unified School District Board for three terms from 2001 to 2011, serving as board president during the 2007–8 school year.[9] The Los Angeles County Office Of Education recognized him as "Board Member of the Year" in 2009.[6] He also worked as representative Alan Lowenthal's district director and was a legislative consultant for Robert Hertzberg, Herb Wesson, and Fabian Núñez.[11]

Pulido was elected to the City Council on March 8, 2011, receiving the highest vote total in city history. During the council's annual reorganization meeting on March 13, 2013, he was elected Mayor Pro Tempore[9] and unanimously became mayor on March 19, 2015. He was the first Filipino-American City Councilmember and Mayor.[11] During his first term on the City Council, Pulido focused on "public safety, business and economic development, reinvesting in neighborhoods and reinvesting in neighborhood parks." The city also issued a record number of business licenses, which led to a historic year in sales.[12]

Pulido was reelected to a second term on the City Council on March 11, 2015.[13] He became Mayor Pro Tempore again on April 26, 2017, in a 3–2 vote. With his and Mayor Grace Hu's appointments, he broke a since-inception tradition in which each councilmember was given the chance to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore and then Mayor, blocking Councilmember Jim Edwards' nomination of Naresh Solanki for Mayor.[14] It was later revealed that former Councilmember Bruce Barrows had a spreadsheet that laid out the "proper" mayoral sequence that would benefit him and his Republican allies, going back to 1993.[15] Pulido was elected mayor for the second time on April 25, 2018.[16] He was unable to run in the 2020 City Council election due to a rule that prevents more than two consecutive terms.[17][18]

Pulido served on the CaliforniaVolunteers commission from 2013 to 2017 and was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Science Center Board of Directors and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission from 2017 to 2019. [19]

On March 26, 2025, Pulido was elected to his third term on the City Council. California Attorney General Rob Bonta administered Pulido's oath of office.[17] In May 2025, Pulido announced his candidacy in the 2026 California State Assembly election, running for the 67th district.[4]

Personal life

Pulido is married to his Gloria Perlas Pulido, who was appointed Chair of the Cerritos Planning Commission in 2025.[20] They have two children, Malia and Mark Jr.[11]

References

  1. ^ "MoTHER confers IMMA Recognition to 13 moms on Mother's Day in Historic Filipinotown — Events". Asian Journal News. May 24, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  2. ^ Loredo, Stephanie (December 21, 2024). "Happy Birthday, Mark Pulido!". Facebook. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  3. ^ Maddela, Anthony (November 24, 2014). "Mayor Mark Pulido, the 'One to Watch'". Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Veteran Cerritos Leader Mark Pulido formally files candidacy for California's 67th Assembly District — Southern California". Asian Journal News. May 10, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  5. ^ Ochoa, Lawrence C. (June 18, 2014). "Cerritos' first Fil-Am mayor leads its first PH Independence Day rite". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Letargo, Mico (May 22, 2014). "Local Fil-Am makes good as mayor of Cerritos, California". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Jerry (October 26, 2012). "ABC School Board Rejects $750K Multimedia Center Donation for Whitney High School". Los Cerritos Community News. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  8. ^ Varona, Rae Ann (April 28, 2018). "The City of Cerritos' first Fil-Am mayor to serve position once again — Southern California". Asian Journal News. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c "Cerritos City Councilman Mark Pulido elected Mayor Pro Tem —". Asian Journal News. March 14, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  10. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (March 20, 2014). "Mark Pulido selected by council as new Cerritos mayor". Press Telegram. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  11. ^ a b c Rueda, Nimfa U. (March 23, 2014). "California dreamin': Fil-Am Mark Pulido is mayor of Cerritos City in Los Angeles". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  12. ^ Constante, Agnes (February 16, 2015). "Cerritos, California's first Fil-Am mayor seeks re-election". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  13. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (March 4, 2015). "Election 2015: Mark Pulido, Jim Edwards and Naresh Solanki win Cerritos City Council". Press Telegram. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  14. ^ Hews, Brian (April 28, 2017). "HISTORIC CERRITOS ELECTION 2017: Grace Hu, Mark Pulido, And Frank Yokoyama Move To Take Control Of City Council". Los Cerritos Community News. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  15. ^ Hews, Brian (May 19, 2017). "DOCUMENT SHOWS BRUCE BARROWS DICTATED MAYORAL CHOICES IN CERRITOS SINCE 1990's". Los Cerritos Community News. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  16. ^ Hews, Brian (April 28, 2018). "CERRITOS MAYORAL TRANSITION: MARK PULIDO VOTED IN AS MAYOR, SOLANKI MAYOR PRO TEM". Los Cerritos Community News. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  17. ^ a b Abelgas, Marisse G.; nrueda (March 30, 2025). "Yokoyama named Cerritos mayor as Fil-Ams gain majority in city council". INQUIRER.net USA. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  18. ^ Kang, Hannah (April 29, 2025). "Cerritos Councilmember Mark Pulido is running for the 67th Assembly District". Orange County Register. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  19. ^ "Cerritos Mayor Pro Tem Mark Pulido Appointed to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission by Governor Brown". Los Cerritos Community News. August 29, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  20. ^ "Gloria Perlas Pulido Appointed Chair of the Cerritos Planning Commission — People". Asian Journal News. April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
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