Show summary Hide summary
Oliver Ma brought his college tour, billed as Books not Bombs, to Cal Poly on May 12, pressing students on university spending, housing and civil-rights issues. The visit — part of a string of campus stops — framed his bid for California lieutenant governor around grassroots organizing and accountability on campus.
Campus conversations on budgets and power
High school football week zero: standout players and key takeaways
Abortion pill by mail resumes after Supreme Court’s emergency order
Ma’s appearance was one stop on a multi-campus itinerary that has included UC San Diego, UCLA and UC Davis, with Sacramento State scheduled next. Campaign organizers say the events aim to center discussion on how university funds are being used and who gets to decide budget priorities.
Speaking to several hundred students and supporters, Ma recounted his path from the child of immigrant parents to a lawyer representing tenants and immigrant communities. He positioned those experiences as the foundation for his campaign priorities: housing affordability, limits on corporate influence in housing, and broader civil-rights concerns.
Campaign approach and staffing claims
Ma described his campaign as intentionally outside traditional donor networks. He said it does not accept money from major corporate entities, billionaires or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and emphasized reliance on volunteers and small-dollar support.
He also highlighted the size of his volunteer operation, telling the audience his team has recruited more than 5,000 volunteers — a figure he presented as larger than the volunteer bases of other candidates for lieutenant governor and, he added, larger than those backing some gubernatorial contenders.
That grassroots framing was echoed by campus groups that co-hosted the rally, which included Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for Justice in Palestine, Cal Poly Democrats, Tech for Liberation and Cal Poly Urbanists.
Several student leaders addressed the crowd, raising local policy concerns as well as national issues.
Students press campus on surveillance and oversight
Members of Tech for Liberation and Students for Justice in Palestine used the platform to press the university on surveillance technology. MacGregor Lang, who is active in both groups, urged removal of Flock cameras from campus and called for a public review by the university’s board. He said organizers have collected 1,475 petition signatures in support of that demand.
Madison Roth, a junior electrical engineering student volunteering as a college fellow for Ma, argued the campus administration must be more accountable to students than to governing boards. Her remarks linked local campus governance to Ma’s broader push for officials with organizing experience to hold institutional power.
- Tour stops: UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Davis, Cal Poly (May 12), next: Sacramento State.
- Core themes: university budget transparency, housing affordability, immigrant rights, corporate influence in housing policy.
- Campaign model: rejects big-money donors and emphasizes volunteer-driven organizing.
- Campus demands: removal of Flock cameras, public hearings, greater administrative accountability.
Throughout the event Ma struck an optimistic tone despite acknowledging political fatigue. He urged students that organizing and sustained civic engagement are how policy and public opinion shift, framing campus activism as a lever for broader change.
With additional campus stops planned, Ma’s tour doubles as campaigning and listening tour — a chance to measure student priorities ahead of the statewide primary while building a volunteer network that the campaign says will be central to its strategy.
