Victor Manuel Gordo (born October 1969) is a Mexican-American politician and the current mayor of

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

Early life and career

Gordo was born in Zacatecas, Mexico to a family of six. He moved to Pasadena when he was a child and was a

paperboy A paperboy is someoneoften an older child or adolescentwho distributes printed newspapers to homes or offices on a regular route, usually by bicycle or automobile. In Western nations during the heyday of print newspapers during the early 20th cen ...

for

Pasadena Star-News The ''Pasadena Star-News'' is a paid local daily newspaper for the greater Pasadena, California area. The Pasadena ''Star-News'' is a member of Southern California News Group (formerly the Los Angeles Newspaper Group), since 1996. It is also par ...

from age 9–17. His father was a dishwasher and cook at a local Mexican restaurant. His mother was a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable d ...

. He attended Pasadena High School where he played football, soccer, and baseball. He obtained his

Associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a Public college, public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. It originally o ...

. He matriculated to get his

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in Finance at

Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private evangelical research university in Azusa, California, United States. The university was founded in 1899 in Whittier, California, with classes first held on March 3, 1900, and degrees offered in 193 ...

and

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

at University of La Verne College of Law. He was admitted to the California

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in 2001. Prior to being elected mayor, Gordo was on the Pasadena City Council and represented District 5. He also was the longest-serving president of the Rose Bowl Operating Company.

Mayoralty

Gordo is a member of the Democratic Party. In the March 3rd, 2020 Primary nominating election, he received 46.52% of the vote, against the incumbent Terry Tornek who received 41.57% of the vote. He was elected mayor after the runoff on November 3, taking office December 8. He is Pasadena's first Latino mayor. On July 17, 2024, Gordo became the first Democratic mayor in California to publicly call on President Joe Biden to end his campaign for the presidency. He was re-elected in 2024 after beating challenger Allen Shay. As Mayor of Pasadena, Gordo appears in Pasadena's annual New Year's

Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New ...

Sister Cities

As Mayor, Gordo has worked to develop

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationships between Pasadena and other municipalities. In 2024, he visited and met with Armenian President

Vahagn Khachaturyan Vahagn Garniki Khachaturyan (, ; born 22 April 1959) is an Armenian economist and politician who has served as the fifth and current president of Armenia since 2022 Armenian presidential election, 2022. He previously served as mayor of Yerevan fr ...

to discuss a potential sister city relationship. In 2025, Gordo hosted Samantha Smith Gutiérrez, Presidenta Municipal of

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

, Mexico at Pasadena's city hall in an effort to develop a sister city relationship between the two cities.

Personal life

Gordo is married to Kelly Van Dyke, a school teacher. They live in the Madison Heights section of Pasadena and have two adult children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordo, Victor Mayors of Pasadena, California 1969 births Living people Politicians from Zacatecas Pasadena High School (California) alumni Pasadena City College alumni Azusa Pacific University alumni University of La Verne alumni Democratic Party mayors in California 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers American politicians of Mexican descent American lawyers of Mexican descent Mexican emigrants to the United States