How did Bubba get his name? Well, he was a chunky toddler from Texas.
You’ll see him on your ballot as Bryan “Bubba” Fish, but outside of government-issued documents, no one calls him Bryan. Not his parents, grandparents, any loved ones, or colleagues. One time he accidentally entered his name as “Bubba” when he booked a flight… that was quite the experience with TSA and Delta customer service.
You may have met Bubba when he’s knocked on your door at some point over the last several months. Or, maybe you met me, his husband of almost six years. Or, perhaps you learned about Bubba from one of our other amazing and friendly campaign volunteers.
Unless you live in a gated complex where we don’t know any of your neighbors, we’ve probably knocked on your door at least once, if not twice. We’ve walked every block of this beautiful city. Yes, even the steep hills of Culver Crest and Blair Hills. I personally volunteered to canvass the homes on the steepest streets in each neighborhood. Why did I do that? Because I want to be able to hold it over Bubba’s head for the rest of his life, of course! Throughout this campaign, I’ve been continually collecting brownie points like I’m in a video game.
But, if you’ve been lucky enough to meet Bubba himself at your door, or at a candidate event, you know that he’s a warm, thoughtful, and serious-minded community leader… and as many have remarked: “He doesn’t look like a Bubba.”
Some of you know Bubba well and are big fans. Others in Culver City know about Bubba, and don’t agree with what he stands for—or in some cases, what a Facebook or Nextdoor post claims he stands for.
But my guess is that many of you fall somewhere in the middle: not quite as tuned in to the minutiae of local politics, but planning to do your research when your ballot comes (I have to admit, I fall into this last category 99% of the time).
While candidate websites and mailers provide general platform points and platitudes, I thought it might be worthwhile for you to learn about Bubba Fish from the person who’s spent almost every day with him since Fall 2011. Because I know I won’t ever agree with any elected leader on every position they take, I try to give my vote to the candidate with the values and temperament I want to see making decisions on behalf of our community.
If you only know Bubba through his organizing and advocacy in Culver City, his run for Culver City Council might not surprise you. But his professional background took him on quite an interesting journey to get to this point.
After graduating from USC in Film and TV Production, Bubba spent the first few years of his professional life as the owner of a small business—a commercial production company he started with two friends. During those years, I watched him learn the value of true grit and how to balance a grand vision with the realities of a budget that was always too small.
But after a couple of years, almost by coincidence, the three business partners made life decisions at essentially the same time. One moved to Philadelphia, the second moved to Seattle, and Bubba decided to start a company that paired his industry experience with his desire to build community.
Through the entrepreneurial venture of running his own company, Bubba once again experienced the life of a small-business owner and learned how to build a nimble team around a common vision and ensure he had enough funds to make payroll.
Bubba was eventually hired by a competing start-up that was much larger and farther along. As a Product Manager, it was Bubba’s job to decide on a strategy, create the achievable steps to get there, and ensure that every other department in the organization was rowing the boat in the same direction.
And while Bubba was quite good at his job, I could tell that something was missing for him. He was in a 9-to-5 grind that wasn’t making much of an impact on his community.
Bubba had started biking, walking, and taking public transportation more after a car accident in 2014 sent him to the hospital. He eventually sold his car —turning us into a one-car household —and started reading books and joining communities committed to improving mobility and fighting climate change. So when his day job got a bit stale, he turned his interest into action.
With his nights and weekends, Bubba helped start the safe streets organization, Streets for All, and began volunteering with our very own Bike Culver City.
He helped grow Streets for All into a major player in transportation policy, and was soon hired to work as the State Policy Director, where he helped create and lobby for state bills authored by our Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and Assemblymember Laura Friedman (both of whom have endorsed Bubba’s campaign).
I watched clips of Bubba testifying at the State Capitol in Sacramento, and at first, audible laughter could be heard when “Bubba Fish” was introduced to speak. But over time, our state legislators learned that Bubba always came prepared with compelling, data-driven arguments in support of their bills; and he became known as a force to be reckoned with in those committee chambers. Bubba meant business, but he also possessed some of that Southern charm and politeness he got from his parents. Several bills that Bubba fought for over those years are now law and already making streets safer across California.
Throughout his safe streets advocacy work, I watched Bubba grapple with the true intersectionality of the issues that are linked with our transportation problems—rising housing costs, residents falling into homelessness, an outdated approach to public safety, and a lack of resources and services for those in need. You’re going to naturally have more people spending more hours in their cars commuting through and into Culver City if most of us can’t afford to live, eat, play, work, and send our kids to school in the same place.
I could tell that Bubba was all-in on making a difference, but he wanted to broaden his policy experience beyond transportation. So, we volunteered as participants in Culver City’s Annual Homeless Count, and that inspired Bubba to apply for Culver City’s Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness and join the advocacy group Culver City for More Homes. I tagged along to help with the Homeless Count for the promise of baked goods.
All the while, Bubba would repeatedly say to me, “I just wish I had gone to school for this.”
He then did something I don’t think I could ever do in my 30s. Bubba enrolled at UCLA to earn his Master’s in Public Policy while continuing to work part-time. In the program, he dove head-first into California housing policy and made it the subject of his group Master’s thesis.
While earning his Masters degree, Bubba was hired by the L.A. Department of Transportation (LADOT) in Government Affairs, and after his graduation, he was hired by LA County Supervisor and current Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn as her Transportation Deputy. At one point earlier this year, Bubba was studying for finals, working at LADOT, interviewing for a job at the County, and kicking off his city council campaign. Suffice it to say, the guy has proven he can balance multiple responsibilities, keep his head on straight, and maintain a positive attitude.
Outside of Bubba himself, I have probably canvassed the most doors in Culver City this election cycle. And when I’ve asked Culver City residents what issues matter most to them, they bring up traffic/transportation and housing/homelessness issues more than any other topics, by far. I don’t know about you, but I want someone who has a degree, valuable professional and volunteer experience, and a relevant background regarding these two key issues making important decisions for Culver City.
So, that’s Bubba the professional. But if you read this far and you’re still wondering what Bubba’s personality and temperament are like behind the scenes, keep reading.
Whether it’s been working alongside him organizing Culver City’s first official Pride celebration for the last four years, eavesdropping on his various committee meetings, or listening to him organize for positive change in his community, it’s clear to me that others find Bubba a joy to work with.
For as stressful as a campaign can be, his small but mighty team of volunteers are almost always in good spirits. Any stress or pressure Bubba may be feeling doesn’t seep its way into those interactions. He takes his work seriously, but never takes himself too seriously. Because it’s never been about him, but about the output, the impact, and the good he can do.
Even sometimes at the expense of efficiency (which is my love language), Bubba will slow down to check in on his team members and make sure their voice is heard. He builds decisions by consensus wherever possible, because he knows that people will support what they help create.
I have also seen him called upon in many circles to act as a bridge builder and mediator when there are conflicts. Bubba is a naturally trusting person, sees the best in others, and will give others the benefit of the doubt wherever possible. These are traits in him that I have tried to emulate over the past dozen or so years.
But to me, what’s most impressive about Bubba is his ability to listen, learn from, and respectfully interact with those who may disagree with him. And he has a lot of practice with that. Growing up in Houston, Bubba and his dad generally did not see eye to eye on most political issues. Over the years, I’ve witnessed countless interactions between them where Bubba was able to listen to perspectives wholly different than his own, practice patience, meet his dad where he was at, and start a respectful but productive dialogue to bring them closer together. They’ve taught each other that it’s often not just what you say, but how you say it that determines the impact your message has on others.
And I’ve seen Bubba transfer this approach to Culver City as well. He’s had coffee with Councilmembers and other community members who have opposed his ideas, all in an effort to find common ground and make meaningful progress. As an advocate, Bubba has always understood that it’s his job to push for change, knowing that we may only get 5% of what we want, but that even small incremental improvement is better than keeping the status quo when change is needed. He’s guided by his values and his principles, but not too stubborn to compromise when it’s necessary to get good things done.
Even though Bubba has earned major endorsements from the L.A. County Democratic Party, Sierra Club, L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, Culver City Democratic Club, and many others, his campaign has been squarely focused on talking to as many Culver City voters as possible. Because he knows that the job is about meeting you where you are, listening to and learning from you, and encouraging you to participate in our democracy.
So, if that sounds like someone you’d want leading our amazing city for the next four years, my only ask is that you please vote for Bryan “Bubba” Fish by November 5th. (Even typing the name Bryan feels odd!)
And if I haven’t yet convinced you that Bubba is a good apple and a great leader, check out his website (voteforbubba.com) and/or find an opportunity to talk to him directly.
Chances are he may end up knocking on your door anyway!
And as a final personal plea: If you elect Bubba, I’d get every other Monday night in the Fall to myself to watch football uninterrupted. And those brownie points I’ve been collecting have to count for something, right?