About Michael
Michael Masuda was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he lived with his parents and two brothers. His parents are Air Force veterans who maintained F-15 fighter jets at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, New Mexico before settling in Green Bay.
On his mother's side, Michael is a descendant of German and Polish Americans living in Northern Wisconsin. Michael has fond memories learning to fish at his grandparents’ home on a small lake and swinging from the rope swing in the barn at the family farm.
Michael's paternal grandparents were Japanese Americans who lived in San Francisco before being forcibly relocated to Topaz Internment Camp in Utah during World War II. After the war, they moved back to the Bay Area before moving to Amador County in the early 1970's.
Michael moved to Amador County in 1999 at age 10 with his family after the passing of his grandfather. He spent his formative years in the back roads of Amador County with his parents, two brothers, two cousins, their dog, and Grandma Masuda who lived next door.
Michael attended Sutter Creek Elementary, Ione Junior High, and Amador High School where he played basketball and baseball. During the summers in high school, Michael worked delivering ice cream for the Amador Creamery to stores throughout Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne Counties.
In 2007, Michael left for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to pursue an electrical engineering degree. It was during this time that Michael met his wife-to-be, Brittany.
Michael and Brittany spent the first 4 years of their relationship long distance, traveling hours on weekends to spend time together.
Two days after Christmas 2014, on a sunny, warm afternoon on the hills behind Amador City, Michael proposed to Brittany. They married in 2015.
In the following years, they moved to Washington, DC to start their careers. Michael worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he developed his appreciation for the role that technology plays in keeping American soldiers safe and ensuring the U.S. military remains the most capable in the world.
In 2021, he was selected for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship and joined the U.S. Department of State as a civil servant. It was there that he grew to understand the role of diplomacy in protecting the American people, creating opportunities for American companies, and preventing conflict around the world.
Michael and Brittany now live in District 5 raising a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter who are the joy of their lives.
Michael’s values are rooted in Amador County and his 15 year relationship with Brittany.
He strongly supports civil liberties.
Growing up in small town Amador County, he learned the importance of serving your community and looking out for your neighbors.
His parents instilled the importance of hard work in him throughout his youth, lessons that he carries forward to this day.
As an engineer, Michael has dedicated his life to solving problems. Rather than only addressing problems' symptoms, he tries to understand the causes and address how to solve them.
Michael will bring problem solving focus to Congress to resolve big problems like:
Reducing the threat of wildfires,
Increasing access to affordable healthcare,
Investing in education for kids and young adults that prepares them for meaningful careers, and
Ensuring everyone has an opportunity to find a job that pays a living wage
Michael is here to work for the people of the 5th District.
