Honorable Jesus Tarango

Chairman, Wilton Rancheria

Jesus G. Tarango, Jr. is the Chairman of Wilton Rancheria.  He was born and raised in Sacramento, California, his traditional homeland as a Miwok / Nisenan tribal member.  He was born into and has continued to dance and sing traditionally, from childhood into adulthood.  He danced alongside his brothers and sisters at heart, under their dance Captain Bill Franklin, known affectionately to them as Grandpa Bill.  He is a devoted husband and father of six children to whom he instills traditional tribal and community values.

Jesus’ political career took hold in 2016 when he was first elected to Wilton’s Tribal Council, where he swiftly made a name for himself as an unbiased and for the people council member.  His demand for transparency earned him the position of Tribal Council Spokesperson only months after being elected, which followed with his election to Vice-Chairman in 2018.  Only 2 years later would he win Wilton’s tribal election as the youngest appointed Chairman.

Tribal politics was not new for him, as his mother Elder Mary Tarango was part of the pioneering force that led to Wilton’s Federal recognition being reinstated in 2009 and she was elected the Tribe’s first interim-Chairwoman.  Jesus is dedicated to building an economically sound infrastructure for his people and is devoted to bringing language and culture back to all Wilton community members.

Jesus has a background in ethnic studies from Sacramento State and prior to his political endeavors he ran a multi-million-dollar hub for FedEx as one of their most awarded Supervisors.  He managed over 500 team members and kept their hub afloat through the Pandemic, until his election as Chairman in June 2020. Jesus is a driving force in the community, he has made a partnership with Assembly member James Ramos, assisting in the sponsorship of AB 338 (Chapter 280, Statutes of 2021) and has stood up in his community as a voice for MMIWG.  His goals are not only to bring change to his Wilton community members but also to disenfranchised communities across the State of California.