Mindy Romero, Ph.D.
Mindy Romero, PhD is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID). A political sociologist, Dr. Romero is widely recognized for her work examining political participation, representation and civic engagement among young people and communities of color across the United States. Her research explores the structural barriers that shape political underrepresentation and the role civic participation plays in building more responsive and equitable institutions.
Raised in California’s Central Valley, Romero was the first in her family to attend college and the first to vote. The daughter of parents without significant formal education, she grew up in communities that often lacked stable housing, economic opportunity and political influence. Those experiences shaped her early understanding of how deeply public policy decisions affect everyday life—and how often marginalized communities are excluded from the political process. Seeing firsthand how neighborhoods like hers were too often overlooked by decision-makers, Dr. Romero became determined to better understand the relationship between participation, representation, and power.
Due to her family’s financial challenges, Romero began working full-time at age 13 while taking community college courses in high school. She later graduated with highest honors from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree, and went on to earn her PhD in Political Sociology, all while raising three children as a single mother.
Driven by a belief that rigorous, nonpartisan research should directly serve communities and effect positive societal change, Romero chose not to pursue the traditional national academic job market. Instead, she remained in her home state to build research institutions focused on informing policy and empowering residents across the state. At UC Davis, Dr. Romero founded the California Civic Engagement Project, a first-of-its-kind research center dedicated to voting and elections data in California. In 2018, she expanded the initiative into a national research and educational center and renamed it the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID) when it moved to USC. Today she continues this important work as Director of CID, soon to be (on July 1, 2026) an independent, non-profit organization widely recognized for its rigorous nonpartisan research on civic engagement and political representation. CID’s studies and analyses are regularly used by policymakers, community organizations, advocates, election officials, and civic leaders to inform policy and to strengthen participation and representation in American democracy.
Romero has testified before the California Legislature and spoken at the U.S. Capitol. She is a frequent speaker on civic engagement, voting rights, and political inclusion. Her research has been featured in major national outlets including the New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Politico, TIME, Newsweek, and The Associated Press. She regularly provides commentary and analysis on National Public Radio and Capital Public Radio in Sacramento. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, and CalMatters.
In addition to her research and public engagement, Dr. Romero works closely with elected officials, civic organizations, philanthropy and community advocates to advance policies and strategies that strengthen democratic participation. She currently serves as an adjunct fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) and previously served on its Statewide Survey Advisory Committee. In 2023, Romero was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. She is an advisory board member of the UC Berkeley Goldman School’s Democracy Policy Initiative. She is also the former vice-chair of the Social Services Commission for the City of Davis.
Romero can be reached at mindyromero@cidus.org