The fourth of seven siblings of immigrant parents, David Benavides was born and raised in East Los Angeles. He was the first of the family to attend college and the first to run for elected office.

David attended Biola University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. During his university years he was introduced to a Santa Ana-based non-profit organization, KidWorks, which focused on mentoring and empowering at-risk youth and families in some of the more under-resourced neighborhoods of Orange County.  Moving to Santa Ana for an 8-week internship resulted in a position as Director of KidWorks for over six years. He prepared this organization for growth and has continued providing leadership over the past four years, now serving as Board Chairman.

Over the years David has served as a youth pastor in Santa Ana and a member of the Santa Ana Faith-Based Round Table. He also served as a Pastor/Director for Community Development at a large Irvine congregation where he focused on mobilizing people and resources to Santa Ana community-based efforts.

For the past several years David has continued to serve Santa Ana as a member of the business community. He is a Realtor and licensed Real Estate Broker with an office in the City. Responding to community concerns, David has helped found two neighborhood associations. One is the Casa Bonita Neighborhood Association (just north of his neighborhood) and the other is the Bella Vista Neighborhood where he now lives.

In 2000, David was a recipient of the Neighborhood Hero Award presented by the Communication Linkage Forum (Com-Link). He was also a recipient of Santa Ana’s Community Building Award. In 2001 David received an Exceptional Volunteer Recognition from Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency.  In addition, David is a Board member of Biola University’s Alumni Association. He is a member of the Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Community Advisory Committee. David is a member of his church’s leadership team and also serves on the United States Selective Service System’s Local Board.

David has been married for over nine years to Emily, a Santa Ana school teacher. They are homeowners in Santa Ana and the proud parents of their daughter, Anaís, 4 years, and son, Aedan, 9 months.