Tony Cárdenas is poised to help deliver a significant overhaul on an issue that’s very personal to him: immigration. Cárdenas is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition, which seeks to forge consensus with Republicans on what the group calls “pro-economic growth, pro-innovation and fiscally responsible policies.” He graduated from the University of California-Santa Barbara with a degree in electrical engineering and went to work for Hewlett-Packard. He soon switched careers, trying his hand at selling life insurance before going into the real estate business and public office.