What does a California Assemblymember do?

The California Assembly is one-half of our state legislature. Along with the State Senate, it essentially serves as California’s Congress.

State lawmakers draft and pass laws that govern the entire state. These laws can provide benefits that aren’t granted by the federal government, such as paid family leave or in-state tuition for undocumented college students. They can impose rules that apply statewide, like restrictions on buying guns, prohibiting recording calls without consent, or not allowing restaurants to provide single-use plastic straws unless a customer requests it. They can also set minimum standards for the state and allow cities and counties to go further — for instance, the state minimum wage is $15 an hour for businesses with more than 25 employees, but the city of L.A.’s hourly minimum wage went up to $16.04 in July 2022.

There are 80 assembly districts across California, each with its own assemblymember. L.A. County alone has 24 of those districts. Each member serves two-year terms.

If you’ve voted in previous elections, your assembly district may have changed because of last year’s redistricting process, which happens once a decade after the Census count. You can enter your address into this tool from CalMatters to see whether your district has changed.

Around three-quarters of lawmakers in both California’s Assembly and State Senate are Democrats, meaning we don’t just have Democratic majorities, but supermajorities. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy to pass bills, though. There are still divisions among lawmakers that lead to drawn-out arguments and prevent legislation from moving forward.

The candidates you see on your November ballot are the two who received the most votes in the June 7 primary, regardless of their party affiliation. Some of the races have only one candidate on the ballot. The person who wins the most votes in November is the one elected to office.

You might recognize their work from…

In recent years, the legislature has:

• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2021) to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement for California high schoolers
• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2021) allowing duplexes to be built on single-family home lots, effectively ending single-family zoning 
• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2020) to create a task force to determine how the state might deliver reparations to Black descendants of enslaved people

What’s on the agenda for the next term?

California has a lot of problems to tackle — wildfires, climate change, the highest poverty rate in the country, skyrocketing housing prices, threats of new COVID-19 surges, and falling enrollment in public schools and community colleges, to name a few. The legislature will have to figure out ways to address all of these issues and accommodate whatever new problems may arise.

Where do they go from here?

Seats in the state legislature don’t get a lot of attention, but they’re good resume-building positions that can propel people to prominent positions in local, state and federal government. Former California assemblymembers include L.A. mayoral candidates Karen Bass (currently a U.S. representative) and Mike Feuer (currently L.A. city attorney), as well as U.S. Representative and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

More reading

• What Does The California State Legislature Do? (LA Pays Attention): A more in-depth overview of how the legislature works and how to keep tabs on what it’s doing.
• California Legislator Tracker (CalMatters): A tool that tracks where legislators fall on the political spectrum, and which lawmakers have emerged as leaders on specific issues. (Note that this data is based on the 2019-2020 legislature so is not entirely up to date, but a very helpful tool nonetheless.)
• California Politics & Policy: A Primer (CalMatters): An overview of what our state government accomplished in 2021, and developments in major issues from housing to education.
• How Diverse Is The California Legislature? (CalMatters): An interactive tool that lets you input your demographic information — including age, gender, sexual orientation and income — and see how well our state lawmakers reflect those traits.

The Candidates

Here are all the candidates running for 24 Assembly seats in L.A. County. We’ve listed each candidate’s title, party affiliation, campaign website, and campaign finance where information was available. For sitting members of the Assembly, we’ve also included links to their profiles in CalMatters’ Legislator tracker. The top two candidates in each district, regardless of party, will compete in the runoff election in November.

Three races in L.A. County are considered highly competitive: District 34, District 39 and District 40.

Assembly District 34

From CalMatters’ 2022 Voter Guide:

Hot race / Safe Republican

The District
From the San Andreas Fault to the Nevada border, this district takes in almost the entirety of California’s high desert. Portions of Palmdale, Lancaster and Victorville — the region’s most multiethnic and Los Angeles-connected towns — were placed into their own Latino-majority district, leaving this one dominated by San Bernardino County, more rural and more conservative.

Voter registration: 39.3% Republican, 31.5% Democratic, 20.1% no party preference

The Scoop
Primary results: Thurston “Smitty” Smith 31.1%, Tom Lackey 29.7%

The problem with having an independent redistricting commission is that sometimes it really does act independently. Just ask Republican Assemblymembers Lackey and Smith, both residents of this new district. Neither moved, so voters will have to pick their preferred incumbent in November.

Lackey, who started his career as a special education teacher before joining the California Highway Patrol, has been in the Assembly since 2014 and has developed a reputation as a true moderate, in line with his L.A. County-centered district. Smith is a former concrete company owner who has served as mayor of Hesperia in the district’s more populous San Bernardino County side. The chosen successor of Jay Obernolte when he left the Assembly for this region’s congressional seat, Smith is newer to the Capitol and has been the surer conservative vote in Sacramento.

The logic of California’s top-two primary would seem to favor Lackey. Even in this solidly Republican district (Trump beat Biden by 15 percentage points in 2020; in 2018, Newsom lost to Republican John Cox by 25 points), 40% of the primary electorate voted for the two unsuccessful Democrats. Assuming at least some of those Democrats hold their nose and vote for a Republican in November, the more middle of the road Lackey seems the more likely choice. Lackey has also been in Sacramento longer and has the fruitful relationships to prove it: Both the state Realtors and the state prison guards union have spent big to support Lackey, who has the endorsements of Republican U.S. House leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy and state Senate GOP leader Scott Wilk.

But Smith has closer geographic ties to the district. Redistricting stripped Lackey of much of his voter base in Los Angeles County. Born and raised in Hesperia where he went on to serve in various local government positions, he may be the better known name in San Bernardino County, where 60% of the district’s voters reside.

Tom Lackey, Assemblymember (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Tom Lackey's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Lackey's Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Thurston "Smitty" Smith, Assembleymember / Small Businessman (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Thurston Smith's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Smith's Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Assembly District 39

This was a competitive primary race for the Democratic candidacy, but as a majority-Democratic district, the general election is not expected to be competitive.

Juan Carrillo, Councilmember, City of Palmdale (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Juan Carrillo's priorities and experience on Voter’s Edge 

Paul Andre Marsh, Community Services Liason (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Paul Andre Marsh's priorities and experience on Voter’s Edge 

Assembly District 40

From CalMatters’ 2022 Voter Guide:

Hot race / Leans Democratic

The District
Anchored around the former Republican stronghold of Santa Clarita, this district reaches down across the Santa Susana Mountains into the more Democratic-leaning north San Fernando Valley. Voters here should buckle up: This district also overlaps with the more populous corner of the 27th Congressional District, which is certain to be among the most competitive races in the country.

Voter registration: 41.9% Democratic, 29.0% Republican, 22.6% no party preference

The Scoop
Primary results: Suzette Valladares 47.4%, Pilar Schiavo 33.9%

Assemblymember Valladares, a Republican, is perhaps Democrats’ top legislative electoral target. Even without redistricting, she would have been in for a big fight, having won her seat in 2020 after a legion of little-known Democrats divided up the center-left vote. That left Valladares and another Republican vying to represent a Democratic-majority district. With the new electoral map, this district is even bluer. No surprise, in the Legislature, she voted as one of the most moderate Republican members. That has often meant striking a precarious political balance. Case in point, she voted in favor of putting Proposition 1 on the November ballot to make access to abortion a California constitutional right, while stressing that she is personally pro-life and championing the services of a local faith-based pregnancy center.

As the only GOP candidate on the June primary ballot, Valladares earned just shy of half the vote. If Democratic voters turn out in higher numbers in November, as they generally do, that’s an unwelcome indicator for the incumbent.

But if Democrats argue that Valladares is out of step with the politics of the district, many say the same about her challenger, Schiavo. A labor organizer who campaigned for California to adopt a single-payer health insurance system, she easily fended off a more moderate Democrat in the primary with the backing of the California Democratic Party and some of the state’s most progressive organizing groups. Schiavo is counting on the fact that the district isn’t as centrist as its reputation suggests and that, either way, Democrats of all ideological stripes will vote for the party’s candidate.

Pilar Schiavo, nurse Advocate / Businessperson (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Pilar Schiavo's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Suzette Martinez Valladares, Assemblywoman / Educator (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Suzette Martinez Valladares' priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
  

Assembly District 41

Chris Holden, Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Chris Holden's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Holden's Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Michael McMahon, No party affiliation listed

More Resources:

• Read more about Michael McMahon's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 42

Jacqui Irwin, State Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Jacqui Irwin's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Irwin's Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Lori Mills, Businesswoman (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Lori Mills' priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 43

Luz Maria Rivas, Assemblywoman / Science Educator (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Luz Maria Rivas' priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Siaka Massaquoi, Small Business Owner (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Siaka Massaquoi's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 44

Laura Friedman, Member of the State Assembly (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Laura Friedman's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Friedman's Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker
  

Barry Curtis Jacobsen, Business Owner (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Jacobsen’s policy priorities and experience on Voter’s Edge

Assembly District 46

Dana Caruso, Retired Assistant Principal (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Dana Caruso's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Jesse Gabriel, Member of the California State Assembly (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Jesse Gabriel's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Gabriel’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker 
  

Assembly District 48

Ryan Maye, No title listed, (Republican)

Blanca Rubio, Assemblywoman / Teacher (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Blanca Rubio's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Rubio’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker 

Assembly District 49

Burton Brink, Commissioner (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Burton Brink's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Mike Fong, Member of the State Assembly, 49th District (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Mike Fong's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• See Fong’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker 

Assembly District 51

Louis Abramson, Scientist / Community Organizer (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Louis Abramson's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Rick Chavez Zbur, Civil Rights Attorney (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Rick Chavez Zbur's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 52

Wendy Carrillo, Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Wendy Carrillo's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Carrillo’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Mia Livas Porter, Environmental Advocate/Parent (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Mia Livas Porter's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 53

Toni Holle (Republican)

Freddie Rodriguez, Assemblymember/First Responder (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Freddie Rodriguez's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Rodriguez’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker 

Assembly District 54

Elaine Alaniz, Crisis Responder/Filmmaker (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Elaine Alaniz's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Miguel Santiago, Member of the State Assembly (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Miguel Santiago's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Santiago’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker  

Assembly District 55

Keith Girolamo Cascio, Software Developer (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Keith Girolamo Cascio's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Isaac G. Bryan, Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Isaac Bryan's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Bryan’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker  

Assembly District 56

Lisa Calderon, Member of the Assembly (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Lisa Calderon's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Calderon’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker  

Jessica Martinez, City of Whittier Councilmember (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Jessica Martinez's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 57

Reggie Jones-Sawyer, California State Assemblyman (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Reggie Jones-Sawyer's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Jones-Sawyer’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Assembly District 61

Tina Simone McKinnor, California State Assemblywoman (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Tina Simone McKinnor's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Robert Pullen-Miles, Mayor (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Robert Pullen-Miles' priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 62

Maria Estrada, Accountant (Democratic)

Anthony Rendon, Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Anthony Rendon's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Rendon’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker

Assembly District 64

Raul Ortiz, Jr., Pest Control Manager (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Raul Ortiz Jr.'s priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Blanca Pacheco, Downey Mayor/Businesswoman (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Blanca Pacheco's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 65

Mike Anthony Gipson, California State Assemblymember (Democratic)

• Read more about Mike Anthony Gipson's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Gipson’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker  

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Public School Teacher (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Fatima Iqbal-Zubair's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 66

George Barks, Business Owner (Republican)

Al Muratsuchi, South Bay Assemblymember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Al Muratsuchi's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Muratsuchi’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker 

Assembly District 67

Sharon Quirk-Silva, Assemblymember/Teacher (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Sharon Quirk-Silva's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge
• Explore their legislative record
  
  • See Quirk-Silva’s Assembly record via CalMatters’ Legislator Tracker  

Soo Yoo, School Board President (Republican)

More resources:

• Read more about Soo Yoo's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Assembly District 69

Al Austin, II, Long Beach Councilmember (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Al Austin's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

Josh Lowenthal, Small Business Owner (Democratic)

More resources:

• Read more about Josh Lowenthal's priorities and experience on Voter's Edge

More reading about this race:

• Josh Lowenthal, son of Long Beach congressman, throws hat in ring for 69th Assembly District (Press-Telegram)
• Long Beach Councilman Al Austin enters race for new 69th Assembly District (Long Beach Post)
• Another Long Beach Democrat announces run for state Assembly (Press-Telegram)