Evan Low
Re-elect State Assemblymember Evan Low to keep AD-28 on the right track.
About the Position
State Assembly Members form part of the California State Legislature, and work alongside the governor to establish laws and a state budget. They hold the power to pass bills that affect public policy, set state spending levels, raise and lower taxes, and uphold or override the governor’s vetoes. The California State Assembly has 80 districts. Each represents a population of at least 465,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Assembly for a two-year term. Every two years, all 80 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years) in the Assembly. Those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years total across both the State Senate and Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a two-thirds supermajority of 61 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats. One seat is held by an Independent, and one seat is currently vacant.
About the District
California's 28th Assembly District includes parts of Santa Clara County and parts of the cities of Cupertino and San Jose. Democrats typically hold this district. The most recent election results show 70.6 percent of AD-28 voted for Clinton for president in 2016, and 69.6 percent of the district voted for Newsom for governor in 2018.
About the Race
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Low led Republican challenger Carlos Rafael Cruz by a margin of 47.6 percent. Low’s campaign has raised $1,248,667.17, has not pledged to refuse corporate PAC, fossil fuel, or police money, and has received funding from all three groups. Cruz’s campaign has not made any filings about their campaign contributions. Cruz has also not pledged to refuse corporate PAC, fossil fuel, or police money.
About the Candidate
Evan Low was born and raised in the Bay Area. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2014. According to campaign materials, he is running to continue serving his home community and working toward equitable solutions for his constituents.
In the State Assembly, Rep. Low has worked to strengthen protections for the LGBTQIA+ community, pushed for more affordable housing, and has passed bills to protect victims of crime and human trafficking. Rep. Low has been a responsive legislator, working to improve college admissions reform since early 2019, and establishing the California Legislative Technology & Innovation Caucus.
Rep. Low’s priorities for AD-28 this year include environmental protection, housing, LGBTQIA+ rights, and technology. He currently sits on six committees, and chairs the Business and Professions Committee. Rep. Low has co-sponsored two bills about expanding affordable housing this year. He scores a lifetime 79 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Rep. Low has supported the most progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, Rep. Low has not supported several bills that would provide for key oversight of the police, increase employer responsibility to prevent workplace harassment, and to limit the establishment and operation of charter schools in the state.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Low was the first Asian-American and openly gay person to be elected to the Campbell City Council. He later served as mayor of Campbell and was a community college instructor at De Anza Community College.
Rep. Low is endorsed by many progressive groups in the district. He is also endorsed by a police group. However, the threat of Republican challenger and strong Trump supporter Cruz’s potential policies greatly outweighs Low’s moderate voting record and inaction on police accountability and workplace harassment. According to our analysis, Rep. Low is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.