Based on our analysis, there is no progressive candidate to recommend for your vote in this race.
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 77th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego County. Republicans held this district from 2012 to 2019, when Rep. Brian Maienschein changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic. The most recent election results show AD-76 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.
About the Race
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Brian Maeinschein led Republican challenger June Yang Cutter by a margin of 15 percent. Maeinschein’s campaign has raised $851,134 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Cutter’s campaign has raised $345,505 and has also not committed to any campaign finance pledges.
About the Candidate
Rep. Brian Maeinschein is the incumbent, having served as assemblymember since 2012. In 2019, Rep. Maeinschein changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic with little change in voting habits. He scores a lifetime 19 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Rep. Maeinschein voted no on almost all progressive bills that made it to a vote from 2012 to 2018. In 2019, he scored a 53 out of 100, but abstained from many votes, including strengthening emissions and food-safety regulations, banning biometric surveillance and facial recognition from use in police body cameras, prohibiting no-rehire provisions that bar victims of mistreatment from employment with the offending company, and preventing dialysis companies from steering patients away from Medi-Cal to boost profits. Rep. Maeinschein cast No votes on repealing sentencing enhancements for those with prior offenses and prohibiting the state from charging admin fees to inmates for medical visits. He also notably abstained from several final votes on bills he had previously supported, such as capping rent increases and requiring landlords to provide just cause for evictions.
A review of Rep. Brain Maeinschein’s financial disclosures reveals donations from Chevron, BP North America, Exxon Mobil, PG&E, Edison International, Walmart, Pfizer, Clorox, Phillip Morris, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Organization, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Association of Licensed Investigators, and the California Charter Schools Association. His campaigns have accepted a total of $720,866 from pharmaceutical and health-care interests and a total of $231,746 from real estate and property development/management interests. While we recognize some of Rep. Maeinschein’s voting tendencies have changed since his switch to the Democratic party, a comparison of his voting record with his campaign’s financial disclosures indicates the continued influence of problematic corporate PACs and industries.
Because the Democratic candidate in this race is considered to be a safe win in this district, we feel comfortable providing no recommendation in this race. Keep reading for progressive recommendations in other key races and on ballot measures where your vote can make a critical difference.
Based on our analysis, there is no progressive candidate to recommend for your vote in this race.
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 77th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego County. Republicans held this district from 2012 to 2019, when Rep. Brian Maienschein changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic. The most recent election results show AD-76 voted for Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018.
About the Race
In the primary, Democrat incumbent Representative Brian Maeinschein led Republican challenger June Yang Cutter by a margin of 15 percent. Maeinschein’s campaign has raised $851,134 and has not committed to any campaign finance pledges. Cutter’s campaign has raised $345,505 and has also not committed to any campaign finance pledges.
About the Candidate
Rep. Brian Maeinschein is the incumbent, having served as assemblymember since 2012. In 2019, Rep. Maeinschein changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic with little change in voting habits. He scores a lifetime 19 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Rep. Maeinschein voted no on almost all progressive bills that made it to a vote from 2012 to 2018. In 2019, he scored a 53 out of 100, but abstained from many votes, including strengthening emissions and food-safety regulations, banning biometric surveillance and facial recognition from use in police body cameras, prohibiting no-rehire provisions that bar victims of mistreatment from employment with the offending company, and preventing dialysis companies from steering patients away from Medi-Cal to boost profits. Rep. Maeinschein cast No votes on repealing sentencing enhancements for those with prior offenses and prohibiting the state from charging admin fees to inmates for medical visits. He also notably abstained from several final votes on bills he had previously supported, such as capping rent increases and requiring landlords to provide just cause for evictions.
A review of Rep. Brain Maeinschein’s financial disclosures reveals donations from Chevron, BP North America, Exxon Mobil, PG&E, Edison International, Walmart, Pfizer, Clorox, Phillip Morris, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Organization, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Association of Licensed Investigators, and the California Charter Schools Association. His campaigns have accepted a total of $720,866 from pharmaceutical and health-care interests and a total of $231,746 from real estate and property development/management interests. While we recognize some of Rep. Maeinschein’s voting tendencies have changed since his switch to the Democratic party, a comparison of his voting record with his campaign’s financial disclosures indicates the continued influence of problematic corporate PACs and industries.
Because the Democratic candidate in this race is considered to be a safe win in this district, we feel comfortable providing no recommendation in this race. Keep reading for progressive recommendations in other key races and on ballot measures where your vote can make a critical difference.