49th Assembly District

Ed Chau is from Hong Kong, grew up in Los Angeles and currently resides in Arcadia, CA. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2012.

In the assembly, he has advanced legislation to protect consumer privacy, address elder abuse, increase access to healthcare, and protect peoples’ voting rights. Chau currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, and the Assembly Select Committee on Emerging Technologies and Innovation. Prior to his election to the State Assembly, he served on the Montebello Unified School District Board of Education and as a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Chau is being challenged by Bryan Perez (D), Pricilla Silva (D), and Burton Brink (R). He has a lifetime score of 93 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator’s progressive voting record. Based on this analysis, Chau has consistently shown great courage advocating for the needs of his constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians.

According to our analysis, Chau is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Representative Adam Schiff is from Framingham, MA, and currently resides in Burbank, CA. He is the incumbent, having served in Congress since 2001. According to his campaign materials, Schiff is running for re-election to advocate for working-class families, equality, and sensible policies on issues from gun violence to climate change. 

In Congress, Rep. Schiff has advanced legislation to bring good-paying jobs to his district, increase access to affordable education, and improve environmental protections. Rep. Schiff currently serves as Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, where he has skillfully led the impeachment inquiry into the current President’s abuse of power. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Schiff served as a State Senator and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. 

Rep. Schiff supports progressive education, immigration, and environmental policies. That said, he has cast unfavorable votes on issues pertaining to military spending and the use of military force. 

Rep. Schiff is running against Chad D. Anderson (D), Sal Genovese (D), Ara Khachig Manoogian (D), G. "Maebe A. Girl" Pudlo (D), William Bodell (R), Eric Early (R), and Jennifer Barbosa (NPP). Though we disagree with Rep. Schiff’s past hawkish foreign policy votes, his highly effective management of the impeachment inquiry, position of power in Congress, and community support helps advance progress and makes him the strongest choice in this race.
 

Representative Pete Aguilar is a fourth-generation San Bernardino county resident and currently resides in Redlands, CA. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2015. According to campaign materials, he is running to keep his seat because he understands the problems families in his community face and knows how to bring people together to solve hardships.

In Congress, Rep. Aguilar has worked to expand economic opportunities, protect veterans, and fix the country’s broken immigration system. Furthermore, he has successfully fought to defend programs such as Medicare and Social Security from ongoing GOP attacks. Rep. Aguilar currently serves as Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and sits on three additional subcommittees. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as the Mayor of Redlands, where he developed a reputation as someone who brings people together on behalf of his community to increase economic opportunities and solve issues pertaining to public safety and public health.

Rep. Aguilar has progressive positions when it comes to increasing access to educational opportunities, preserving the environment, and fixing the country’s broken immigration system. That said, he has voted against key progressive bills on military spending, taxation policy, and limiting payments from health savings accounts for medication.

Rep. Aguilar is being challenged by Agnes Gibboney (R). According to recent election results, Democrats can win this seat but it's often a close race. Though we disagree with Rep. Aguilar’s votes pertaining to military spending, taxation policy, and healthcare, his relationships with partners, strong base in a moderate district and progressive stance on issues like education, immigration and environmental protections make him the best choice in this race.
 

Representative Linda Sánchez is from Orange, CA, just south of the district. She is the incumbent, having served in Congress since 2003. According to campaign materials, Rep. Sánchez is running for re-election to improve the lives of families in her district by making Southern California a better place to live and work for everyone.

In Congress, Rep. Sánchez has advanced legislation to improve workplace safety, address cyber-bullying, and has worked to bring government and business together to bring good-paying jobs to her district. Rep. Sánchez sits on the Ways and Means Committee and the subcommittees on Oversight, Select Revenue Measures, and Social Security. Additionally, she serves as the Vice-Chair of LGBT Equality Caucus and was the former Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Prior to her election to Congress, she served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Labor Council, AFL-CIO. 

Rep. Sánchez is being challenged by Michael Tolar (D). Challenger critiques of Sánchez include concerns about her sizable campaign donations from special interests and her inability to quickly enact large structural change. According to recent election results, Democrats usually win this seat.

Rep. Sánchez is the best progressive choice because of her positions of power in Congress, relationships with partners and her vision to advance progressive policies that improve the lives of people in her district. According to our analysis, Rep. Sánchez is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.

George Gascón, a Cuban immigrant and longtime LAPD police officer, is known as a groundbreaking progressive leader in criminal justice reform in the country. Gascón is running for District Attorney in Los Angeles because he believes the way the criminal justice system operates in Los Angeles must change.

George Gascón moved back to L.A. to run for District Attorney because of his passion for the city, leaving his role as District Attorney in San Francisco, where he was appointed district attorney in 2011 and was re-elected twice. As SF District Attorney, Gascón led a slate of progressive reforms including lowering incarceration rates, expunging more than 9,000 marijuana convictions dating back to 1975, and launching a first-of-its-kind website that provides data on prosecutions, caseloads, and trial outcomes in order to increase accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system.

Gascón started his career as a beat cop in Los Angeles. His trajectory took him to the top of the LAPD, where as Assistant Chief, he oversaw operations the more than 9,000 officers in the LAPD. Throughout his career, Gascón has demonstrated the ability to think in new ways about seemingly intractable problems in criminal justice, and to create meaningful change in the culture and operations of police departments including the LAPD, the Mesa Police Department, and the SFPD. In 2011, then-California Attorney General Gavin Newsom tapped Gascón to be San Francisco District Attorney where he has become known as a visionary in criminal justice reform.

Gascón is challenging incumbent Jackie Lacey, who has consistently resisted public pressure to hold police accountable for the more than 550 people who have been killed by police in Los Angeles County since her election in 2013. Other candidates include public defender, Rachel A. Rossi. Gascón is the strongest progressive choice for district attorney because of his visionary leadership and outstanding track record in criminal justice reform, as well as his experience and demonstrated ability to adapt.

According to our analysis, Gascón is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Los Angeles County Bar Association ranking: QUALIFIED

Emily Cole has spent 13 years as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. She was born and raised in Los Angeles County and received her undergraduate degree at San Francisco State University and her law degree from Golden Gate University. 

Cole currently specializes in the prosecution of sex crimes and domestic violence and has tried high profile cases, including the prosecution of Dino Guglielmelli, a wealthy businessman that tired to hire a hitman to kill his wife. She also led the prosecution of Shehada Issa in 2017, who was found guilty of murdering his wife and son and was sentenced to life in prison. 

This is an open seat, and Cole is running against one challenger: “Judge” Mike Cummins, who is a retired judge and attorney. Cummins has been rated as NOT QUALIFIED by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Cummins has run unsuccessfully for numerous offices, including San Luis Obispo County District Attorney in 2018. 

According to our analysis, Cole represents the best choice for judge in this race.