Reelect Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi to keep AD-66 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Al Muratsuchi has been a frequent recipient of donations from a variety of problematic funders, including Calpine Corporation, Los Angeles Police Protective League PAC, California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC, and Edison International. Given Assm. Muratsuchi’s connection to these groups, it is important that voters continue to hold him accountable to ensure that his legislative efforts remain in the best interest of AD-66 constituents instead of wealthy special interests.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Muratsuchi has the endorsement of some groups, including California Teachers Association, California Environmental Voters, SEIU California, and Equality California. He has also received problematic endorsements from several police organizations, including Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, and California Association of Highway Patrolmen.
Top issues: Public utilities, environmental and climate protections, education and workforce development, military and veterans, and homelessness and housing.
Priority bills: This legislative session, Assm. Muratsuchi’s priorities for AD-66 have included 57 bills about environmental protection, education, and homelessness. Of these, 10 have been successfully chaptered into law, 15 have died, and the rest remain in committee. In 2023, he sponsored and passed legislation to create a competitive grant program to support the establishment of community-based homeless services, provide compensation to student teachers completing their training hours, adjust and boost Career and Technical Education programs in the K–12 system, and address clean energy and emissions. In 2024, he proposed legislation to require board of education members to undergo training in public-education governance law, require the California Department of Education to develop an implementation plan for the English Learner Roadmap, establish rent caps for mobile homes, and create a plan for measuring cumulative emissions at California ports. He scored a CS of 80 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Muratsuchi supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote last year. He failed to cast a vote on several critical pieces of legislation, including bills to prohibit the use of facial-recognition software in police body cameras, protect individuals seeking out-of-state abortion or gender-affirming care from having their data shared with their state of residence, and ban warrantless searches.
Member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus?: No
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Muratsuchi currently sits on four committees, including Budget, Natural Resources, and Higher Education. He serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Education, and the Select Committee on Aerospace. In his role with the Select Committee on Aerospace, he has supported the problematic local growth and success of SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, and Northrop Grumman, a defense contractor. Assm. Muratsuchi is a member of the California AAPI Legislative Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Muratsuchi was originally elected to the Assembly in 2012, but lost his 2014 reelection bid to Republican David Hadley by a narrow margin. He regained his seat in the 2016 election, and won his 2020 reelection against Republican Arthur Schaper by 26 points. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Assm. Muratsuchi served as a deputy district attorney with the California Department of Justice. A longtime supporter of education reform, he served on the Torrance School Board, and has authored legislation to increase funding for the K–12 system, and to support career technical education. He was recognized as Legislator of the Year in 2019 by the California School Boards Association for his efforts to improve the education landscape for students and families. Assm. Muratsuchi has also partnered with police to construct criminal-justice bills.
Other background: Assm. Al Muratsuchi is a longtime resident of the South Bay of Los Angeles County.
The Race
Primary election results: The March 2024 results included incumbent Assm. Al Muratsuchi (D) 59%, and George Barks (R) 41%. Assm. Al Muratsuchi and George Barks will contend in a run-off in the November 5 general election.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $393,000 and is not funded by real estate interests. He has received problematic donations from fossil fuel, police, and corporate PAC interests, including Edison International, California Correctional Peace Officers PAC, and AirBnB Inc.
Opposing candidate: Republican George Barks
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Barks’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State as of August 2024.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 66th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 44% Democrat, 26% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 22% Asian, and 5% Black.
Recent election results: AD-66 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 28 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 14 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
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 or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 62 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats and one seat is vacant.
Reelect Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi to keep AD-66 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Al Muratsuchi has been a frequent recipient of donations from a variety of problematic funders, including Calpine Corporation, Los Angeles Police Protective League PAC, California Correctional Peace Officers Association PAC, and Edison International. Given Assm. Muratsuchi’s connection to these groups, it is important that voters continue to hold him accountable to ensure that his legislative efforts remain in the best interest of AD-66 constituents instead of wealthy special interests.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Muratsuchi has the endorsement of some groups, including California Teachers Association, California Environmental Voters, SEIU California, and Equality California. He has also received problematic endorsements from several police organizations, including Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, and California Association of Highway Patrolmen.
Top issues: Public utilities, environmental and climate protections, education and workforce development, military and veterans, and homelessness and housing.
Priority bills: This legislative session, Assm. Muratsuchi’s priorities for AD-66 have included 57 bills about environmental protection, education, and homelessness. Of these, 10 have been successfully chaptered into law, 15 have died, and the rest remain in committee. In 2023, he sponsored and passed legislation to create a competitive grant program to support the establishment of community-based homeless services, provide compensation to student teachers completing their training hours, adjust and boost Career and Technical Education programs in the K–12 system, and address clean energy and emissions. In 2024, he proposed legislation to require board of education members to undergo training in public-education governance law, require the California Department of Education to develop an implementation plan for the English Learner Roadmap, establish rent caps for mobile homes, and create a plan for measuring cumulative emissions at California ports. He scored a CS of 80 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Muratsuchi supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote last year. He failed to cast a vote on several critical pieces of legislation, including bills to prohibit the use of facial-recognition software in police body cameras, protect individuals seeking out-of-state abortion or gender-affirming care from having their data shared with their state of residence, and ban warrantless searches.
Member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus?: No
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Muratsuchi currently sits on four committees, including Budget, Natural Resources, and Higher Education. He serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Education, and the Select Committee on Aerospace. In his role with the Select Committee on Aerospace, he has supported the problematic local growth and success of SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, and Northrop Grumman, a defense contractor. Assm. Muratsuchi is a member of the California AAPI Legislative Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Muratsuchi was originally elected to the Assembly in 2012, but lost his 2014 reelection bid to Republican David Hadley by a narrow margin. He regained his seat in the 2016 election, and won his 2020 reelection against Republican Arthur Schaper by 26 points. In 2022, he won his reelection against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Assm. Muratsuchi served as a deputy district attorney with the California Department of Justice. A longtime supporter of education reform, he served on the Torrance School Board, and has authored legislation to increase funding for the K–12 system, and to support career technical education. He was recognized as Legislator of the Year in 2019 by the California School Boards Association for his efforts to improve the education landscape for students and families. Assm. Muratsuchi has also partnered with police to construct criminal-justice bills.
Other background: Assm. Al Muratsuchi is a longtime resident of the South Bay of Los Angeles County.
The Race
Primary election results: The March 2024 results included incumbent Assm. Al Muratsuchi (D) 59%, and George Barks (R) 41%. Assm. Al Muratsuchi and George Barks will contend in a run-off in the November 5 general election.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Muratsuchi’s campaign has raised $393,000 and is not funded by real estate interests. He has received problematic donations from fossil fuel, police, and corporate PAC interests, including Edison International, California Correctional Peace Officers PAC, and AirBnB Inc.
Opposing candidate: Republican George Barks
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Barks’s campaign has not filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State as of August 2024.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 66th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 44% Democrat, 26% Republican, and 23% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 19% Latino, 22% Asian, and 5% Black.
Recent election results: AD-66 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 28 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 14 points.
The Position
State assemblymembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the California State Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
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 or Assembly. This term, Democrats currently hold a three-quarters supermajority of 62 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 17 seats and one seat is vacant.