No Recommendation
AD19 - No Recommendation
Based on our analysis, the two Democratic candidates for this position have distinct visions for the district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood and Equality California, as well as labor unions like SEIU, National Union of Healthcare Workers, San Francisco Labor Council, and California Labor Council. She has also been endorsed by elected officials like State Controller Malia Cohen, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
David Lee has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Clean Water Action and California Faculty Association. He has also been endorsed by elected officials like incumbent Assemblymember Phil Ting, Assemblymember and Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon, and San Francisco County Supervisor Connie Chan.
Key initiatives: As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Stefani has chaired the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. She has supported survivors of domestic violence and authored legislation to provide resources like legal aid and counseling to victims of crimes. Stefani has been a longtime supporter of gun legislation, and founded the San Francisco chapter of Moms Demand Action. On the Board of Supervisors, she passed legislation to ban ghost guns in the city.
Lee has not previously served in elected office.
Governance and community leadership experience: Stefani has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2018, and has been considered the most conservative member of the board. Although she has voiced concern over the housing crisis, her record is mixed. In 2020, she was the only supervisor to vote against a citywide eviction moratorium in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was personally sued by a tenant for wrongful eviction. Stefani has supported more policing and was the first supervisor to endorse the recall of former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. She was believed to be a top candidate for Mayor London Breed’s appointment to replace him. Stefani was appointed as the San Francisco County Clerk by the late Mayor Ed Lee in 2016.
Lee is a lecturer, college administrator, and executive director of the nonprofit Chinese American Voters Education Committee. He has been a longtime supporter of efforts to increase civic engagement for underserved communities. As executive director, Lee has successfully increased Asian American voting participation. He organized voter-registration drives at Asian American cultural centers and community hubs, as well as public service campaigns in Chinese and Tagalog. In addition to his voter registration and engagement work with the Asian American community, he has also advocated for a ballot initiative that would have required a livestream of city government.
Other background: Stefani is a former prosecutor and is from Merced, CA.
Lee is from the Richmond district of San Francisco.
The Race
Primary election: There are 4 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Catherine Stefani (D), David Lee (D), and Arjun Sodhani (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Stefani’s campaign has raised $528,922 and is not funded by the fossil fuel industry. She has received donations from corporate PACs and the police, and has also accepted nearly $40,000 from the real estate industry. Lee’s campaign has raised $200,400 and is not funded by the fossil fuel industry, corporate PACs, or the police. He has accepted donations from the real estate industry.
Opposing candidate: Republicans Arjun Sodhani and Nadia Flamenco
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: As of December 2023, neither Republican has filed any donation receipts.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 19th Assembly District includes parts of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.
Voter registration: 61% Democrat, 9% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 12% Latino, 43% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Asian-American seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-19 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 66 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 63 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 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.
AD19 - No Recommendation
Based on our analysis, the two Democratic candidates for this position have distinct visions for the district. We recommend that you choose the candidate who best aligns to your values in this race.
Endorsements: San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Planned Parenthood and Equality California, as well as labor unions like SEIU, National Union of Healthcare Workers, San Francisco Labor Council, and California Labor Council. She has also been endorsed by elected officials like State Controller Malia Cohen, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Matt Haney, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
David Lee has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Clean Water Action and California Faculty Association. He has also been endorsed by elected officials like incumbent Assemblymember Phil Ting, Assemblymember and Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon, and San Francisco County Supervisor Connie Chan.
Key initiatives: As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Stefani has chaired the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. She has supported survivors of domestic violence and authored legislation to provide resources like legal aid and counseling to victims of crimes. Stefani has been a longtime supporter of gun legislation, and founded the San Francisco chapter of Moms Demand Action. On the Board of Supervisors, she passed legislation to ban ghost guns in the city.
Lee has not previously served in elected office.
Governance and community leadership experience: Stefani has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2018, and has been considered the most conservative member of the board. Although she has voiced concern over the housing crisis, her record is mixed. In 2020, she was the only supervisor to vote against a citywide eviction moratorium in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was personally sued by a tenant for wrongful eviction. Stefani has supported more policing and was the first supervisor to endorse the recall of former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. She was believed to be a top candidate for Mayor London Breed’s appointment to replace him. Stefani was appointed as the San Francisco County Clerk by the late Mayor Ed Lee in 2016.
Lee is a lecturer, college administrator, and executive director of the nonprofit Chinese American Voters Education Committee. He has been a longtime supporter of efforts to increase civic engagement for underserved communities. As executive director, Lee has successfully increased Asian American voting participation. He organized voter-registration drives at Asian American cultural centers and community hubs, as well as public service campaigns in Chinese and Tagalog. In addition to his voter registration and engagement work with the Asian American community, he has also advocated for a ballot initiative that would have required a livestream of city government.
Other background: Stefani is a former prosecutor and is from Merced, CA.
Lee is from the Richmond district of San Francisco.
The Race
Primary election: There are 4 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Catherine Stefani (D), David Lee (D), and Arjun Sodhani (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Stefani’s campaign has raised $528,922 and is not funded by the fossil fuel industry. She has received donations from corporate PACs and the police, and has also accepted nearly $40,000 from the real estate industry. Lee’s campaign has raised $200,400 and is not funded by the fossil fuel industry, corporate PACs, or the police. He has accepted donations from the real estate industry.
Opposing candidate: Republicans Arjun Sodhani and Nadia Flamenco
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: As of December 2023, neither Republican has filed any donation receipts.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 19th Assembly District includes parts of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.
Voter registration: 61% Democrat, 9% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 12% Latino, 43% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Asian-American seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-19 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 66 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 63 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 60 seats in the California State Assembly, while Republicans hold 19 seats and one seat is held by an Independent.