Re-elect State Senator Henry Stern to keep SD-27 on the right track for progress.
Sen. Henry Stern’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of SD-27 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Sen. Stern has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Environmental Voters, Stonewall Democratic Club, and Equality California, as well as labor unions like United Farm Workers, AFSCME, United Healthcare Workers West, and SEIU.
Top issues: Green energy, climate resiliency, public utilities, health care.
Priority bills: This year, Sen. Stern’s priorities for SD-27 have included 17 bills about reducing emissions, strengthening incentives for green energy for individuals, increasing penalties for polluting corporations, making health care (including medical marijuana) easier to access, and climate research. All currently remain in committee. He earned the designation as an All-Star on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, for authoring and voting on key bills in 2023. Stern scores a Lifetime Score of 86 out of 100 on Courage Score for supporting the most progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, Sen. Stern has not supported and abstained from several votes on criminal justice reform in previous years.
Committee leadership/membership: Sen. Stern currently sits on 3 committees, including Judiciary, Natural Resources and Water, and Energy, Utilities, and Communications. He also chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: Sen. Stern has served in this state Senate seat since 2016, when he was elected with over 55% of the vote. In 2020, he won his re-election against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Sen. Stern was an environmental lawyer and high school teacher. He served as an attorney on Capitol Hill before pursuing civil rights and environmental law back in California. He is a longtime supporter of environmental protections, and has received annual recognition from Sierra Club and California Environmental Justice Alliance for his work in the legislature, and has authored legislation providing incentives and requirements for clean energy. As a state Senator, he serves as the Senate’s Ex Oficio member to the California Air Resources Board.
Other background: Sen. Stern is from New York and was raised in California. He earned his BA from Harvard and his law degree from UC Berkeley.
The Race
Primary election: There are 3 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Sen. Henry Stern (D), Lucie Volotzky (R), and Susan Collins (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Stern’s campaign has raised $181,901. He has accepted donations from corporate PACs, the fossil fuel industry, the real estate industry, and the police.
Opposing candidate: Republicans Lucie Volotzky and Susan Collins
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Collins’s campaign has raised $62,211 and is funded by the police. She has also loaned more than $35,000 to her own campaign. Volotzky’s campaign has raised $6,912, nearly half of which she has loaned from her own pocket.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 27th State Senate District includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Voter registration: 47% Democrat, 24% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 18% Latino, 11% Asian, and 5% Black.
Recent election results: SD-27 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 21 points.
The Position
State senators 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 Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 930,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate's 40 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to two four-year terms (eight years) in the Senate. 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 two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 9 seats.
Re-elect State Senator Henry Stern to keep SD-27 on the right track for progress.
Sen. Henry Stern’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of SD-27 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Sen. Stern has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Environmental Voters, Stonewall Democratic Club, and Equality California, as well as labor unions like United Farm Workers, AFSCME, United Healthcare Workers West, and SEIU.
Top issues: Green energy, climate resiliency, public utilities, health care.
Priority bills: This year, Sen. Stern’s priorities for SD-27 have included 17 bills about reducing emissions, strengthening incentives for green energy for individuals, increasing penalties for polluting corporations, making health care (including medical marijuana) easier to access, and climate research. All currently remain in committee. He earned the designation as an All-Star on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records, for authoring and voting on key bills in 2023. Stern scores a Lifetime Score of 86 out of 100 on Courage Score for supporting the most progressive bills that made it to a vote. That said, Sen. Stern has not supported and abstained from several votes on criminal justice reform in previous years.
Committee leadership/membership: Sen. Stern currently sits on 3 committees, including Judiciary, Natural Resources and Water, and Energy, Utilities, and Communications. He also chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: Sen. Stern has served in this state Senate seat since 2016, when he was elected with over 55% of the vote. In 2020, he won his re-election against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, Sen. Stern was an environmental lawyer and high school teacher. He served as an attorney on Capitol Hill before pursuing civil rights and environmental law back in California. He is a longtime supporter of environmental protections, and has received annual recognition from Sierra Club and California Environmental Justice Alliance for his work in the legislature, and has authored legislation providing incentives and requirements for clean energy. As a state Senator, he serves as the Senate’s Ex Oficio member to the California Air Resources Board.
Other background: Sen. Stern is from New York and was raised in California. He earned his BA from Harvard and his law degree from UC Berkeley.
The Race
Primary election: There are 3 candidates running in the March 5 primary, including incumbent Sen. Henry Stern (D), Lucie Volotzky (R), and Susan Collins (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Sen. Stern’s campaign has raised $181,901. He has accepted donations from corporate PACs, the fossil fuel industry, the real estate industry, and the police.
Opposing candidate: Republicans Lucie Volotzky and Susan Collins
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Collins’s campaign has raised $62,211 and is funded by the police. She has also loaned more than $35,000 to her own campaign. Volotzky’s campaign has raised $6,912, nearly half of which she has loaned from her own pocket.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 27th State Senate District includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Voter registration: 47% Democrat, 24% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 18% Latino, 11% Asian, and 5% Black.
Recent election results: SD-27 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 29 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 21 points.
The Position
State senators 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 Senate has 40 districts. Each represents a population of about 930,000 Californians. Representatives are elected to the Senate for a four-year term. Every two years, half of the Senate's 40 seats are subject to election. Members elected before 2012 are restricted to two four-year terms (eight years) in the Senate. 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 two-thirds supermajority of 31 seats in the California State Senate, while Republicans hold 9 seats.