Re-elect Assemblymember Lisa Calderon to keep AD-56 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Lisa Calderon’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for AD-56. However, given her record on progressive bills last session, it is important that voters continue to hold her accountable to ensure that her legislative efforts remain in the best interests of AD-56 constituents.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Calderon has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, and AFSCME California. In previous elections, she has also received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including Los Angeles City Council member Gil Cedillo, who has come under fire for his close ties to real estate development.
Top issues: Protections for vulnerable youth, education, health care, insurance, emergency management and planning, and social service resources.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Calderon’s priorities for AD-56 have included 20 bills about health care, insurance, emergency management, school resources, and protections for incarcerated people. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to extend the use of prepaid debit cards for disability payments through 2025, require health plans to develop maternal and infant health equity programs, and develop new research on the possible uses of fusion energy in California’s power supply. She scores a CS of 77 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Calderon has supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote. In 2023, she failed to cast a vote on several critical pieces of legislation, including bills to support a statewide SWOT analysis of affordable housing initiatives, cap security deposits to no more than one month of rent, prohibit the use of facial-recognition software on police body cameras, and outlaw police searches without a warrant.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Calderon currently sits on six committees, including Emergency Management, Human Services, and Utilities and Energy. She is chair of the Standing Committee on Insurance, and a member of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Calderon has served in this assembly seat since 2020, when she was elected with over 60% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 17 points. She was appointed to a four-year term as a commissioner on the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls by former Assembly Speaker Rendon.
Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Assm. Calderon served as a legislative aide before working for decades as a manager with Southern California Edison. As a government affairs manager with Edison, she ran their corporate PAC. Her connection to corporate and fossil fuel interests raises concerns, especially given that her campaign has received large donations from corporations and organizations with ties to the fossil fuel industry. She organized against California’s Prop 187, which aimed to bar undocumented immigrants from accessing public services, often through racial profiling.
Other background: Assm. Calderon is from the Central Valley and has lived in the district for 30 years. She is the daughter of farm laborers.
The Race
Primary election: There are four candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Lisa Calderon (D), Jessica Martinez (R), Audrey Hazel Ruiz (D), and Natasha Serrano (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Calderon’s campaign has raised $436,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: None of the challengers in this race have filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 56th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 49% Democrat, 21% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 55% Latino, 27% Asian, and 2% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-56 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 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.
Re-elect Assemblymember Lisa Calderon to keep AD-56 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Lisa Calderon’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for AD-56. However, given her record on progressive bills last session, it is important that voters continue to hold her accountable to ensure that her legislative efforts remain in the best interests of AD-56 constituents.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Calderon has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, and AFSCME California. In previous elections, she has also received endorsements from problematic stakeholders, including Los Angeles City Council member Gil Cedillo, who has come under fire for his close ties to real estate development.
Top issues: Protections for vulnerable youth, education, health care, insurance, emergency management and planning, and social service resources.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Calderon’s priorities for AD-56 have included 20 bills about health care, insurance, emergency management, school resources, and protections for incarcerated people. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to extend the use of prepaid debit cards for disability payments through 2025, require health plans to develop maternal and infant health equity programs, and develop new research on the possible uses of fusion energy in California’s power supply. She scores a CS of 77 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Calderon has supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote. In 2023, she failed to cast a vote on several critical pieces of legislation, including bills to support a statewide SWOT analysis of affordable housing initiatives, cap security deposits to no more than one month of rent, prohibit the use of facial-recognition software on police body cameras, and outlaw police searches without a warrant.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Calderon currently sits on six committees, including Emergency Management, Human Services, and Utilities and Energy. She is chair of the Standing Committee on Insurance, and a member of the California Legislative Latino Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Calderon has served in this assembly seat since 2020, when she was elected with over 60% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 17 points. She was appointed to a four-year term as a commissioner on the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls by former Assembly Speaker Rendon.
Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Assm. Calderon served as a legislative aide before working for decades as a manager with Southern California Edison. As a government affairs manager with Edison, she ran their corporate PAC. Her connection to corporate and fossil fuel interests raises concerns, especially given that her campaign has received large donations from corporations and organizations with ties to the fossil fuel industry. She organized against California’s Prop 187, which aimed to bar undocumented immigrants from accessing public services, often through racial profiling.
Other background: Assm. Calderon is from the Central Valley and has lived in the district for 30 years. She is the daughter of farm laborers.
The Race
Primary election: There are four candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Lisa Calderon (D), Jessica Martinez (R), Audrey Hazel Ruiz (D), and Natasha Serrano (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Calderon’s campaign has raised $436,000 as of December 2023, and is funded by police, fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: None of the challengers in this race have filed any campaign fundraising receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 56th Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 49% Democrat, 21% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 55% Latino, 27% Asian, and 2% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California Assembly delegation.
Recent election results: AD-56 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 33 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 18 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.