Re-elect Assemblymember Boerner to keep AD-77 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Tasha Boerner’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of AD-77. While she has opposed some significant progressive legislation during her time in the assembly, our analysis shows that she will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district if she is subjected to increased community accountability.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Boerner has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and Sierra Club California.
Top issues: Climate and public lands protection, education, public safety and emergency response, economic and job growth, veterans’ services, homelessness and housing, taxation, and public transparency.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Boerner’s priorities for AD-77 have included 23 bills about homelessness and housing, taxation, medical transportation, and coastal resources. Of these, eight have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to eliminate surprise ambulance billing, support coastal landslide and erosion-warning processes, update housing inspection procedures, and expand the presumptive eligibility of Medi-Cal to include all pregnant people. She scores a Lifetime CS of 82 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Boerner has supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote. She has generally opposed criminal-justice reform during her time in the Assembly, including failing to vote on prohibiting the use of facial-recognition software in body-worn cameras, allowing resentencing for individuals impacted by firearm sentence enhancements, making the California Racial Justice Act retroactive, expunging and sealing records of those who have completed their sentence, expanding compassionate release considerations, and protecting individuals who are eligible for prison release from being transferred to immigration detention. Assm. Boerner has also failed to vote for social and racial justice legislation this session, including bills to prohibit discrimination based on caste, and protect the digital data of out-of-state patients seeking abortion or gender-affirming care in California.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Boerner currently sits on 14 committees, including Local Government, Military & Veterans Affairs, and Health. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Communications & Conveyance, and chair of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Boerner has served in the Assembly since 2018, when she was elected with over 54% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Boerner was a member of the Encinitas City Council. She also brought her leadership to her work as a marketing communications and strategic-planning professional with several global companies. She has served in local leadership as a member of a PTA board, and a safe-routes advocate for a local pedestrian and cycling option.
Other background: Assm. Boerner is from Encinitas, where her family has lived for four generations. She also lived in Europe for twelve years.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Tasha Boerner (D), Herbert James Brown (R), and Henny Kupferstein (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Boerner’s campaign has raised $225,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by real estate interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Neither 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 77th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego County.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 26% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Republicans held this seat until incumbent Assm. Brian Maienschein switched parties in 2020 and won reelection as a Democrat.
District demographics: 12% Latino, 9% Asian, and 3% Black.
Recent election results: AD-77 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 32 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 20 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 Boerner to keep AD-77 on the right track for progress.
Assm. Tasha Boerner’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a representative voice for the constituents of AD-77. While she has opposed some significant progressive legislation during her time in the assembly, our analysis shows that she will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district if she is subjected to increased community accountability.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. Boerner has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and Sierra Club California.
Top issues: Climate and public lands protection, education, public safety and emergency response, economic and job growth, veterans’ services, homelessness and housing, taxation, and public transparency.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. Boerner’s priorities for AD-77 have included 23 bills about homelessness and housing, taxation, medical transportation, and coastal resources. Of these, eight have been successfully chaptered into law, two have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to eliminate surprise ambulance billing, support coastal landslide and erosion-warning processes, update housing inspection procedures, and expand the presumptive eligibility of Medi-Cal to include all pregnant people. She scores a Lifetime CS of 82 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Boerner has supported some progressive bills that made it to a vote. She has generally opposed criminal-justice reform during her time in the Assembly, including failing to vote on prohibiting the use of facial-recognition software in body-worn cameras, allowing resentencing for individuals impacted by firearm sentence enhancements, making the California Racial Justice Act retroactive, expunging and sealing records of those who have completed their sentence, expanding compassionate release considerations, and protecting individuals who are eligible for prison release from being transferred to immigration detention. Assm. Boerner has also failed to vote for social and racial justice legislation this session, including bills to prohibit discrimination based on caste, and protect the digital data of out-of-state patients seeking abortion or gender-affirming care in California.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. Boerner currently sits on 14 committees, including Local Government, Military & Veterans Affairs, and Health. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Communications & Conveyance, and chair of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. Boerner has served in the Assembly since 2018, when she was elected with over 54% of the vote. In 2022, she won her re-election against a Republican challenger by 20 points.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Assm. Boerner was a member of the Encinitas City Council. She also brought her leadership to her work as a marketing communications and strategic-planning professional with several global companies. She has served in local leadership as a member of a PTA board, and a safe-routes advocate for a local pedestrian and cycling option.
Other background: Assm. Boerner is from Encinitas, where her family has lived for four generations. She also lived in Europe for twelve years.
The Race
Primary election: There are three candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Tasha Boerner (D), Herbert James Brown (R), and Henny Kupferstein (D). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. Boerner’s campaign has raised $225,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by real estate interests.
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Neither 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 77th Assembly District includes parts of San Diego County.
Voter registration: 43% Democrat, 26% Republican, and 25% No Party Preference. Republicans held this seat until incumbent Assm. Brian Maienschein switched parties in 2020 and won reelection as a Democrat.
District demographics: 12% Latino, 9% Asian, and 3% Black.
Recent election results: AD-77 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 32 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 20 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.