Re-elect Assemblymember Tina McKinnor to keep AD-61 on the right track for progress.
Assm. McKinnor’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-61 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. McKinnor has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Courage California, Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California.
Top issues: Housing, criminal-justice reform, climate protections, health care, and equity in the cannabis industry.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. McKinnor’s priorities for AD-61 have included 27 bills about social services, housing, aging and disability resources, and collective bargaining. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, four have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to allow some legislative staff members to unionize, make it easier for individuals released from incarceration to obtain a state-issued ID, extend the window for a family to be reunited in family court by 6 months, and remove old laws that promote segregation and discrimination in housing. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. McKinnor has supported all progressive bills that made it to a vote. She has been designated as a Courage All-Star this session, and is the author of two criminal justice reform bills evaluated for our scorecard, AB1028 and AB1310.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. McKinnor currently sits on 16 committees, including Business and Professions, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, and Governmental Organization. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, Select Committees on 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and Select Committee on Restorative Justice. Assm. McKinnor is also secretary of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. McKinnor has served in this assembly seat since June 2022, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote in a special election to replace AD-62 Assm. Autumn Burke after her mid-term retirement. In the 2022 general election, she won her re-election against a Democratic challenger by 28 points.
Prior to joining the Assembly, Assm. McKinnor was the civic-engagement director for LA Voice and LA Voice Action, an interfaith organization that works with 59 connected congregations in Los Angeles County to bring progressive change to criminal justice, immigration, election reform, and housing reform. She did this work to find diverse and comprehensive solutions to community issues through local collaboration. Assm. McKinnor founded the McKinnor Group, a consulting firm that offers a full spectrum of campaign services to elected officials, candidates, ballot-measure efforts, corporations, non-profits, lobbyists, and other political groups. She has served as a board member with Partnership for Growth LA, and was the operational director for the California Democratic Party. Assm. McKinnor is a collaborative leader, and often seeks input and guidance from individuals and groups that have been directly affected by an issue. She has built a strong network in both the legislative and organizing communities, and has leveraged her deep knowledge of fiscal and people management to create meaningful change.
Other background: Assm. McKinnor has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 30 years.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Tina McKinnor (D) and Alfonso Hernandez (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. McKinnor’s campaign has raised $605,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police interests.
Opposing candidate: Republican Alfonso Hernandez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Hernandez’s campaign has not filed any campaign finance receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 61st Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 63% Democrat, 10% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 34% Latino, 6% Asian, and 34% Black.
Recent election results: AD-61 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 68 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 60 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 Tina McKinnor to keep AD-61 on the right track for progress.
Assm. McKinnor’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that she will continue to be a progressive voice for the constituents of AD-61 and will govern effectively in the best interests of this diverse district.
Progressive endorsements: Assm. McKinnor has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including Courage California, Equality California, California Environmental Voters, and AFSCME California.
Top issues: Housing, criminal-justice reform, climate protections, health care, and equity in the cannabis industry.
Priority bills: This year, Assm. McKinnor’s priorities for AD-61 have included 27 bills about social services, housing, aging and disability resources, and collective bargaining. Of these, six have been successfully chaptered into law, four have been vetoed, and the rest remain in committee. She has sponsored and passed legislation to allow some legislative staff members to unionize, make it easier for individuals released from incarceration to obtain a state-issued ID, extend the window for a family to be reunited in family court by 6 months, and remove old laws that promote segregation and discrimination in housing. She scores a CS of 100 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. McKinnor has supported all progressive bills that made it to a vote. She has been designated as a Courage All-Star this session, and is the author of two criminal justice reform bills evaluated for our scorecard, AB1028 and AB1310.
Committee leadership/membership: Assm. McKinnor currently sits on 16 committees, including Business and Professions, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, and Governmental Organization. She serves as chair of the Standing Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, Select Committees on 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and Select Committee on Restorative Justice. Assm. McKinnor is also secretary of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
Governance and community leadership experience: Assm. McKinnor has served in this assembly seat since June 2022, when she was elected with over 53% of the vote in a special election to replace AD-62 Assm. Autumn Burke after her mid-term retirement. In the 2022 general election, she won her re-election against a Democratic challenger by 28 points.
Prior to joining the Assembly, Assm. McKinnor was the civic-engagement director for LA Voice and LA Voice Action, an interfaith organization that works with 59 connected congregations in Los Angeles County to bring progressive change to criminal justice, immigration, election reform, and housing reform. She did this work to find diverse and comprehensive solutions to community issues through local collaboration. Assm. McKinnor founded the McKinnor Group, a consulting firm that offers a full spectrum of campaign services to elected officials, candidates, ballot-measure efforts, corporations, non-profits, lobbyists, and other political groups. She has served as a board member with Partnership for Growth LA, and was the operational director for the California Democratic Party. Assm. McKinnor is a collaborative leader, and often seeks input and guidance from individuals and groups that have been directly affected by an issue. She has built a strong network in both the legislative and organizing communities, and has leveraged her deep knowledge of fiscal and people management to create meaningful change.
Other background: Assm. McKinnor has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 30 years.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Assm. Tina McKinnor (D) and Alfonso Hernandez (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Assm. McKinnor’s campaign has raised $605,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police interests.
Opposing candidate: Republican Alfonso Hernandez
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Hernandez’s campaign has not filed any campaign finance receipts with the Secretary of State’s office as of December 2023.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 61st Assembly District includes parts of Los Angeles County.
Voter registration: 63% Democrat, 10% Republican, and 21% No Party Preference. Democrats typically hold this district.
District demographics: 34% Latino, 6% Asian, and 34% Black.
Recent election results: AD-61 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 68 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2022 by 60 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.