Democrat Mark Gonzalez has defeated fellow Democrat John Yi in the closely contested race to represent California’s Assembly District 54. Gonzalez secured a win with 56,325 votes or, 56% of the of the ballots counted so far, according to a race call Monday by the Associated Press.
Gonzalez will represent a district that includes part of downtown, as well as Boyle Heights, Westlake, Koreatown, Pico-Union, and Chinatown. The District’s boundaries also include the cities of Vernon, Montebello, and Commerce.
He will replace Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, the District’s incumbent, who did not seek reelection. Gonzalez worked as Santiago’s district director.
Gonzalez told Boyle Heights Beat he would focus on the basics of governing by “providing essential services like EDD and DMV support through community hours and coordinating state property clean-ups.”
“In Sacramento, I’ll work with leadership on legislation to tackle everyday issues—from expanding housing for all income levels and ensuring environmental cleanups in vulnerable communities to combating copper wire theft that has left our streets dark and unsafe,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez has noted his 20-year commitment to politics, with more than a decade in District 54, specifically.
“I have 13 years of working in this office, understanding this area, block by block … Folks want to run for office and get good at being a public servant, and I’ve been a lifelong public servant,” Gonzalez told Boyle Heights Beat in February. “But the hard part about this business, any business, is that you have to understand how the operations of an assembly office, in this case, work.”
Gonzalez wants to strengthen protections for abortion care providers and patients who travel to California from states where abortion is criminalized. He also advocated for expanding Medi-Cal benefits to all Californians regardless of immigration status.
Gonzalez’s campaign website states he would prioritize creating well-paying union jobs and notes that he “helped lead the successful fight to guarantee a $25/hour minimum wage for healthcare workers in California.” He has joined striking workers across various sectors fighting for living wages and helped pass laws to allow full-time students to attend community college for free, according to his website.
Gonzalez aims to clean up encampments and tackle homelessness by providing affordable housing, drug treatment, mental health care, and job training. He has advocated for expanding the Rental Relief program to address homelessness and plans to invest in California’s new CARE Courts initiative, which helps individuals with severe mental health issues get into treatment facilities.
Gonzalez secured endorsements from major elected officials like Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, as well as from Planned Parenthood, the Carpenters Union, and the California Teachers Association.
