State Assembly, District 23
Why does this race matter?
This is a liberal district with some of the nation’s most expensive zip codes, such as Atherton and Los Altos Hills. Lydia Kou’s sharp critiques of incumbent Marc Berman, a fellow Democrat, have the chance to turn this race into a referendum on policies passed by Democrats in Sacramento.
What does a state Assembly member do?
State Assembly members represent communities at the California Legislature in Sacramento. The 80 members of the state Assembly write and vote on state bills, serve on policy committees and vote on the annual state budget. The top two finishers in this primary election, regardless of party, will face off in the November election. The winner will serve a two-year term.
Key Candidates
Key Supporters
For Berman
- Gavin Newsom, governor, California
- Alex Padilla, U.S. senator, California
- California Democratic Party
- Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte
For Kou
- Ed Lauing, vice mayor, city of Palo Alto
- Lynette Lee Eng, council member, city of Los Altos
- Stan Mok, mayor, town of Los Altos Hills
- Greer Stone, mayor, city of Palo Alto
For Mattammal
- California Republican Party
- San Mateo County Republican Party
- Santa Clara County Republican Party
- San Francisco Log Cabin Republicans
Additional Candidates
More San Mateo County Key Races
Supervisor, District 1
Former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier faces Millbrae Councilmember Ann Schneider.
Supervisor, District 4
Whoever wins the District 4 race will have the opportunity to shape policy across San Mateo County, from policing to jobs to flooding.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 16
High-profile Democrats from across the South Bay are jumping at the chance to represent reliably liberal communities from Pacifica to San José.
More Santa Clara County Key Races
Supervisor, District 2
District 2 is located entirely within San José, so the winner of this Board of Supervisors seat will be the voice for the city’s downtown and East San José.
Supervisor, District 5
The winner will represent the suburban communities of Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Saratoga and Los Gatos.
U.S. House of Representatives, District 16
High-profile Democrats from across the South Bay are jumping at the chance to represent reliably liberal communities from Pacifica to San José.
State Assembly, District 26
The district includes the cities of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale and is home to the headquarters of tech giants like Apple, NVIDIA and LinkedIn.