# California's 54th State Assembly district

California's 54th State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Miguel Santiago of Los Angeles.

## District profile

Before the 2020 - 2022 redistricting, the district encompassed parts of the Westside and South Los Angeles, reaching almost to the Pacific Ocean. The current 54th district includes East Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Los Feliz, Downtown L.A., Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Commerce, and Vernon among other neighborhoods and municipalities. The district is ethnically diverse and heavily urban.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2021 | Recall | No 85.6 – 14.4% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 83.1 - 13.5% |
| 2018 | Governor | Newsom 86.1 – 13.9% |
| 2018 | Senator | Feinstein 65.0 – 35.0% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 85.1 – 10.1% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 76.9 – 23.1% |
| 2014 | Governor | Brown 82.9 – 17.2% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 83.6 – 13.9% |
| 2012 | Senator | Feinstein 85.2 – 14.8% |

## List of assembly members

Due to redistricting, the 54th district has been moved around different parts of the state. The current iteration resulted from the 2011 redistricting by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
| Assembly members | Party | Years served | Counties represented | Notes |
| Walter Minton Heywood | Republican | January 5, 1885 – January 3, 1887 | Alameda | |
| Francis Morgan Cooley | Republican | January 3, 1887 – January 7, 1889 | Alameda | |
| Edwin Sherer Culver | Republican | January 7, 1889 – January 2, 1893 | Alameda | |
| H. H. Johnson | Democratic | January 2, 1893 - January 7, 1895 | Santa Clara | |
| Cyrus P. Berry | Republican | January 7, 1895 - January 4, 1897 | Santa Clara | |
| N. E. Malcolm | Republican | January 4, 1897 - January 2, 1899 | Santa Clara | |
| Walter A. Clark | Republican | January 2, 1899 - January 1, 1901 | Santa Clara | |
| Eli Wright | Good Government | January 1, 1901 - January 5, 1903 | Santa Clara | |
| A. D. Duffey | Democratic | January 5, 1903 - February 10, 1903 | Santa Clara | Lost the election after being in office for 1 month. |
| Harry S. Wanzer | Republican | February 10, 1903 - March 16, 1903 | Santa Clara | Won election and took his seat. He resigned 1 month of being in office. |
| George C. Cleveland | Republican | January 2, 1905 - January 7, 1907 | Santa Clara | |
| Harry C. Lucas | Republican | January 7, 1907 - January 4, 1909 | Santa Clara | |
| John B. Maher | Democratic | January 4, 1909 - January 6, 1913 | Santa Clara | |
| Joseph Warner Guiberson | Democratic | January 6, 1913 - January 4, 1915 | Kings | |
| William Adams Long | Republican | January 4, 1915 - January 6, 1919 | Kings | |
| Oscar L. Odale | Democratic | January 6, 1919 - January 3, 1921 | Kings | |
| Frank Johnson | Republican | January 3, 1921 - January 3, 1927 | Kings | |
| Augustus F. Jewett Jr. | Republican | January 3, 1927 - January 5, 1931 | Kings | |
| William G. Bonelli | Republican | January 5, 1931 - January 2, 1933 | Los Angeles | |
| Frank J. Rogers | Democratic | January 2, 1933 - January 7, 1935 | Los Angeles | |
| Wilbur F. Gilbert | Democratic | January 7, 1935 - January 6, 1941 | Los Angeles | |
| John B. Knight | Republican | January 6, 1941 - January 8, 1945 | Los Angeles | |
| Ralph A. Beal | Independent | January 8, 1945 – January 6, 1947 | Los Angeles | |
| Bud Collier | Republican | January 6, 1947 – November 30, 1974 | Los Angeles | |
| Frank Vicencia | Democratic | December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1986 | Los Angeles | |
| Paul E. Zeltner | Republican | December 1, 1986 – November 30, 1988 | Los Angeles | |
| Willard H. Murray Jr. | Democratic | December 5, 1988 – November 30, 1992 | Los Angeles | |
| Betty Karnette | Democratic | December 7, 1992 – November 30, 1994 | Los Angeles | |
| Steven T. Kuykendall | Republican | December 5, 1994 – November 30, 1998 | Los Angeles | |
| Alan Lowenthal | Democratic | December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2004 | Los Angeles | |
| Betty Karnette | Democratic | December 6, 2004 – November 30, 2008 | Los Angeles | |
| Bonnie Lowenthal | Democratic | December 1, 2008 – November 30, 2012 | Los Angeles | |
| Holly Mitchell | Democratic | December 3, 2012 – September 26, 2013 | Los Angeles | Resigned from the Assembly to be sworn in the 30th Senate district. |
| Sebastian Ridley-Thomas | Democratic | December 5, 2013 – December 31, 2017 | Los Angeles | Resigned from the Assembly due to unspecified health problems. |
| Sydney Kamlager | Democratic | April 16, 2018 – March 11, 2021 | Los Angeles | Won special election and was sworn in. She resigned on March 11, 2021 to be sworn in the 30th district. |
| Isaac Bryan | Democratic | May 28, 2021 – present | Los Angeles | Won special election and was sworn in May 28, 2021. |

## Contents

* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2013 (special)
* 2014
* 2016
* 2018
* 2018 (special)
* 2020
* 2021 (special)

### 2021 (special)

California's 79th State Assembly district special election, 2021 Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Sydney Kamlager :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Isaac Bryan | 21,472 | 50.8 |
| | Democratic | Heather Hutt | 10,538 | 24.9 |
| | Democratic | Cheryl Turner | 4,072 | 9.6 |
| | Democratic | Dallas Denise Fowler | 3,235 | 7.6 |
| | No party preference | Bernard Senter | 1,667 | 3.9 |
| | Democratic | Samuel Morales | 1,304 | 3.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,288 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2020

2020 California State Assembly election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sydney Kamlager (Incumbent) | 64,620 | 56.7% |
| | Democratic | Tracy Bernard Jones | 34,005 | 29.8% |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 10,880 | 9.5% |
| | Democratic | Clinton Brown | 4,513 | 4.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 114,018 | 100.0% |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Sydney Kamlager (Incumbent) | 119,818 | 64.2% |
| | Democratic | Tracy Bernard Jones | 66,915 | 35.8% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 186,733 | 100.0% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018

California's 54th State Assembly district election, 2018 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sydney Kamlager (incumbent) | 41,838 | 55.5 |
| | Democratic | Tepring Michelle Piquado | 11,615 | 15.4 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 9,359 | 12.4 |
| | Democratic | Steve Dunwoody | 6,409 | 8.5 |
| | Democratic | Lamar Lyons | 4,899 | 6.5 |
| | Democratic | Breon Dupree Hollie | 1,223 | 1.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 75,343 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Sydney Kamlager (incumbent) | 95,643 | 62.3 |
| | Democratic | Tepring Michelle Piquado | 57,760 | 37.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 153,403 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018 (special)

California's 54th State Assembly district special election, 2018 Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Sebastian Ridley-Thomas :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sydney Kamlager | 22,605 | 69.0 |
| | Democratic | Tepring Michelle Piquado | 4,673 | 14.3 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 3,826 | 11.7 |
| | Democratic | Grayson A. Pangilinan | 1,182 | 3.6 |
| | Democratic | Steve Dunwoody (write-in) | 495 | 1.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 32,781 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016

California State Assembly election, 2016 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (incumbent) | 83,889 | 83.2 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 16,880 | 16.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 100,769 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (incumbent) | 146,723 | 81.6 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 33,119 | 18.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 179,842 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

California State Assembly election, 2014 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (incumbent) | 34,444 | 78.2 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 9,585 | 21.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 44,029 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (incumbent) | 66,082 | 79.1 |
| | Republican | Glen Ratcliff | 17,506 | 20.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 83,588 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013 (special)

California's 54th State Assembly district special election, 2013 Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Holly Mitchell :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sebastian Ridley-Thomas | 13,992 | 60.2 |
| | Democratic | Christopher R. Armenta | 8,270 | 35.6 |
| | Democratic | John Jake | 931 | 4.0 |
| | No party preference | Morry Waksberg (write-in) | 31 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,224 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

California State Assembly election, 2012 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Holly Mitchell (incumbent) | 33,920 | 70.9 |
| | Republican | Keith Brandon McCowen | 8,350 | 17.4 |
| | Democratic | Ed Nicoletti | 5,601 | 11.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,871 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Holly Mitchell (incumbent) | 143,530 | 83.3 |
| | Republican | Keith Brandon McCowen | 28,688 | 16.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 172,218 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2010

2010 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bonnie Lowenthal (incumbent) | 73,775 | 56.7 |
| | Republican | Martha E. Flores-Gibson | 56,535 | 43.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 130,310 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2008

2008 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bonnie Lowenthal | 95,350 | 57.13 |
| | Republican | Gabriella Holt | 61,650 | 36.94 |
| | Libertarian | John Kling | 9,896 | 5.93 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 166,896 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 71.62 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

2006 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Betty Karnette (incumbent) | 69,890 | 60.76 |
| | Republican | Michael Jackson | 45,128 | 39.24 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 115,018 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.07 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2004

2004 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Betty Karnette | 89,987 | 53.49 |
| | Republican | Steven T. Kuykendall | 73,701 | 43.81 |
| | Libertarian | John Howard Sterne | 4,544 | 2.70 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 168,232 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2002

2002 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan Lowenthal (incumbent) | 59,106 | 60.06 |
| | Republican | Cesar N. Castellanos | 39,310 | 39.94 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 5,873 | 5.63 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 104,289 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2000

2000 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan Lowenthal (incumbent) | 83,000 | 58.59 |
| | Republican | Rudy Svorinich, Jr. | 54,938 | 38.78 |
| | Libertarian | Dale F. Ogden | 3,719 | 2.63 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 9,861 | 6.51 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 151,518 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1998

1998 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan Lowenthal | 54,330 | 49.57 |
| | Republican | Julie Alban | 51,291 | 46.80 |
| | Libertarian | Al Carlan | 2,073 | 1.89 |
| | American Independent | George P. "Phil" Drake | 1,902 | 1.74 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 6,965 | 5.98 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 118,561 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 1996

1996 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Steven T. Kuykendall | 66,421 | 50.66 |
| | Democratic | Gerrie Schipske | 64,695 | 49.34 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 12,307 | 8.56 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 143,423 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1994

1994 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Steven T. Kuykendall | 56,225 | 47.57 |
| | Democratic | Betty Karnette (incumbent) | 55,628 | 47.07 |
| | Libertarian | Alan J. Carlan | 3,981 | 3.37 |
| | Peace and Freedom | Patrick John McCoy | 2,351 | 1.99 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 9,396 | 7.36 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 127,581 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 1992

1992 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Betty Karnette | 78,400 | 51.94 |
| | Republican | Gerald N. Felando (incumbent) | 66,282 | 43.91 |
| | American Independent | Joseph G. "Joe" Fields | 6,264 | 4.15 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 13,844 | 8.40 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 164,790 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |