# California's 59th State Assembly district

California's 59th State Assembly district is one of 80 California State Assembly districts. It is currently represented by Republican Phillip Chen of Yorba Linda.

## District profile

The district encompasses most of South Los Angeles, centered along Interstate 110. The district is primarily urban and heavily Latino.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2021 | Recall | No 87.5 – 12.5% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 84.6 – 11.8% |
| 2018 | Governor | Newsom 88.6 – 11.4% |
| 2018 | Senator | Feinstein 58.9 – 41.1% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 90.1 – 5.1% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 54.2 – 45.8% |
| 2014 | Governor | Brown 90.9 – 9.1% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 93.2 – 6.2% |
| 2012 | Senator | Feinstein 91.8 – 8.2% |

## List of assembly members

Due to redistricting, the 59th 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 |
| Flavel Joseph Woodward | Republican | January 5, 1885 - January 3, 1887 | San Joaquin | |
| James Riley Henry | Democratic | January 3, 1887 - January 7, 1889 | San Joaquin | |
| John McMullin | Democratic | January 7, 1889 - January 5, 1891 | San Joaquin | |
| John Lyman Beecher Jr. | Republican | January 5, 1891 - January 2, 1893 | San Joaquin | |
| John H. Matthews | Democratic | January 2, 1893 - January 7, 1895 | San Benito | |
| Charles G. Cargill | Republican | January 7, 1895 - January 4, 1897 | San Benito | |
| Claudius Frazier Rubell | Democratic | January 4, 1897 - January 2, 1899 | San Benito | |
| Charles G. Cargill | Republican | January 2, 1899 - June 18, 1900 | San Benito | Died in office from pneumonia. |
| William Higby | Republican | January 1, 1901 - January 5, 1903 | San Benito | |
| Montague B. Steadman | Republican | January 5, 1903 - January 2, 1905 | Monterey | |
| J. B. R. Cooper | Republican | January 2, 1905 - January 7, 1907 | Monterey | |
| John Jay Wyatt | Republican | January 7, 1907 - January 2, 1911 | Monterey | |
| Charles B. Rosendale | Democratic | January 2, 1911 - January 6, 1913 | Monterey | |
| Henry C. Bagby | Democratic | January 6, 1913 - January 4, 1915 | Santa Barbara | |
| Ira E. Kramer | Progressive | January 4, 1915 - January 8, 1917 | Santa Barbara | |
| Theodore Randolph Finley, Sr. | Democratic | January 8, 1917 - January 6, 1919 | Santa Barbara | |
| William C. Oakley | Democratic | January 6, 1919 - January 3, 1921 | Santa Barbara | |
| Oscar W. Smith | Republican | January 3, 1921 - January 8, 1923 | Santa Barbara | |
| Edgar W. Stow | Republican | January 8, 1923 - January 5, 1925 | Santa Barbara | |
| Edgar O. Campbell | Republican | January 5, 1925 - January 3, 1927 | Santa Barbara | |
| Theodore Randolph Finley, Sr. | Democratic | January 3, 1927 - June 1, 1927 | Santa Barbara | Resigned to become Mayor of Santa Barbara. |
| George R. Bliss | Republican | January 7, 1929 – January 5, 1931 | Santa Barbara | |
| Willard E. Badham | Republican | January 5, 1931 - January 2, 1933 | Los Angeles | |
| Charles W. Lyon | Republican | January 2, 1933 - January 6, 1947 | Los Angeles | |
| Willard M. Huyck | Republican | January 6, 1947 - January 8, 1951 | Los Angeles | |
| Charles W. Lyon | Republican | January 8, 1951 - January 3, 1955 | Los Angeles | |
| Thomas M. Rees | Democratic | January 3, 1955 - January 7, 1963 | Los Angeles | |
| Anthony Beilenson | Democratic | January 7, 1963 - January 2, 1967 | Los Angeles | |
| Alan Sieroty | Democratic | January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1974 | Los Angeles | |
| Jack R. Fenton | Democratic | December 2, 1974 - November 30, 1980 | Los Angeles | |
| Matthew G. Martínez | Democratic | December 1, 1980 - July 15, 1982 | Los Angeles | Resigned from office after winning a congressional seat. |
| Charles Calderon | Democratic | December 6, 1982 – April 16, 1990 | Los Angeles | Resigned to be sworn in the 26th Senate district after winning special election. |
| Xavier Becerra | Democratic | December 3, 1990 – November 30, 1992 | Los Angeles | |
| Dick Mountjoy | Republican | December 7, 1992 - January 23, 1995 | Los Angeles | Removed from office after a majority of the membership of the Assembly determined that he was not duly elected and qualified to be an Assembly Member. |
| Bob Margett | Republican | June 7, 1995 - November 30, 2000 | Los Angeles | Sworn in after winning special election. |
| Dennis Mountjoy | Republican | December 4, 2000 - November 30, 2006 | Los Angeles | |
| Dennis Mountjoy | Republican | December 4, 2000 - November 30, 2006 | Los Angeles, San Bernardino | |
| Anthony Adams | Republican | December 4, 2006 - November 30, 2010 | Los Angeles, San Bernardino | |
| Tim Donnelly | Republican | December 6, 2010 - November 30, 2012 | Los Angeles, San Bernardino | |
| Reggie Jones-Sawyer | Democratic | December 6, 2012 – present | Los Angeles | |

## Contents

* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020

### 2020

2020 California State Assembly election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Efren Martinez | 22,416 | 50.6% |
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 19,873 | 44.9% |
| | Democratic | Marcello Villeda | 1,999 | 4.5% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 44,288 | 100.0% |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 63,448 | 57.5% |
| | Democratic | Efren Martinez | 45,853 | 42.5% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 109,301 | 100.0% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018

California State Assembly election, 2018 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 19,188 | 76.8 |
| | Democratic | Leslie Hagan-Morgan | 5,797 | 23.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,985 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 47,765 | 66.9 |
| | Democratic | Leslie Hagan-Morgan | 23,653 | 33.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 71,418 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016

California State Assembly election, 2016 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 35,820 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,820 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 77,324 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 77,324 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

California State Assembly election, 2014 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 12,404 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,404 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer (incumbent) | 28,493 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,493 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

California State Assembly election, 2012 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer | 7,029 | 43.6 |
| | Democratic | Rodney D. Robinson | 3,038 | 18.8 |
| | Democratic | Greg Akili | 2,772 | 17.2 |
| | Democratic | Gertrude "Trudy" Holmes-Magee | 2,487 | 15.4 |
| | Democratic | Armenak H. Nouridjanian | 810 | 5.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,136 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Reggie Jones-Sawyer | 40,519 | 52.3 |
| | Democratic | Rodney D. Robinson | 36,949 | 47.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 77,468 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2010

2010 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tim Donnelly | 82,475 | 57.3 |
| | Democratic | Darcel Woods | 52,928 | 36.8 |
| | Libertarian | Tony Tyler | 4,335 | 3.0 |
| | American Independent | Robert Gosney | 4,269 | 2.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 144,007 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2008

2008 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Anthony Adams (incumbent) | 91,366 | 51.01 |
| | Democratic | Donald Williamson | 73,011 | 40.76 |
| | Libertarian | Maureen Keedy | 14,744 | 8.23 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 179,121 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 70.33 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

2006 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Anthony Adams | 67,499 | 55.78 |
| | Democratic | Elliott Barkan | 45,655 | 37.73 |
| | Libertarian | Jill Stone | 7,845 | 6.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 120,999 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 50.82 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2004

2004 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis L. Mountjoy (incumbent) | 99,381 | 58.22 |
| | Democratic | Dan Harden | 64,375 | 37.71 |
| | Libertarian | Fritz R. Ward | 6,937 | 4.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 170,693 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2002

2002 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis L. Mountjoy (incumbent) | 65,183 | 71.69 |
| | Democratic | Patrick D. Smith | 25,739 | 28.31 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 7,761 | 7.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 98,683 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2000

2000 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis L. Mountjoy | 67,036 | 48.30 |
| | Democratic | Meline Dolores Hall | 60,013 | 43.24 |
| | Libertarian | George White | 6,359 | 4.58 |
| | Natural Law | Louis M. Allison | 5,390 | 3.88 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 13,498 | 8.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 152,296 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1998

1998 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Margett (incumbent) | 58,339 | 54.73 |
| | Democratic | Christian P. Christiansen | 44,133 | 41.40 |
| | Natural Law | Louise M. Allison | 2,269 | 2.13 |
| | Libertarian | Jerry Johnson | 1,855 | 1.74 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 9,144 | 7.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 115,740 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1996

1996 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Bob Margett (incumbent) | 72,438 | 58.42 |
| | Democratic | Brent A. Decker | 51,551 | 41.58 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 15,816 | 11.31 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123,989 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1994

1994 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dick Mountjoy (incumbent) | 74,126 | 65.22 |
| | Democratic | Margalo Ashley-Farrand | 39,489 | 34.74 |
| | American Independent | Gary V. Miller (write-in) | 45 | 0.04 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 9,440 | 7.67 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 123,100 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1992

1992 California State Assembly election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dick Mountjoy (incumbent) | 79,846 | 55.47 |
| | Democratic | Louise Gelber | 64,091 | 44.53 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 12,288 | 7.87 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 156,225 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |