Analysis guides › Progressive Voters Guide
Progressive Voters Guide
Source: https://www.progressivevotersguide.com/california (Los Angeles County edition: https://www.progressivevotersguide.com/california/2026/general/county/losangeles) (retrieved 2026-10-07)
Notes: Published by Courage California. Complete for its coverage, with items last updated through late September 2026. Five picks are formal Courage endorsements (City Attorney, CD-9 Council, SD-24, SD-26, Attorney General); the rest are "recommendations", often for Democratic incumbents with notes on their funding and Courage Score. "No recommendation" there usually means "hold the Democrat accountable" or "pick by your values". It does not cover county measures, judges, LA City Council District 3, or the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeal retention votes.
Race-by-race summaries
| Item | Recommendation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| LA County Measure A | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA County Measure E | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA County Sheriff | Not covered | Not covered |
| Superior Court Judge, Office 64 | Not covered | Not covered |
| Superior Court Judge, Office 65 | Not covered | Not covered |
| Superior Court Judge, Office 87 | Not covered | Not covered |
| Superior Court Judge, Office 131 | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Mayor | No recommendation | Competitive race, so pick by your values. Bass made progress (Inside Safe, lower homicides, 42,000 housing units approved) but 40% of Inside Safe participants are back on the street and Palisades fire transparency was criticized; she stood up to ICE. Raman is pro-renter but backs a Bass-supported exemption to Measure ULA. |
| LA City Attorney | Marissa Roy | Courage endorsement. Deputy AG with a public-interest record on workers' and tenants' rights, running a corporate-free campaign. Opponent McKinney has Airbnb-linked PAC money. |
| LA City Council District 3 | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Council District 9 | Estuardo Mazariegos | Courage endorsement. ACCE co-director who led the tenant anti-harassment ordinance and Measure ULA; pledged a clean-money campaign with no corporate, developer or police money. |
| LA City Measure TE – Fire-victim transfer tax exemption | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure LA – Infrastructure, budget and contracting charter amendment | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure PL – City planning charter amendment | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure EE – Ethics, elections and governance charter amendment | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure PRK – Recreation and parks budget | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure PRT – Airports, Harbor, and DWP charter amendment | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure FD – Fire Department half-cent sales tax | Not covered | Not covered |
| LA City Measure SC – School board campaign finance | Not covered | Not covered |
| Burbank City Council (3 seats) | Mike Van Gorder; Nikki Perez; Nolan Southerland | Van Gorder: state housing policy expert and tenants' rights organizer. Perez: incumbent focused on renters, homeless services and immigrants (she is a former Courage intern). Southerland: IATSE union member and tenant organizer. All three have WFP and UNITE HERE backing. |
| West Hollywood City Council (3 seats) | Chelsea Byers; Helen Krieger; Stephen Post | Byers: incumbent who strengthened renter protections and social services. Krieger: TV writer who helped turn a factory into 37 affordable apartments. Post: nonprofit organizer and public safety commissioner. |
| Prop 1 – Affordable housing bond | Yes | $11.25B bond for affordable and veteran housing and permanent supportive housing, after the 2018 bond ran out. Expected to bring 50,000+ construction jobs and leverage federal and private money. No significant opposition. |
| Prop 2 – Rainy day fund | Yes | Raises the rainy-day fund cap from 10% to 20% to protect services from budget swings and federal cuts. Opponents say the state has a spending problem; the right-wing Reform California group also backs it. |
| Prop 3 – High-earner income tax permanent | Yes | Makes the existing tax on the top 2% permanent (no rate increase); raises about $10B a year, 89% for K-12 and 11% for community colleges. Letting it expire would be a tax cut for the top 1%. Opposed by the CA Taxpayers Association. |
| Prop 4 – Public financing of elections | Yes | Repeals the 1988 ban so any jurisdiction can adopt public campaign financing, with spending limits and qualification rules required. Counters big-money influence. Opposed by the CA Taxpayers Association. |
| Prop 5 – Recall election reform | Yes | Ends the same-day replacement vote on recall ballots; vacancies are filled normally (the Lt. Governor, or a later special election). Stops a replacement winning with a small plurality. Opposed by the right-wing Election Integrity Project. |
| Prop 37 – Homeownership housing bond | No recommendation | "Vote your values." $25B revenue-bond fund for second mortgages covering down payments of up to 17% for qualified buyers. Backed by Realtors and the state Democratic Party; no organized opposition. The guide takes no position. |
| Prop 38 – Immunology research bond | No | $8.4B bond with $4.2B going to an institute co-founded by the measure's billionaire backers, which isn't yet operating. Costs $500-600M a year for 20 years. A broader $7.5B research bond is headed for the 2028 ballot. |
| Prop 39 – Voter ID | No | A MAGA-led measure adding ID checks at the point of voting on top of existing registration verification. Voter fraud is extremely rare; it would burden low-income and unstably housed voters and cost tens of millions. |
| Prop 40 | Yes | One-time 5% tax on billionaires' wealth (about 250 people) to backfill federal H.R. 1 cuts to health care, education and food assistance. Opponents include Newsom, CTA and Becerra; funded against by billionaires' PAC (Brin, Larsen and others). If Props 40-42 all pass, the one with the most votes prevails. |
| Prop 41 | No | Billionaire-funded measure that would block Prop 40 if it gets fewer votes and add audit requirements for tax measures. Seen as a blockade against progressive taxes. |
| Prop 42 – Personal asset tax ban | No | Billionaire-funded constitutional ban on new taxes on retirement savings, individual assets and retroactive taxes; also blocks Prop 40 if it gets fewer votes. |
| Prop 43 – Local tax requirements | No | Raises the vote needed for citizen-initiated local special and property taxes from 50%+1 to two-thirds. Backed by Howard Jarvis, the state GOP and Reform California; opposed by labor and housing groups. |
| Prop 44 – Health center spending | No | Requires community health centers (FQHCs) to spend 90% of revenue on patient care, with penalties. Could cost clinics $1.7B in the first year and force closures. Opposed by the Democratic Party and clinic groups; backed by SEIU-UHW. |
| Prop 45 – CEQA changes | No | Shortens environmental review for "essential" projects (30-day deadline) and cuts public review. Seen as shifting power to developers and polluters; LAO estimates up to $100M a year in costs. Backed by the Chamber of Commerce and utilities. |
| CA Supreme Court justices | Not covered | Not covered |
| 2nd District Court of Appeal justices | Not covered | Not covered |
| Governor | Xavier Becerra | Democratic nominee. Endorsed by CTA, SEIU, UFW, Planned Parenthood and others; focused on health care, housing and opposing Trump. Criticized for shielding police as AG and for "lost" migrant children as HHS secretary; has taken max donations from Chevron, LAPPL and Airbnb. |
| Lieutenant Governor | Fiona Ma | Democratic incumbent Treasurer, backed by labor, Equality California and Padilla/Schiff. Not funded by fossil fuel or real estate; some police-union donors. Opponent is Republican Gloria Romero. |
| Attorney General | Rob Bonta | Courage endorsement. Incumbent with a 98 Courage Score, leading legal fights against Trump administration policies. Not funded by fossil fuel or police. |
| Secretary of State | Shirley Weber | Incumbent focused on ballot access and election security; backed by CNA, CTA and Planned Parenthood. Opponent Donald Wagner is a conservative Orange County supervisor funded by law enforcement. |
| Treasurer | Eleni Kounalakis | Current Lt. Governor, backed by labor, CTA, Equality California and Environmental Voters. Not funded by fossil fuel; some Google, law-enforcement and apartment-association donors. |
| Controller | Malia Cohen | Incumbent backed by labor, nurses and Environmental Voters, with a record on equity and affordable housing. Her campaign is funded by police, corporate PAC and real estate interests. |
| Insurance Commissioner | No recommendation | Choose the Democrat who best fits your values. Ben Allen is a senator with 16 chaptered bills this session and a plan to stabilize the market; Jane Kim is a WFP director who backs lower costs and ending price discrimination. Kim takes no real estate, law enforcement or corporate money; Allen takes police, corporate PAC and real estate money. |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction | Richard Barrera | San Diego school board president backed by CTA; priorities include teacher pipeline, early education and school funding. Opponent Sonja Shaw is funded by real estate and conservative groups. |
| Board of Equalization, District 1 | Nelson Esparza | Fresno councilmember focused on housing and working families; not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement or corporate donors. Opponent is Republican Shannon Grove. |
| Board of Equalization, District 2 | Sally Lieber | Incumbent focused on transparency, housing and the environment; not funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate or corporate donors. |
| Board of Equalization, District 3 | Sam Sukaton | AFT Local 1521 organizer with ex-Sanders and Environmental Voters background; no fossil fuel, police, real estate or corporate money. Opponent Mike Gipson is funded by oil and gas, police and real estate. |
| Board of Equalization, District 4 | Tom Umberg | State senator with a lifetime Courage Score of 65; funded by law enforcement, real estate and corporate donors. Opponent is Republican Denis Bilodeau. |
| State Senate District 20 | Caroline Menjivar | Incumbent with 8 chaptered bills on health care, youth services and the environment; WFP-backed. Donors include Amazon, Meta and Edison; opponent is a Republican. |
| State Senate District 22 | No recommendation | Hold the Democratic incumbent accountable. Susan Rubio has a 68 Courage Score, did not vote for housing bills and favors oil and gas; police and corporate funding. Only a Republican is running against her. |
| State Senate District 24 | John Erickson | Courage endorsement. WeHo councilmember backed by WFP, SEIU and Equality California; no fossil fuel, real estate, corporate or police money. Opponent Goldsmith raised $4.5M from real estate and police interests. |
| State Senate District 26 | Sarah Rascón | Courage endorsement. Former aide to Mayor Bass backed by WFP, Environmental Voters, NUHW and La Defensa; no real estate, fossil fuel, corporate or police money. Opponent Sara Hernandez has raised $1M. |
| State Senate District 28 | Lola Smallwood-Cuevas | Incumbent with 6 chaptered bills on workforce development and wage theft; WFP and SEIU backing. Not police-funded; some Sempra and AT&T money. |
| State Senate District 30 | No recommendation | Hold the Democratic incumbent accountable. Bob Archuleta scored 45 on the Courage Score (Hall of Shame) and is funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. Only a Republican is running against him. |
| State Senate District 34 | No recommendation | Hold the only Democrat accountable. Avelino Valencia scored 41 (Hall of Shame), skipping 20 of 34 scored votes; funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| State Senate District 36 | Chris Duncan | San Clemente councilmember and former federal prosecutor backed by the state Democratic Party and NUHW; no fossil fuel, real estate, corporate or police money. Opponent is incumbent Republican Tony Strickland. |
| Assembly District 34 | Randall Putz | Big Bear Lake councilmember backed by CTA and Planned Parenthood; no fossil fuel, police, real estate or corporate money. Opponent is a Republican funded by law enforcement and real estate. |
| Assembly District 39 | Juan Carrillo | Incumbent with 8 chaptered bills on housing and the environment; Sierra Club and YIMBY backing. Not in the Progressive Caucus; funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 40 | Pilar Schiavo | Incumbent with 8 chaptered bills on housing and consumer protections; backed by ACCE, CEJA and Environmental Voters. Also endorsed by the CCPOA prison guards. |
| Assembly District 41 | John Harabedian | Incumbent: 3 of 37 bills chaptered, 5 vetoed. YIMBY and housing group backing; funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 42 | Deborah Klein Lopez | Agoura Hills councilmember with a wildfire and climate record; backed by Environmental Voters, NUHW, CTA and Schiff. Not funded by police or fossil fuel. |
| Assembly District 43 | Celeste Rodriguez | Incumbent and Progressive Caucus member; 6 chaptered bills; backed by Equality California and UFW. Funded by fossil fuel, real estate, police and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 44 | Nick Schultz | Incumbent and Progressive Caucus policy chair; 8 chaptered bills. Funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC and fossil fuel interests. |
| Assembly District 46 | Jesse Gabriel | Incumbent and Progressive Caucus member backed by Sierra Club and the Labor Federation; 11 of 124 bills chaptered, including tougher looting penalties. Not fossil fuel funded; some real estate and CCPOA ties. |
| Assembly District 48 | No recommendation | Hold the only Democrat accountable. Blanca Rubio scored 17 (Hall of Shame), favors oil and gas and real estate donors, and skipped votes on abuse-survivor, price-gouging and health bills. |
| Assembly District 49 | Mike Fong | Incumbent with 6 chaptered bills on workforce and housing; backed by Environmental Voters. Not funded by fossil fuel or real estate. |
| Assembly District 51 | Rick Chavez Zbur | Incumbent previously endorsed by Courage and the Progressive Caucus; 8 chaptered bills. Now funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC and fossil fuel interests. Challenger Colin Hernandez has raised $11,700. |
| Assembly District 52 | Jessica Caloza | Incumbent who wrote a housing-streamlining law; backed by Sierra Club and YIMBY groups. Funded by police (LAPPL), real estate, corporate PAC and fossil fuel. |
| Assembly District 53 | No recommendation | Michelle Rodriguez scored 26, skipped votes on syringe access, social housing and immigration bills, and has deep law-enforcement ties and endorsements. |
| Assembly District 54 | Mark Gonzalez | Incumbent with 13 chaptered bills on telehealth and education; Sierra Club, YIMBY and labor backing. Funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. Unopposed except a write-in. |
| Assembly District 55 | Isaac Bryan | Incumbent with 15 chaptered bills on criminal justice reform, tenant protections and the environment; not police-funded. |
| Assembly District 56 | Lisa Calderon | Incumbent with 6 chaptered bills on insurance and consumer protection; Equality California and labor backing, but also endorsed by LAPPL and sheriffs' deputies. Funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 57 | Sade Elhawary | Incumbent, Progressive Caucus program chair; 6 chaptered bills on foster care, housing and criminal justice. Funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 61 | Tina McKinnor | Incumbent, Progressive Caucus vice chair; 8 chaptered bills including protecting the right to organize. Funded by police, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate PACs. |
| Assembly District 62 | José Solache | First-term incumbent with 8 chaptered bills on education, housing and immigrant rights. Funded by law enforcement, fossil fuel, real estate and corporate donors. |
| Assembly District 64 | No recommendation | Blanca Pacheco scored 9, the lowest of any Democratic legislator in the Score's 11-year history; she skipped nearly all progressive bills. Funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate and corporate donors. |
| Assembly District 65 | Ayanna Davis | Compton school board trustee and former principal; backed by the LA Federation of Labor, NUHW, Schiff and Equality California. Funded by fossil fuel, real estate, law enforcement and corporate donors. |
| Assembly District 66 | Sara Deen | Palos Verdes school board president and dentist backed by CTA, CNA and NUHW; no fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate or corporate money. Opponent Paul Seo is backed by law-enforcement groups. |
| Assembly District 67 | Mark Pulido | Cerritos councilmember backed by Environmental Voters, AFSCME and Attorney General Bonta. Funded by corporate donors. Opponent is the Republican. |
| Assembly District 69 | Josh Lowenthal | Incumbent with 4 chaptered bills on consumer protection and criminal justice; backed by Planned Parenthood and labor. Funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC and fossil fuel interests. |
| Congressional District 23 | Tessa Hodge | Democratic challenger to Republican Rep. Obernolte, who voted for H.R. 1 and is funded by fossil fuel, law enforcement and real estate. Backed by the state Democratic Party; no corporate money. |
| Congressional District 26 | Jacqui Irwin | Hold her accountable. Lifetime Courage Score of 49 (Hall of Shame); did not vote to unmask ICE agents. Funded by corporate PAC, fossil fuel and police. |
| Congressional District 27 | George Whitesides | Incumbent backed by Environmental Voters and the LA Federation of Labor. He voted for the Laken Riley Act and a pro-ICE resolution. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 28 | Judy Chu | Incumbent backed by labor, CTA and NUHW; 25 bills this year. Not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 29 | Luz Rivas | Incumbent with a lifetime Courage Score of 98 as an assemblymember. Not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 30 | Laura Friedman | Incumbent with a lifetime Courage Score of 99 as an assemblymember. Not funded by fossil fuel or police. |
| Congressional District 31 | Gil Cisneros | Incumbent backed by Planned Parenthood, Giffords and labor. Not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 32 | Brad Sherman | Incumbent backed by the county Democratic Party and labor. Not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 34 | Angela Gonzales-Torres | Challenges Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who has been under House Ethics investigation. Backed by Justice Democrats and WFP; no fossil fuel, law enforcement, real estate or corporate money. |
| Congressional District 35 | Norma Torres | Incumbent backed by Environmental Voters, NUHW and labor. She voted for a resolution thanking ICE but has condemned ICE tactics. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 36 | Ted Lieu | Incumbent with 35 bills this session, including limits on federal law-enforcement functions. Not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 37 | Sydney Kamlager-Dove | Incumbent whose bills include ending federal solitary confinement. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 38 | Hilda Solis | County supervisor backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and farmworkers; not police-funded. |
| Congressional District 41 | Linda Sánchez | Incumbent backed by the state Democratic Party and labor; moved to CD-41 after Prop 50 redistricting. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 42 | Robert Garcia | Incumbent with 17 bills including immigrant legal defense grants. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 43 | Maxine Waters | Incumbent with 33 bills including a path to end homelessness. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 44 | Nanette Barragán | Incumbent with 17 bills including an Office of Environmental Justice. Not law-enforcement funded. |
| Congressional District 45 | Derek Tran | Incumbent in a top-priority seat to hold the House. He voted for the Laken Riley Act and a pro-ICE resolution. Not law-enforcement funded. |