Andre Sandford

Candidate for Assembly District 18

Andre Sandford is running for California Assembly District 18. The vote is in November 2026. He is running as a Democrat. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He holds a bachelor's degree, in Liberal Studies, with a focus on Criminal Justice. He earned that in 2014. He also holds a master's degree, in Behavioral Sciences, earned in 2018. Both are from Jacksonville State University. Sandford has more than eight years of work, in social services. This work includes child protection, foster care, and services for young people leaving foster care. It also includes work in mental health, at the management level. He now works as a program manager, for housing and homeless-prevention work, at a nonprofit group in San Francisco. He ran before, for this same Assembly seat, in 2024. He lost that race, in the general vote, to incumbent Mia Bonta, after he made it out of the primary. Sandford changed his party, in January 2026. Before that, he was an independent, tied to the American Independent Party. He switched to the Democratic Party, before he ran again, in the 2026 primary. He came in second in that primary, and he advanced to the general vote. He has said he chose to run for office, after he and his family were attacked, outside their home. He has said that event pushed him to focus on public safety. Occupation: he works as a program manager, for housing and homeless-prevention work, at a nonprofit group in San Francisco. Prior office: none held now. He ran, and lost, for this same seat, District 18, in the 2024 general vote. He lost that race to incumbent Mia Bonta.

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