David Penaloza
Candidate for Assembly District 68
David Penaloza has lived in Santa Ana his whole life. He sits on the Santa Ana City Council for Ward 6. He also holds the post of Mayor Pro Tem. He first won a council seat in 2018, for Ward 2. He won re-election in 2022. He has a degree from Cal State LA. He has worked for an Orange County firm for about 16 years. One source says this is a regulatory job at Color Science, Inc. He has also held regional posts. He was Vice President of a League of Cities group in Orange County. He chaired the Transportation Corridor Agencies. He was a large-city voice on the county's housing finance board. In the June 2, 2026 primary for Assembly District 68, he came in first. He got about 32.5% of the vote. He barely beat fellow Democrat Jessie Lopez, who got about 31.4%. A Republican came in third. Both top finishers are Democrats. So the November 2026 vote pits two members of the same party. Penaloza's campaign says a drunk driver killed his father. He was three years old at the time. His campaign calls this a defining early event. He is married to Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, a former Garden Grove council member. They have two children. Home: Santa Ana, Orange County, California. Occupation: he works at an Orange County firm, about 16 years there. He is also a Santa Ana council member for Ward 6. Prior office: he now sits on the Santa Ana council for Ward 6 as Mayor Pro Tem. He first won in 2018 for Ward 2, then won re-election in 2022. He has held no state office; this is his first Assembly run.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Supports policies to create local jobs and economic opportunity and to help small businesses, though without detailed specifics on wages, unions, or regulation.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Campaigns on reducing the cost of living by cutting utility rates, holding insurance companies accountable, and fighting inflation's effect on gas and grocery prices, but has not stated a specific position on state income, corporate, sales, or property taxes.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Supports cutting regulatory red tape and incentivizing affordable housing construction, and points to his record on the Santa Ana City Council of helping build over 2,000 new housing units; no specific stated position on rent/tenant protections or homelessness response was found.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Supports increased police staffing and resources, citing plans to hire additional officers and ban street takeovers/illegal racing, and touts having helped reduce 911 response times and hire more officers on the City Council; no stated position found on oversight/accountability reforms or guns specifically.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Supports making health care more affordable and accessible, with a particular focus on seniors and medication affordability, though without detail on Medi-Cal, drug-pricing policy mechanisms, or mental health/addiction programs.
Source → - Education & Schools
Supports fully funding public education and lowering college costs while providing educators with needed resources; no specific position stated on curriculum, school choice/charters, or teacher pay levels.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Supports curbing air and water pollution and investing in clean energy infrastructure to combat climate change, and cites his record of building five new parks in Santa Ana; no detailed position found on oil/gas policy or wildfire response specifically.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Emphasizes transparency, accessibility, and fiscal responsibility in government, citing his role in refinancing Santa Ana's pension debt to save over $212 million; no specific position found on voting access, redistricting, or campaign finance.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.