Kate SanchezIncumbent

Candidate for Assembly District 71

Kate Sanchez is a Republican. She holds the Assembly seat for District 71. It covers Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Temecula, Murrieta, and Wildomar. It also covers nearby areas of Orange and Riverside counties. She first won in November 2022, after Randy Voepel left the seat. She won again in 2024 with about 61.5% of the vote. She moved on to the 2026 vote after coming in first in the June primary. She got roughly 58.2% of the primary vote. Sanchez has a bachelor's degree from Salve Regina University. Before her election, she worked in the office of Rep. Ed Royce. She worked for the California Policy Center. She led the California Women's Leadership Association. She also calls herself a small business owner. Her campaign says she is a working mother. Her family has lived in the district for more than 30 years. She says she focuses on parental rights and public safety. She opposes state tax hikes. Early in her first term, she wrote a bill on trafficking cases. She also wrote a school bill. In a later term she wrote a bill on school sports rules for transgender girls. That bill covers high school sports groups. She was not let into the Latino Legislative Caucus, which is for Democrats only. Home: Rancho Santa Margarita, California, her office site. The district also covers the Temecula and Murrieta area. Occupation: state Assembly member. She once ran a nonprofit group and calls herself a small business owner. Prior office: she has held the seat since December 2022, first won in November 2022.

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