Review note: Diane Papan for Assembly may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CA Secretary of State — Statement of Vote, June 2, 2026 primary (certified 2026-07-10)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — June 2026 California primary
- dianepapan.com (opens in a new tab)Diane Papan for Assembly — campaign site, platform and biography pages (source for her stated priorities and background)
- cal.streetsblog.org (opens in a new tab)Streetsblog California — Papan Wants to Draw a Legal Line Between E-Bikes and Electric Motorbikes (source for AB 1557 and her quotes)
- cal.streetsblog.org (opens in a new tab)Streetsblog California — Legislative Update: The Good E-Bike Legislation Is Moving (source for AB 1557's outcome in Appropriations)
- downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Legislative Information — public bill data (bulk download)
- sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)Cal-Access raw data export — California Secretary of State
Last updated September 24, 2026.
State of California
Member of the State Assembly, District 21
This person holds your district's seat in the California State Assembly (2-year term).
Assemblymember Diane Papan took 78.7% of the June 2 vote. Republican Jabra J Muhawieh took 21.3%. They were the only two candidates on the primary ballot. The district covers San Mateo County's bayside cities.
The winner holds one of 80 Assembly seats for a two-year term, inside a 12-year lifetime cap on service in Sacramento. An Assemblymember authors bills, sits on the policy committees that decide which bills advance, and argues for the district's share of the annual state budget. Committee assignment is where most of the leverage sits, and it is handed out by the majority's leadership.
A wide June margin and a two-candidate ballot mean the practical question is what the incumbent does with a seat she is likely to keep. Her bill count is high and her signed-into-law count is comparatively low, which is worth reading as a pair rather than separately — authoring is not the same as enacting. Weigh that against a challenger about whom little has been published.
Diane Papan
Diane Papan is a Democrat and the sitting Assemblymember for this district. Before Sacramento she served on the San Mateo City Council and as deputy mayor. She has authored bills on housing, wildfire prevention and consumer protection during her time in office.
She says she ran to protect reproductive rights and to invest in wildfire prevention and affordable housing. This year she proposed limiting e-bike motors to 750 watts to cut crashes. The bill passed one Assembly committee but did not get a vote in Appropriations before the deadline.
She promises to keep working on wildfire prevention, affordable housing and reproductive rights. Her platform also lists safer schools, more recycled water for drought, and mental health support for people who are homeless.
Jabra J Muhawieh
Jabra J Muhawieh is a Republican and the only other candidate on this district's ballot. They have not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress. Their ballot designation lists them as an enrolled agent and businessman.
No news coverage of their campaign or their reasons for running could be located.
No campaign website or platform could be located for them. What is known about them comes from their ballot designation.
Record in office
Diane Papan (Democratic) is the sitting Assemblymember for this district and is lead author of 35 bills in the 2025–2026 session, 6 of them signed into law. Jabra J Muhawieh has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress; these records cover only those offices. Per the California Legislature's public bill data (leginfo bulk download), retrieved 2026-09-21.
Financial info
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
- Businesses & other orgs
Diane Papan
Primary — $540,609
- Individuals$19,9004%
- PACs & committees$300,40056%
- Businesses & other orgs$216,50040%
November — $35,800
- PACs & committees$18,90053%
- Businesses & other orgs$16,90047%
1Jabra J Muhawieh has no contributions reported to Cal-Access for this race.
2Figures are CA Form 460 filings through June 30, 2026 by committees controlled by each candidate, and can include transfers from a candidate's earlier committees. Semi-annual reports covering January–June 2026 were due July 31, 2026, so some totals lag a period behind. Per the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access raw data export, retrieved 2026-09-21.
3Jabra J Muhawieh has no itemized contributions dated after the June 2, 2026 primary reported to Cal-Access yet.
4Total is itemized (Schedule A) contributions and self-funding loans dated after the June 2, 2026 primary, through June 29, 2026 — small-dollar unitemized (under $100) contributions aren't independently dated in Cal-Access's raw export, so they aren't reflected here and this may undercount true small-donor activity since the primary. This also doesn't include money reported only on 24-hour late-contribution reports (Form 497) that haven't yet appeared in a periodic Form 460 filing. Per the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access raw data export, retrieved 2026-08-30.