Review note: Patrick Ahrens 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)
- patrickahrens.com (opens in a new tab)Patrick Ahrens for Assembly — campaign site (biography, why running, priorities)
- contracosta.news (opens in a new tab)Contra Costa News — Asm Ahrens Introduces Legislation to 'Rein in Out-of-Control' California State University Management Pay
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Legislature — AB 1831 (2025-2026), CSU administrator pay cap, text and history
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — June 2026 California primary
- 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 26
This person holds your district's seat in the California State Assembly (2-year term).
Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens took 75.4% of the June 2 vote. Republican Tim Gorsulowsky took 24.6%. They were the only two candidates on the primary ballot. The district covers Sunnyvale, Cupertino and part of west San Jose.
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. A first-term member is still building the committee position that determines how much of that agenda actually moves.
The incumbent raised more than $1.1 million — among the largest war chests on this ballot — while converting 8 of 35 authored bills into law in his first session. Those two facts sit oddly together and are worth weighing as a pair: fundraising capacity and legislative output are not the same thing, and this district's ballot shows a wide gap between them.
Patrick Ahrens
Patrick Ahrens is the Democratic Assemblymember for this district. This is his first term. He grew up in a home affected by addiction. He says he and his twin brother lived in the family car for a time as children. Before the Assembly he led the Foothill-De Anza Community College Board. There he helped plan a campus health center and a large housing bond. He has authored bills on housing, education access and student aid.
He says he wants to bring Silicon Valley's problem solving approach to government. In February 2026 he introduced a bill on California State University pay. It would cap pay for CSU administrators. It would also force the CSU to undo raises it approved in late 2025. He said CSU leaders should not get rich while raising tuition and cutting classes. The bill passed the Assembly. It is now before the Senate.
He promises to expand mental health services on college campuses. He wants more housing at every income level. He promises to protect access to reproductive health care. He also wants permanent supportive housing paired with treatment for people who are homeless.
Tim Gorsulowsky
Tim Gorsulowsky is a Republican small business owner and the only other candidate on this district's ballot. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
No campaign website or current news coverage of his platform could be located.
What he would prioritize in office is not documented anywhere that could be located. What is known about him comes from his ballot designation as a small business owner.
Record in office
Patrick Ahrens (Democratic) is the sitting Assemblymember for this district and is lead author of 35 bills in the 2025–2026 session, 8 of them signed into law. Tim Gorsulowsky 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
- Small donors
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
- Businesses & other orgs
Patrick Ahrens
Primary — $1,173,911
- Small donors$1,789<1%
- Individuals$135,45612%
- PACs & committees$591,07451%
- Businesses & other orgs$438,20038%
November — $48,825
- Individuals$14,02529%
- PACs & committees$8,90018%
- Businesses & other orgs$25,90053%
1Tim Gorsulowsky 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.
3Tim Gorsulowsky 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 30, 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.