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Member of the State Assembly, District 56

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State of California

Member of the State Assembly, District 56

This person holds your district's seat in the California State Assembly (2-year term).

Assemblymember Lisa Calderon took 64.1% of the June 2 vote. Republican Jessica Martinez took 35.9%, the only other candidate on the primary ballot. The district covers Whittier and the southeastern San Gabriel Valley.

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.

The incumbent's funding is almost entirely institutional — $16,200 from individuals against $424,153 from PACs and committees and $321,200 from businesses and other organizations — which is among the widest such gaps on this ballot. Weigh a moderate enacted record against that funding shape, and against a challenger running on about $8,000.

Lisa Calderon

Lisa Calderon grew up in California's Central Valley. Her family worked in the fields, and she put herself through Sacramento State by working as a waitress. She was one of the state's first Latina legislative aides. She worked for then Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. In the Assembly she chairs the Insurance Committee. She has authored bills on wildfire insurance, elder care and utility rates.

She says she wants her constituents to not just get by, but to get ahead. She authored a law for the state's FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort for wildfire-prone homes. It lets the FAIR Plan borrow money if a major disaster strains its ability to pay claims.

She promises to protect food assistance, health care and school funding from budget cuts. She supports a gradual minimum wage increase. She also wants lower utility rates and more homebuilding to bring down costs.

Jessica Martinez

Jessica Martinez is a retired teacher. She served on the Whittier City Council and was Mayor Pro Tem. She holds a law degree, a bachelor's degree in political science, and two master's degrees. She has not served in the California Legislature or Congress.

She says she is running on education, the economy and safety. In January 2021 she attended a rally in Washington, D.C., on the day the Capitol was breached. The Whittier City Council later voted against censuring her. She denies taking part in the breach and says she was on her way to the airport when it happened.

She promises to protect faith, family and constitutional freedoms. Her campaign lists education, the economy and safety as her top priorities. That includes support for charter schools and school choice, lower taxes, and stronger border security.

Record in office

Lisa Calderon (Democratic) is the sitting Assemblymember for this district and is lead author of 28 bills in the 2025–2026 session, 6 of them signed into law. Jessica Martinez 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

Lisa Calderon

Primary — $766,875

$766,875raised
  • Small donors$198<1%
  • Individuals$16,2002%
  • PACs & committees$424,15356%
  • Businesses & other orgs$321,20042%

November — $22,300

$22,300raised
  • PACs & committees$7,90035%
  • Businesses & other orgs$14,40065%

Jessica Martinez

Primary — $8,247

$8,247raised
  • Small donors$1,90524%
  • Individuals$5,71971%
  • PACs & committees$1472%
  • Businesses & other orgs$2002%
  • Self-funding$1001%

November — $841

$841raised
  • Individuals$841100%

Figures 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.

Total 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.

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