Review note: Josh Lowenthal 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
- a69.asmdc.org (opens in a new tab)Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal — official Assembly biography and committee assignments
- joshlowenthal.com (opens in a new tab)Josh Lowenthal for Assembly — campaign site (biography, priorities)
- mynewsla.com (opens in a new tab)MyNewsLA — Long Beach Lawmaker's Bill Targeting 'Addictive' Social Media Features Signed
- 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 69
This person holds your district's seat in the California State Assembly (2-year term).
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal took 68.6% of the June 2 vote. Fellow Democrat Carolyn J. Essex took 28.5%, so November's contest is between two Democrats. The district covers Long Beach and part of the South Bay.
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.
With two Democrats on the ballot, party is not the axis. The incumbent authored 30 bills and had 8 signed into law, a middling conversion rate, and his challenger has reported no funding at all. Weigh the record on its own terms, and note how little is documented about the alternative.
Josh Lowenthal
Josh Lowenthal is the Democratic Assemblymember for this district, first elected in 2022. Before that he ran tech and telecom startups and worked as a local teacher. He has authored bills on protecting children online and other issues in the Legislature.
He says he grew up in Long Beach and wants to keep improving the community he calls home. This year he wrote a law that bars social media platforms from using features designed to keep kids under 16 scrolling endlessly. It passed without a single no vote, and the governor signed it. A digital rights group warned it could push platforms toward invasive age checks. The governor said the law does not require that.
He promises to keep working on child online safety, including stronger enforcement and more accountability for platforms. His campaign lists jobs, schools and homelessness as ongoing priorities. He also promises to keep working through his Assembly committees on business, education and consumer privacy.
Carolyn J. Essex
No campaign website or news coverage of Essex's background could be located. Essex's ballot designation lists them as a legislative policy analyst.
No documented record of their conduct in office could be located, since they have not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress. No statement from Essex about why they are challenging a sitting member of their own party could be located.
No stated priorities or promises from Essex could be located.
Record in office
Josh Lowenthal (Democratic) is the sitting Assemblymember for this district and is lead author of 30 bills in the 2025–2026 session, 8 of them signed into law. Carolyn J. Essex 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
Josh Lowenthal
Primary — $709,942
- Small donors$374<1%
- Individuals$145,34521%
- PACs & committees$362,92052%
- Businesses & other orgs$195,30028%
November — $25,700
- Individuals$17,70069%
- PACs & committees$1,5006%
- Businesses & other orgs$6,50025%
1Carolyn J. Essex 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.
3Carolyn J. Essex 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.