Member of the State Assembly, District 73

Cottie Petrie-Norris is the Democratic Assemblymember for District 73. Her district covers Irvine, Costa Mesa and Tustin. She is a businesswoman and mother. She was first elected in 2018. She chairs the Assembly's Utilities and Energy Committee. She has authored bills on housing production, healthcare access and coastal protection.

Petrie-Norris says she ran for office because Orange County was getting shortchanged in Sacramento. In 2026 she led Assembly negotiations on a wildfire bill. It was meant to speed payouts to fire survivors and limit costs shifted onto utility customers. The bill died without a vote on the last day of the session. The Assembly speaker chose not to bring it to the floor. She said the deal held the line for the people who needed it most.

Petrie-Norris promises to keep neighborhoods safe, reduce homelessness and lower energy costs. She wants to protect reproductive rights. She wants to expand student access to state colleges. She also promises to manage the state budget responsibly and oppose new taxes.

Urson Russell is a Costa Mesa business owner. They are running for the Assembly for the first time. Their campaign site describes California as once a beacon of opportunity. It says the state has strayed from government's basic purpose. They have not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.

Russell says government works best when it stays focused on a few core jobs. These include justice, safety and the common welfare. Beyond their campaign site and a candidate questionnaire, no independent news coverage of their record or positions could be located.

Russell promises equal justice, domestic order and a government focused on the public's benefit. Their site says government does not need to be complex. It should serve citizens rather than burden them.