Republican launches bid for 71st Assembly District

A former congressional staff member from Orange County plans to run for a new Southern California Assembly district in 2022.

“The 71st Assembly District deserves a leader who puts its people first,” Republican Kathryn Sanchez said in a statement. “Currently, crime is skyrocketing, cost of living is through the roof (and) small businesses are closing at an alarming rate. We cannot ignore our children who are now suffering emotionally and academically more than we have ever seen before.”

As an Assembly member, Sanchez, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident, said she would “focus on quality-of-life issues” such as public safety, “empowering our students and parents” and keeping the cost of living down “so people can thrive without relying on the government.”

Republican and Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn also plans to run for the seat.

Sanchez’s public-sector experience includes stints working for Rep. Darrell Issa as a constituent services representative and as a field director for former Orange County Rep. Ed Royce. She also worked for the California Policy Center and the California Women’s Leadership Association, of which she is still a member.

Created through legislative redistricting late last year, the 71st includes the Riverside County cities of Temecula, Murrieta and Wildomar and the Orange County cities of Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

The district is friendly to Republicans, who hold a 10-percentage point edge over Democrats in voter registration, according to Political Data Inc. Almost two-thirds of district residents are White, and 20.4% are Latino, 10.6% are Asian and 4.3% are Black people.

The 71st will be on the June 7 primary election ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election.

Sanchez