Mia Bonta
Mia Bonta (Democratic Party) is a member of theCalifornia State Assembly, representingDistrict 18. She assumed office on September 7, 2021. Her current term ends on December 7, 2026.
Bonta (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to theCalifornia State Assembly to representDistrict 18. She won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.
Biography
Mia Bonta earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1993 and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1996. She also received aJ.D. from Yale University Law School in 1999. Bonta’s career experience includes working as a nonprofit executive at Oakland Promise. She became President of the Alameda Unified School District Board in 2018.[1]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Bonta was assigned to the following committees:
- Budget Committee
- Communications and Conveyance Committee
- Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee
- Education Committee
- Health Committee,Chair
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: California State Assembly elections, 2024
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 18
IncumbentMia Bonta defeatedAndre Sandford in the general election for California State Assembly District 18 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mia Bonta (D) | 80.3 | 134,073 |
 | Andre Sandford (American Independent Party of California)  | 19.7 | 32,983 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 167,056 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 18
IncumbentMia Bonta andAndre Sandford defeatedMindy Pechenuk andCheyenne Kenney in the primary for California State Assembly District 18 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mia Bonta (D) | 84.9 | 73,155 |
| ✔ | | Andre Sandford (American Independent Party of California) | 5.3 | 4,582 |
 | Mindy Pechenuk (R) | 5.1 | 4,397 | |
 | Cheyenne Kenney (R) | 4.7 | 4,012 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 86,146 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bonta in this election.
2022
See also: California State Assembly elections, 2022
General election
General election for California State Assembly District 18
IncumbentMia Bonta defeatedMindy Pechenuk in the general election for California State Assembly District 18 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mia Bonta (D) | 89.9 | 120,863 |
| Mindy Pechenuk (R) | 10.1 | 13,504 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 134,367 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 18
IncumbentMia Bonta andMindy Pechenuk advanced from the primary for California State Assembly District 18 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mia Bonta (D) | 100.0 | 69,142 |
| ✔ | | Mindy Pechenuk (R) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 31 |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 69,173 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
2021
See also: California state legislative special elections, 2021
General election
Special general election for California State Assembly District 18
Mia Bonta defeatedJanani Ramachandran in the special general election for California State Assembly District 18 on August 31, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mia Bonta (D) | 56.9 | 43,762 |
 | Janani Ramachandran (D) | 43.1 | 33,181 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 76,943 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for California State Assembly District 18
The following candidates ran in the special primary for California State Assembly District 18 on June 29, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mia Bonta (D) | 38.0 | 22,558 |
| ✔ | | Janani Ramachandran (D) | 23.7 | 14,036 |
 | Malia Vella (D) | 16.9 | 10,053 | |
| Stephen Slauson (R) | 9.6 | 5,725 | ||
| Victor Aguilar (D) | 6.6 | 3,938 | ||
 | James Aguilar (D) | 1.8 | 1,039 | |
| Eugene Canson (D) | 1.7 | 1,029 | ||
| Joel Britton (Independent) | 1.3 | 750 | ||
| Nelsy Batista (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 13 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 187 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 59,328 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Bonta's endorsements in the 2021 election, pleaseclick here.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mia Bonta did not completeBallotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Mia Bonta did not completeBallotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
Mia Bonta completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bonta's responses.
Expand all |Collapse all
I have spent my career advocating for students and working families. After moving to Alameda more than 20 years ago, I worked for and led several nonprofit organizations focused on improving educational outcomes for low-income students. I currently serve as the CEO of Oakland Promise, a cradle-to-college and career preparation initiative across Oakland public schools. I have seen firsthand how the systems in our state — from education and the criminal justice system to health care and housing — often fail to provide for those they’re intended to serve.
In 2018, I was elected to the Alameda Unified School District School Board, and I currently serve as Board President. I also serve as a delegate for the district to the California Democratic Party, worked on several campaigns dedicated to electing progressive labor candidates, and served on the AD-18 Advisory Committees for Women, Education, and Early Childhood.
I am pleased to be endorsed by Congressmember Barbara Lee, US Senator Alex Padilla, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the California Teachers Association, SEIU California, Equality California, and Oakland City Councilmembers Dan Kalb, Sheng Thao, Noel Gallo, Loren Taylor, and Treva Reid.- Homelessness: Address homelessness head on by focusing on the root causes of the crisis, expanding mental health services, increasing shelter access and transitional housing. I will work to secure funding for local homelessness programs in the East Bay and push for the wraparound services it takes to lift our unhoused neighbors out of poverty.
- Affordable Housing: Advance legislation that creates new affordable housing and ensures current homeowners and renters can afford to stay in their homes here in the East Bay. As someone who faced housing insecurity as a child, I understand the urgency of keeping families in their homes and protecting tenants. I will also support programs that assist first time home buyers so they have access to loans and other resources to make homeownership a reality.
- Education: Hold state leaders accountable for directing the additional public education funding provided by coronavirus relief funds towards addressing the academic, social, and mental health impacts of the pandemic, especially in communities hit hardest by the virus. I will fight to ensure students, teachers, and parents have the resources they need to address learning loss and mental health issues stemming from prolonged distance learning.
I was raised by a single mother, who dedicated her life to provide workforce training and opportunities to thousands of Black, Latino, and API members of our community, who took on a lifelong fight for economic justice through work. She raised me to be a strong Black Latina, and I have dedicated my life, through non-profit service and working in education and for children, youth, and working families to ensure that at-risk children experiencing poverty could be assured that their schools had an education, health supports, mental health supports, and career technical education and pathway programs.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | California State Assembly District 18 | Won general | $1,120,519 | $988,679 |
| 2022 | California State Assembly District 18 | Won general | $804,492 | $554,489 |
| 2021 | California State Assembly District 18 | Won general | $1,271,309 | $1,240,196 |
| Grand total | $3,196,319 | $2,783,364 | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). | ||||
Scorecards
Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of California scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, theCalifornia State Legislature was in session from January 3 to August 31. A special session in the Assembly was from August 31, 2024 to October 14, 2024 and another special session started on December 2, 2024.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, theCalifornia State Legislature was in session from January 1 to September 14.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, theCalifornia State Legislature was in session from January 3 to August 31.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, theCalifornia State Legislature was in session from December 7 to September 10.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
Candidate California State Assembly District 18 | Officeholder California State Assembly District 18 | Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 5, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | California State Assembly District 18 2021-Present | Succeeded by - |
- 2021 challenger
- 2021 general election (winner)
- 2021 primary (winner)
- 2022 general election (winner)
- 2022 incumbent
- 2022 primary (winner)
- 2024 general election (winner)
- 2024 incumbent
- 2024 primary (winner)
- California
- California State Assembly candidate, 2021
- California State Assembly candidate, 2022
- California State Assembly candidate, 2024
- Current member, California State Assembly
- Current state legislative member
- Current state representative
- Democratic Party
- State House candidate, 2021
- State House candidate, 2022
- State House candidate, 2024
- State house candidates
