- Republican Elizabeth Wong AhlersCrescenta Valley City Council member
Ahlers is the only Republican in this race. He has received endorsements from the California Republican Party and several state GOP leaders. He previously taught English at UCLA, Glendale Community College and Los Angeles Valley College, according to his campaign biography, and served on several humanitarian and educational work boards. Ahlers, a mother of six and grandmother of three, told The Times that she is prioritizing “parent engagement, fighting the fentanyl epidemic and homelessness.”
- Democrat Sandra ArmentaRosemead City Council member and teacher
Armenta, a longtime Rosemead resident, was first elected to the City Council in 2009. Armenta took a leave of absence from her job as a district representative in the office of state Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) to focus in the elections, according to the Armenta campaign. She is a former teacher, with experience in special and general education, kindergarten through high school. “My practical experience in education not only deepened my commitment to community service, but also served as a catalyst for my eventual election to the City Council and now the state Senate,” she told The Times. She describes herself as a moderate Democrat “with a history of working together with Republicans and Democrats to get things done.” She received endorsements from Democrats for Israel of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Police Officers Association.
- Democrat Sasha Renée Pérezdeputy mayor of the Alhambra
When Pérez was elected to the Municipal Council of her hometown in 2020, she was immediately appointed mayor, becoming at 28 years old the youngest mayor in the history of the Alhambra. She told The Times that she ran for office after “losing members of her family to the homelessness crisis.” Perez has raised more than $631,000, according to state campaign finance records. Her donors include unions representing teachers, nurses and SEIU members; the Pasadena chapter of Planned Parenthood; and Smart Justice, a group that advocates for criminal justice reforms. Perez said that as a state senator she wants to focus on “addressing rising housing costs, investing in public education and fighting climate change.”
- Democrat Yvonne YiuMonterey Park City Council member and finance executive
Yiu is the best-funded candidate in the race, with more than $1 million in her coffers, much of which came from her own pocket, according to California secretary of state records. Yiu previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for state comptroller, and he also self-funded her candidacy. As a member of the City Council, Yiu helped lead Monterey Park after a mass shooting at a nightclub in January 2023. He said he escaped the shooting by pure chance: He had planned to go to the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the shooting occurred. It happened, but she made a last-minute change. On the City Council, Yiu said she enacted gun safety laws and supported climate action. “We need to elect a leader with a proven track record,” she said.
- Democrat Teddy Choiprofessor and insurance agent
Choi has run unsuccessfully for state office in the past, changing his voter registration from Republican to Democrat in 2015, according to JoinCalifornia, an independently run political history project. Choi, a Korean immigrant who raised his children in the San Gabriel Valley, previously served on the Pasadena police advisory board.