Political Party:
Democrat
Ballot Designation:
Assemblymember/Mother
Law Enforcement Contributions:
Background:
Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan was first elected to the State Assembly in 2018, previously working as an environmental and immigration attorney. Since joining the Legislature, she has authored good justice reform bills, such AB 862, which requires county jails to issue reports on recidivism and the effectiveness of programming provided inside the jails; and AB 1643, which would allow more youth to participate in diversion programs by raising the eligible restitution limit from $1000 to $5000.
Her voting record has been a bit mixed – she earned a “C” on our Legislative Scorecard in 2023 but improved her grade to “B” in both 2024 and 2025.
Public Safety Platform:
On her campaign website, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan does not explicitly address justice reform; however, she does emphasize her track record in the Legislature authoring bills focused on gun violence prevention and mental health.
Specifically, in 2022 she authored AB 988, which “implements 9-8-8, the national Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis hotline, as an alternative to police response. A person in crisis can now call 988 instead of 911 to connect with mental health professionals, and will soon connect with mobile crisis support teams, reducing the role of police in crisis response. Calling 988 is saving lives – a recent study found that at least 1 in 4 fatal law enforcement encounters involves an individual with serious mental illness.” The act was named after Miles Hall, a 23-year old who was shot and killed by police in 2019 while having a mental health crisis.
Despite her less than perfect voting record, she has authored several very good justice reform bills, therefore IJ Action recommends that voters re-elected Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan
Website:
Political Party:
Republican
Ballot Designation:
Businessman/Father
Law Enforcement Contributions:
Candidate has not raised any campaign funds as of 4/16/26
Background:
Joseph Rubay is the Chair of the Walnut Creek Police Officers Association and perennial candidate for state office, having run in every election since 2016.
Public Safety Platform:
Rubay’s platform outlines strong support for law enforcement, stating: “While some are advocating defunding the police, I have actively helped to see that law enforcement in my community are well respected and properly funded.” He also criticizes the incumbent for “show[ing] greater concern for criminals than for law enforcement and the general public” and “voting to allow felons to vote while serving sentences on parole, to serve on juries as ex-felons, and to choose the gender of institutions for their incarceration.”
He is endorsed by the Walnut Creek Police Officers Association (WCPOA) and the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs Association..
Website:
Political Party:
No Party Preference
Ballot Designation:
Civic Technology Entrepreneur
Law Enforcement Contributions:
Candidate has not raised any campaign funds as of 4/16/26
Background:
Chirag Kathrani is a small business owner and founder of an environmental sustainability nonprofit.
Public Safety Platform:
Kathrani does not list his public safety priorities on his campaign website.
Website:
