Political Party:

Democrat

Ballot Designation:

 Public Transit Advocate

Law Enforcement Contributions:

None as of 8/23/24

Background:

 Yi is a longtime public health advocate and policy analyst. He is the Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks, a nonprofit focused on pedestrian safety and transit justice.

Public Safety Platform:

Yi does not have a written public safety platform, but when he attended IJ Action’s August 2023 Candidate Forum, he shared that his organization, LA Walks, cosponsored legislation to decriminalize jaywalking. He also shared that he publicly opposed LA Metro’s renewal of its police contract, citing the high cost and lack of ensuing public safety. Yi remarked that criminal justice reform “is not just about fighting the carceral system itself, but the wider ecosystem that feeds into it” as he spoke about ending the school to prison pipeline and promoting civic engagement by turning county jails into polling stations.

During IJ Action’s endorsement interview, Yi further elaborated on his strong support for ending life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (LWOP), and actively seeks IJ Action’s guidance and counsel on public safety issues. 

In separate interviews, he also stated that he supports important justice reforms, such as a clean repeal of California’s Three Strikes Law, ending ineffective sentencing enhancements, shifting resources away from police and into mental health care, and closing prisons. For these reasons, IJ Action proudly endorses John Yi for Assembly District 54.

Website:

https://www.johnforassembly.com/

Political Party:

Democrat

Ballot Designation:

 District Director/Caregiver

Law Enforcement Contributions:

California Association of Highway Patrolmen PAC

Background:

Gonzalez is District Director for outgoing Democratic incumbent Miguel Santiago, and has worked in similar roles for former Assembly Speaker John A. Perez and then-Assemblymember Anthony Portantino. He also chairs the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

Public Safety Platform:

On public safety, Gonzalez states on his campaign website that he is “committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe, getting guns off our streets and out of the hands of criminals, and investing in programs to prevent violent crime and smash-and-grabs.”

He has also made public statements that he does not support universal repeal of sentence enhancements, and instead wants carveouts for certain crimes such as murder, sexual violence, or if a firearm was involved. He has also stated that he supports reform, not repeal, of California’s Three Strikes Law.

Website:

https://www.markgonzalezforassembly.com/