It’s a replay of the 2022 election in the 68th Assembly district, where Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, faces Republican Mike Tardif, a retired businessman.
Valencia, D-Anaheim, first elected to the state Assembly in 2022, previously served as Anaheim councilmember.
Valencia has advocated for independent local redistricting and transparency in municipal government. He said any changes to California’s voting laws should be aimed at increasing participation in elections and making it easier and more convenient to vote. In Santa Ana, a city in the district, voters will decide this year whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in local elections.
When it comes to addressing homelessness in the state, Tardif called Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to remove homeless encampments a “maneuver to make him appear more moderate for his run for president in 2028.” California needs to do more to address the root causes of homelessness, he said.
“Expanding mental health and addiction treatment services, as many homeless individuals suffer from these issues. Encouraging public-private partnerships for job training and rehabilitation programs can help reintegrate the homeless into society,” said Tardif. “Finally, enforcing laws against public encampments while providing safe shelters ensures public safety and dignity. This balanced approach combines compassion with accountability, focusing on long-term solutions over short-term fixes.”
Valencia, however, said building more affordable housing is critical in solving the homelessness crisis.
“I think we need to continue to make it easier, faster and cheaper to build, and we need all types of new housing (market rate, affordable and supportive),” he said. “We also need to expand programs that help first-time home buyers, seniors and renters.”
Preventative measures like mental heath care infrastructure is also necessary, Valencia said, so that the state can prevent people from slipping into homelessness.
Tardif said he has concerns about the proposal before voters this year to raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2026.
“Raising the minimum wage will drive up the cost of goods and services — the recent significant rise in fast food prices, for example,” he said. “While intended to help low-income workers, this will harm small businesses, which are the backbone of California’s economy. Higher labor costs would lead to layoffs, reduced hours or even closures, particularly for small businesses already struggling with inflation and post-pandemic recovery.”
Valencia said it was an appropriate measure to let voters decide, and he believes they will pass it.
“The California Constitution provides for the referendum process, and qualifying a ballot measure with signatures is a large undertaking and can be a test of support for any given issue.”
AD-68, in just Orange County, includes Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana. According to the latest state data, Democrats account for 49.2% of all the registered voters in the district, while 21.9% are Republicans and 22.9% are no party preference voters.
Find out more about Tardif and Valencia — and other candidates on your ballot — with the Register’s Voter Guide. Both candidates were sent questionnaires and in their own words, detailed their plans on various issues, from artificial intelligence to the state’s minimum wage and from the state budget to bond measures. You can also find what’s on their playlists as they’re on the campaign trail.
