Brian Goldsmith, a Democrat, is running for California State Senate District 24 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Goldsmith faces one other candidate: John M. Erickson, also a Democrat.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: California State Senate, District 24
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: Bachelor's degree in government, Harvard University (2005); law degree, Stanford University (2012)
- Residence: Goldsmith said he grew up in West Los Angeles and is raising his family in the district, according to his campaign website.
Experience and public service
Goldsmith said he worked as campaign staff on Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign from 2000 to 2001. He said he has been a columnist and contributor for The Atlantic and Politico.
BallotReady profile data lists him as a co-host and executive producer at Katie Couric Media from 2016 to 2018 and a political consultant at Yahoo News during the same period. He is listed as an investor in angel investments since 2011, principal at Kona Media since 2019 and founder of Scriber since 2022.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Goldsmith's campaign website, BallotReady questionnaire responses and an interview published by the Santa Monica Daily Press.
Housing: Goldsmith said he wants to speed up permitting and streamline regulations so building can start soon after financing is secured. He said he supports continuing to modernize the California Environmental Quality Act so the environment is protected but housing and job-creating projects are not stuck in years of review. He also said he supports down payment assistance for new home buyers and prioritizing workforce housing for public servants, according to his campaign issues page.
Public safety: Goldsmith said he supports funding for community-based policing, early intervention programs and adequate staffing and funding for law enforcement agencies across the state. He said he wants to address safety challenges in communities where homes are being rebuilt, arguing that property owners should not need to hire private security to protect their land.
Environment and fire rebuilding: Goldsmith said he would designate a staff person focused solely on the Palisades and Malibu rebuilding effort to cut red tape and help residents return. He said he supports building clean energy projects on developed land such as rooftops and brownfields. He also said he backs a $3,500-per-year electric vehicle tax credit for first-time EV buyers in California, regardless of income, and fully funding litigation against what he called the Trump administration's attack on our environment.
Education: Goldsmith told the Santa Monica Daily Press that California's K-12 system is underperforming in areas like third-grade reading and math. He said the state has spent millions and passed many bills but needs to change how it measures success if results are not improving.
Economy: Goldsmith said he supports expanding California's film and television tax credit. He said he wants to lift caps and extend incentives to both above-the-line and below-the-line costs to keep production and jobs in the state, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
Endorsements
Brian Goldsmith’s campaign lists endorsements from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who serves as honorary campaign chair. California supporters include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel, Rick Chavez Zbur and Jacqui Irwin, and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. The list also includes Santa Monica councilmembers Lana Negrete and Barry Snell.
Organizational supporters include California Environmental Voters, GIFFORDS PAC, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Santa Monica Democratic Club. Labor and public safety endorsements include Los Angeles-based IATSE local unions, IBEW Local 40, Teamsters Joint Council 42, CAL FIRE Local 2881, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association. The campaign also lists endorsements from the Los Angeles Daily News, Daily Breeze and Beverly Press & Park La Brea News.
Candidate positions were drawn from Goldsmith's campaign website, BallotReady questionnaire responses and a Santa Monica Daily Press interview.
