Rick Chavez Zbur, the Democratic incumbent in California's 51st Assembly District, is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The district covers parts of the Westside of Los Angeles.
The California State Assembly is the lower chamber of the state Legislature, where members vote on state laws and the budget. Zbur faces one opponent, Colin D. Hernandez, also a Democrat, according to BallotReady election data. Zbur has been certified for the ballot.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: California State Assembly, District 51
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Yale University (1979); juris doctor, Harvard University (1983)
- Residence background: Zbur grew up in a rural farming community in the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico, according to his official Assembly biography. He said he was the first person in his rural community to attend an Ivy League university. He moved to Los Angeles in 1985.
Experience and public service
Zbur has served as assemblymember for District 51 since 2022 and as California Assembly Democratic Caucus chair since 2023, according to his official Assembly biography.
Before entering elected office, Zbur worked as a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins from 1985 to 2014, according to BallotReady profile data. He then served as executive director of Equality California from 2014 to 2021.
Zbur also served as board member and president of the California League of Conservation Voters, now called California Environmental Voters, according to his Assembly biography. He co-founded the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation and ran for Congress in California's 38th Congressional District in 1996, according to his Wikipedia biography.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Zbur's responses on his campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire. They reflect the candidate's own stated views.
Housing and homelessness: Zbur said housing policies "are broken, ineffective and have reached crisis proportions." He said he supports building more affordable housing near transit and work hubs while protecting existing neighborhood character. He said he would fight to expand rent subsidies, develop transition shelters with wraparound services and convert vacant buildings into housing. Zbur said he has proposed a California Housing Corps that would deploy recent college graduates to homeless encampments to help unhoused residents obtain social and mental health services and find pathways to permanent housing and employment.
Environment and energy: Zbur, who has worked as an environmental attorney, said the climate crisis "demands urgent action." He called for investment in clean energy, water conservation, affordable housing near transit and work hubs, renewable technologies and environmental education. He said he would advance environmental justice policies and protect the coastline from dumping, drilling and pollution.
Public safety and criminal justice: Zbur said he supports "a smart approach to reducing crime" that includes reforms to reduce police violence, increase gun safety and employ professionals who can offer mental health and addiction services. He said he would advance legislation to expand background checks, extend waiting periods, ban high-capacity magazines and military-grade weapons, restrict concealed carry permits and increase penalties on unregistered weapons and ghost gun sales.
Workers and wages: Zbur said he would fight for equal pay for women, expanded paid family and sick leave and increased access to affordable child care. He said he supports worker protections, safe working environments and the preservation of union jobs and small businesses.
Civil rights and hate crimes: Zbur said antisemitic, anti-Asian and anti-LGBTQ hate crimes are rising. He said he would work to pass legislation to protect communities from hate-motivated violence. He described himself as strongly pro-Israel and said he would fight antisemitic activities on college campuses and in communities.
Endorsements
Zbur has received endorsements from the California Democratic Party, the California Teachers' Association, the California Professional Firefighters, AFSCME California, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Los Angeles County Democrats, YIMBY Action, the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, among others, according to BallotReady data. The endorsements are claimed by the endorsing organizations.
Candidate positions were drawn from responses submitted through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Platinum Tribune did not interview the candidate for this profile.
