State legislative office

California State Assembly Member, District 71

This office represents Assembly District 71 in the California Legislature.

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Data coverage

Government: State of California
Public body: California State Assembly
Electoral area: Assembly District 71

State Assembly district

Assembly District 71 boundary from the U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb current legislative-district layer.

Office overview

The office at a glance

See what this office does, the government it belongs to, the area it represents, and how voters choose its officeholder.

Government levelStateState of California

Contest typePartisanVoter-nominated office

SeatDistrict 71One of 80 State Assembly seats

Regular term2 yearsAssembly seats are elected every two years

What this office does

Represents District 71 in the State Assembly

The office votes on state laws, appropriations, and oversight while representing residents and communities within the district.

California State Assembly Chief Clerk

Election process

A top-two primary leads to the general election

California uses a top-two primary for this office. The two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election regardless of party.

Next electionJune 2, 2026

Open the 2026 Election Page

Detailed district statistics2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates

Survey estimates describe the current Assembly district and are not the same as the official 2020 redistricting population count. Margins of error use the ACS 90% confidence level. Hispanic or Latino includes people of any race; the remaining race categories are non-Hispanic.

People and households

Estimated population: 493,888±3,381
Median age: 39.4 years±0.5 years
Households: 164,067±1,516

Income and education

Median household income: $130,184±$2,398; 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
People below the poverty line: 6.1%±0.5 percentage points
Bachelor's degree or higher: 43.2%±0.9 percentage points; population age 25+

Housing

Housing units: 170,673±1,640
Occupied housing units: 164,067±1,516
Vacant housing units: 6,606±764
Vacancy rate: 3.9%±0.4 percentage points

Race and ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino (any race): 25.7%±0.8 percentage points
White alone, not Hispanic: 52.7%±0.8 percentage points
Black alone, not Hispanic: 3.4%±0.4 percentage points
American Indian or Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic: 0.2%±0.1 percentage points
Asian alone, not Hispanic: 10.7%±0.6 percentage points
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic: 0.2%±0.1 percentage points
Some other race alone, not Hispanic: 1.0%±0.2 percentage points
Two or more races, not Hispanic: 6.0%±0.5 percentage points

U.S. Census Bureau district profile

Current officeholder

Who currently holds this office?

Current officeholder identified by the official California State Assembly directory.

California State Assembly

Current officeholder

Kate Sanchez

California State Assembly Member, District 71

Status: Current officeholder
Party: Republican
Connected election: June 2, 2026

Legislative work

Committee assignments

2025–2026 legislative session

Standing Committees

HealthVice Chair
Human ServicesMember
JudiciaryMember
Revenue and TaxationVice Chair
RulesMember

Joint Committees

Joint Committee on RulesMember

First Extraordinary · Standing Committees

RulesMember

Official committee list

Contact this office

Office: P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0071

Official contact page Official office source

Past officeholders2 verified succession records

Succession history

Explore prior service

Verified Assembly District 71 session snapshots beginning with 2015–2016; one earlier session is included when needed to identify a predecessor.

Select a past officeholder

Reviewed portrait not yet available

Member

Randy Voepel

2017–2022 verified sessions

First verified session: 2017–2018
Last verified session: 2021–2022
Party during service: Republican
Capacity: Member

California State Library · Demographics in the California Legislature

Service ranges identify the first and last biennial sessions in the California State Library dataset; they do not assert exact swearing-in or departure dates. District numbers continue across redistricting, so earlier records may describe materially different boundaries.

Electoral area

Where this office represents

See the geographic area represented by this office and open its location information when available.

Interactive area map

Explore places and districts connected to Assembly District 71

Assembly District 71 overlaps 13 mapped communities in Orange County and Riverside County, including Rancho Mission Viejo, Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Coto de Caza, plus 6 other mapped communities.

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Past elections

Election history

Select a past election

This section covers completed elections. Current and upcoming contests remain on the Election Page linked from the top of this Office Page. A published past Election Page contains the full candidate list, certified result, campaign-finance coverage, methodology, and source documents.

State legislative officeCertified

California State Assembly District 71

June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election · 2 candidates

Money in: $117,993.19
Money out: $107,160.57

Open Election Page

Election and finance details summarize the connected record. Missing or unpublished filings do not mean zero activity.

Public records

Records connected to this office

Open the official records used to follow the work, decisions, or disclosures connected to this office.

Legislative activity

Authored legislation

Legislative session

Review Assembly bills authored by the officeholder during each legislative session. Coauthored bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments are not included in this list.

Kate Sanchez is listed as the author of each assembly bill below. Statuses were reviewed August 17, 2026. Showing all 18 bills.

Open the complete official session search

Official directory

Assemblymember directory record for District 71

Verify the office, current officeholder or vacancy, committee assignments, contact links, and district assignment.

Open official record

News and Press Releases

Updates from this office

Read press releases, official updates, and coverage selected by this office. Follow each link to its source.

Office of Assemblymember Kate Sanchez

Office of Assemblymember Kate SanchezAugust 14, 2026

Official update

California’s Gas Prices Are the Highest in the Nation

The office published an update discussing California gasoline prices and state policy factors it associates with fuel costs.

Official sourceRead official update

Office of Assemblymember Kate Sanchez

Office of Assemblymember Kate SanchezAugust 7, 2026

Official update

Back-to-School Safety: Starting the Year Strong

The office published a back-to-school update focused on safety reminders for students, families, and drivers.

Official sourceRead official update

Sources

Sources and data coverage

Review the public records used on this page, what Paper Trail Politics has captured, and what remains incomplete.

Current assessmentComplete coverage

The office identity, electoral area, connected 2026 election, and available official sources are included.

Assessed August 17, 2026 · Current 2026 records

No current limitations were reported by the completion validator.

Sources used on this page10 source organizations · 16 records

California Secretary of State