Robert RivasServing

Robert Rivas

State HouseDemocrat

CA-AD-29 / Assembly Speaker State House

Age 46·Mexican-American (grandson of Mexican immigrants who came to California's Central Coast in the 1960s)·Speaker of the California State Assembly (71st, since June 30, 2023)

Why This Race Matters

As Assembly Speaker, Rivas is the second most powerful person in California government. His current Assembly term ends in December 2026 and he is running for reelection in AD-29. He won reelection in 2024 with 66% of the vote and is expected to face minimal opposition in 2026.

Rivas led the Assembly in passing landmark housing affordability, energy, and education legislation during the 2025 session. In March 2025, he led 57 Assembly Democratic offices in departing X/Twitter over content moderation concerns. In February 2026, he launched a first-of-its-kind Outcomes Review oversight project with 14 Assembly lawmakers.

Key dates to watch: Primary on June 2, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Robert Rivas is the 71st Speaker of the California State Assembly, representing District 29 on the Central Coast. The grandson of Mexican immigrants who came to California in the 1960s, Rivas grew up in farmworker housing in Paicines, sharing a 600-square-foot duplex with nine relatives. His grandfather was a grape picker at Almaden Vineyards who stood side-by-side with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta as a leader in the fight to win fair labor contracts for farmworkers. Rivas is the first Assembly Speaker raised in farmworker housing and the second most powerful person in California state government.

Family & Heritage

Grandson of Mexican immigrants who emigrated in the 1960s in search of the California Dream. Grandfather was a grape picker at Almaden Vineyards in Paicines who became a labor leader alongside Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and the UFW, helping win first-ever fair labor contracts for farmworkers. Rivas and his brother were raised in farmworker housing by their single mother and grandparents, sharing a three-bedroom, 600-square-foot duplex with nine relatives. Lives in Hollister with wife Christen and their daughter.

Political Career

Before Politics

Student support member at San Benito High School; adjunct professor at Gavilan College; senior board clerk for County of Monterey; senior field representative for Assemblymember Anna Caballero; two-term San Benito County Board of Supervisors member

Education

B.A. Government, CSU Sacramento (2003); M.P.A. Public Administration, San Jose State University (2011); Hollister High School (1998)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Housing affordability (fast-tracking construction, $500M for LIHTC, $120M for multifamily)
*farmworker protections (first-in-nation COVID-19 Farmworker Relief Package, AB 2043 Agricultural Employee Health & Safety Act)
*energy affordability (Cap and Invest returning $3B/year in Climate Credits)
*education (Golden State Teacher Grant Program, $200M child literacy investment)
*workplace health and safety

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