Democratic incumbent Rick Chavez Zbur and Democratic challenger Colin Hernandez will compete in November to represent California Assembly District 51 after winning the most votes in Tuesday’s primary election.
District 51 encompasses UCLA and its surrounding communities, including Westwood, Hollywood, Santa Monica and other areas in West and Central Los Angeles. Zbur and Hernandez, a digital communications strategist, received 54.2% and 20.6% of the vote, respectively, as of Saturday.
Five candidates ran for the assembly seat in Tuesday’s primary election, which was called on Saturday. The other three candidates – Republican Michael Geraghty, Republican Jake Head and Dick Lucas, who did not include a party preference – did not receive the necessary vote shares to move on to the November general election.
Zbur, a longtime LGBTQ+ rights advocate whose endorsements include the California Young Democrats and the California Nurses Association, was first elected to the California Assembly in 2022. He was reelected in 2024 with 75% of the vote.
Zbur said he has pushed back against President Donald Trump’s administration since Trump reentered office. He sponsored bills related to medical data privacy, climate change preparedness, housing affordability and reproductive rights.
Zbur did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hernandez is endorsed by UCLA’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. He said he would address affordability issues by pushing for Medicare for All, expanded housing options and universal childcare in California.
Hernandez, who is 35, said he can relate to his fellow District 51 residents because he is younger than most assemblymembers in California and is part of the working class. He added that he and his wife delayed having children because of the high cost of living.
He said in an emailed statement that he was able to move on to the general election, despite little name recognition and minimal fundraising, because voters support his message.
“The people of AD 51 want change,” Hernandez said in the emailed statement. “People want to vote for someone who stands for something rather than against something.”
Zbur and Hernandez, both Democrats, now have until the November general election to win over District 51 voters.
