Image by Thapana Onphalai. A little less than a year after the California Legislature achieved near gender parity, uncertainty clouds the next chapter. Will the 2026 elections preserve the historic gains, or will the Capitol slide backward?
Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer and several fellow Democrats at the state Capitol. i>(Photo: State Assembly)Meet the progressives, an outgrowth of California’s Democratic political landscape. As Democrats began their dominance in California over 20 years, they saw their electoral success expand out of urban centers into wealthier suburban enclaves, such as Pasadena, Calabasas, and Walnut Creek.