Patrick Ahrens
Patrick Ahrens | |
|---|---|
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| Member-elect of the California State Assembly from the 26th district | |
| Assuming office December 2, 2024 | |
| Succeeding | Evan Low |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Sunnyvale, California |
| Education | De Anza College University of California, Los Angeles San Jose State University (MPA) |
Patrick Ahrens is an American politician who is a member-elect of the California State Assembly for the 26th district since 2024. A Democrat, he served on the Foothill–De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees and as a district director for Evan Low.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Ahrens grew up in household that struggled with substance abuse and he experienced homelessness while attending college.[3][1] Ahrens was the first person in his family to attend college, graduating with an associate degree from De Anza College, a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California Los Angeles, and a Master of Public Administration from San Jose State University.[4]
Career
[edit]Ahrens worked for U.S. Representative Janice Hahn in Washington, D.C., where he met Evan Low.[3] He would go on to serve as a district director for Low.
He was first elected to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees in 2018 and selected as president of the board on December 13, 2021.[5]
California State Assembly
[edit]Ahrens ran for the California State Assembly in the 26th district in 2024 to succeed incumbent Evan Low, who ran for the U.S. House of Representatives.[4] He advanced to the general election with fellow Democrat Tara Sreekrishnan, a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee and legislative staffer to State Senator Dave Cortese.[6] The race attracted $3.7 million in outside spending including $2 million boosting Ahrens largely from Super PACs funded by Uber, PG&E, East West Bank, California Apartment Association, California Realtors Association, California Medical Association, and DaVita.[7][8] Ahrens defeated Sreekrishnan in the general election.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Ahrens had a twin brother, Sean, who died of cancer.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Cannestra, B. Sakura (November 5, 2024). "Patrick Ahrens leads in Assembly District 26 race". San Jose Spotlight. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Hase, Grace (November 6, 2024). "Assembly District 26: Patrick Ahrens leads Tara Sreekrishnan to replace Assemblymember Evan Low". The Mercury News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Sharma, Kritika (March 23, 2023). "From public education to public service, Patrick Ahrens advocates for equity". La Voz. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Scrivens, Vincent (February 21, 2024). "Race for assembly in Cupertino's district". La Voz. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Morgan, Zoe (December 14, 2021). "Patrick Ahrens picked as Foothill-De Anza's board president, Laura Casas as vice president". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ White, Jeremy; Korte, Lara; Gardiner, Dustin (October 29, 2024). "5 Democratic family feuds to watch on Election Day". Politico. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Hase, Grace (November 4, 2024). "Assembly District 26 race captures the attention of outside groups that have spent nearly $3.7 million". The Mercury News. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Cannestra, B. Sakura (September 30, 2024). "Special interests back Silicon Valley candidates for state office". San Jose Spotlight. Retrieved November 11, 2024.