California State Assembly, District 43 in State Assembly District 43, California

2026 Primary Election

• Celeste Rodriguez — Member of the California State Assembly in San Fernando, California

  Celeste Rodriguez is the incumbent assemblymember for California's 43rd District, having assumed office in December 2024. Previously, she served as the Mayor and a city councilmember for San Fernando, elected to the council in 2020. Her career includes serving as the deputy director of Community Development Strategies for Los Angeles and working on the LA Mayor's Homelessness Services Team. Rodriguez earned an associate degree from Los Angeles Mission College, a bachelor's degree in Economics from San Diego State University, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Raised in the Northeast San Fernando Valley by immigrant parents from Mexico, her upbringing influenced her focus on public service.

• Ricardo Benitez — Small Business Owner in Woodland Hills, California

  Ricardo Benitez is a Salvadoran immigrant and electrical engineer. He has previously run for public office, including for the California State Assembly in District 39 in 2020 and in a special election in 2018. In April 2020, Benitez was a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against California Governor Gavin Newsom regarding a statewide assistance program for immigrants who did not qualify for federal pandemic-related benefits.