California State Senate District 28 in State Senate District 28, California

2026 Primary Election

• Daphne Bradford — Education Consultant and Founder of Mother of Many (M.O.M.) in Los Angeles, California

  Daphne Bradford was born in Los Angeles, California, and earned a bachelor's degree in Finance from California State University, Long Beach, in 1989. She is an education consultant and the founder of the non-profit organization Mother of Many (M.O.M.), which focuses on providing technology training and STEM career opportunities to K-12 students. In 2013, she was recognized by the Obama administration as a White House Champion of Change Connected Educator. Bradford has previously run for the U.S. Senate in 2022 and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2024.

• Richelle Callies — Candidate in Los Angeles, California

  Information regarding this candidate's education, experience, and career history is not publicly available.

• Joe Lisuzzo — Business Owner in Los Angeles, California

  Joe Lisuzzo was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge, and a master's degree from UCLA. For over 30 years, he was a business owner, helping his parents open and operate their Los Angeles restaurant, "Al Gelato". His personal experiences include growing up with siblings with special needs and being a long-time Los Angeles resident.

• Cheryl Turner — Attorney and President of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California

  Cheryl Turner is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles and a civil and consumer rights trial lawyer. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Southern California (USC). For over 20 years, she has managed her own legal practice. Turner has served on numerous government boards and commissions, including an appointment by the Governor to the California State Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. She is also the President of the Board of Directors of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles.

• Lola Smallwood-Cuevas — Incumbent California State Senator, District 28 in Los Angeles, California

  Lola Smallwood-Cuevas is the incumbent State Senator for the 28th district, having assumed office in December 2022. Raised by a single mother who was a registered nurse, she graduated from California State University, Hayward with a degree in Communications. Her early career was in journalism, where she first became involved with a union, the Newspaper Guild. She then spent over two decades as a labor organizer and community advocate, working with SEIU Local 1877 and as a lead organizer for the Justice for Janitors campaign. Smallwood-Cuevas later worked at the UCLA Labor Center, where she founded the Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity at Work and co-founded the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, a model that gained national recognition. She has also served as the treasurer of the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board.