Josh Lowenthal | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2022 | |
Speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly | |
Assumed office December 2, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Jim Wood |
Member of the California State Assembly from the 69th district | |
Assumed office December 5,2022 | |
Preceded by | Tom Daly |
Personal details | |
Born | Joshua Alder Lowenthal February 15,1970 |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Erika Lowenthal |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Alan Lowenthal (father) Bonnie Lowenthal (mother) |
Education | Cornell University (BA) University of California,San Diego (MA) |
Joshua Alder Lowenthal (born February 15,1970) [1] is an American business executive and politician from California serving as a member of the California State Assembly,representing the 69th district,based in Long Beach and Signal Hill. The son of politicians Bonnie and Alan Lowenthal,he was first elected in 2022 after a failed run for the State Assembly in 2018.
Lowenthal was born on February 15,1970,in Long Beach,California,to Alan Lowenthal and Bonnie Lowenthal,and is Jewish. [2] He attended Cornell University,where he became the student body president,and later attended the University of California,San Diego. Before becoming a politician like his parents,he worked as a teacher and as a businessman who owned restaurants and a conference calling company. Prior to running for State Assembly,Lowenthal did community work,considering a run for a school board. [3]
In 2018,Lowenthal ran for the California State Assembly as the sole Democratic candidate for the 72nd district. The seat became open when the incumbent Assemblymember,Travis Allen opted to run for governor in lieu of reelection. [4] [5] Lowenthal faced Republican Tyler Diep in the general election. Diep was accused of using anti-Semitic imagery against Lowenthal during the campaign. Diep's campaign denied allegations of manipulating images to depict Lowenthal as stereotypically Jewish,but Diep later apologized about the mailers. [2] [6] Lowenthal lost to Diep by 8 points. [7]
He ran for State Assembly again in 2022 in the newly-redrawn 69th district after incumbent Patrick O'Donnell announced his retirement. [8] Lowenthal placed first and faced off against Long Beach councilman Al Austin,and defeated Austin in the general election. [9] [10]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal | 34,462 | 36.8 | |
Republican | Tyler Diep | 27,825 | 29.7 | |
Republican | Greg Haskin | 19,199 | 20.5 | |
Republican | Long Pham | 7,692 | 8.2 | |
Republican | Richard Laird | 4,555 | 5.0 | |
Total votes | 93,733 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Republican | Tyler Diep | 83,221 | 51.6 | |
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal | 78,080 | 48.4 | |
Total votes | 161,301 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold |
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal | 30,919 | 45.6 | |
Democratic | Al Austin II | 17,985 | 26.5 | |
Democratic | Janet Denise Foster | 12,790 | 18.9 | |
Democratic | Merry Taheri | 6,052 | 8.9 | |
Total votes | 67,746 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal | 62,582 | 58.9 | |
Democratic | Al Austin II | 43,686 | 41.1 | |
Total votes | 106,268 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal (incumbent) | 54,782 | 68.0 | |
Republican | Joshua Rodriguez | 25,755 | 32.0 | |
Total votes | 80,537 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Josh Lowenthal (incumbent) | 120,340 | 68.4 | |
Republican | Joshua Rodriguez | 55,595 | 31.6 | |
Total votes | 175,935 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |