By admin 
Republican Assemblymember Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, and Democrat Neva Parker will face off again to represent the 5th Assembly District.
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The district encompasses the majority of the populations of Placer and El Dorado counties in the Sierra foothills.
Patterson won 61.1% of votes in the primary race, leaving Parker with 38.9%.
Who is running to represent the 5th District?
Patterson is running for a third term representing the district.
Previously, he served as a Rocklin City Council member and the city’s mayor — roles that involved advocating for fiscal responsibility and community safety, according to his campaign website. Patterson resigned from the position in 2022 to join the Assembly. He also worked as a legislative staffer and gambling lobbyist before starting his career at the Legislature, according to CalMatters.
The incumbent holds a bachelor’s in government from Sacramento State, from where he also received a post-graduate fellowship.
Patterson said on his campaign website his priorities include pushing for local rather than state control, strengthening criminal accountability, securing funding for infrastructure and protecting homeowners from rising property tax rates.
He has passed four bills during his time in office. One increased the probation term for anyone convicted of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Another prohibits members of the state Legislature from entering into nondisclosure agreements associated with negotiations over legislation. Patterson was also part of a Republican force that pushed to enact a bill that imposed stronger penalties for child sex trafficking.
Patterson said “there needs to be a better balancing of California’s environmental goals with our economic realities” in a 2024 op-ed for The Sacramento Bee.
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Patterson’s challenger, Parker, works as a community advocate for seniors. Parker said she has a better chance of winning this election cycle because she believes voters are drawn to candidates who are more community-focused and less partisan, according to previous reporting by The Bee, especially when many elected officials are “buying into foreign wars.”
Born and raised in Hercules, Parker is a member of the Roseville Grants Advisory Commission and the Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission. She worked at the state Capitol for 26 years, including as the state Senate journal clerk. In this position, Parker maintained the state Senate’s official records with integrity and impartiality, according to her campaign website. She began her journey in public service as an intern at the Assembly.
Parker studied history at the University of California, Davis and earned a master’s degree in leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California.
A key priority of hers is protecting the district from “Trump’s attacks on our Constitution and our wellbeing,” according to her campaign website. Other goals include ensuring reliable and transparent funding for addiction treatment programs, making it easier for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses, opposing a mileage tax and strengthening local control.
Parker is running as a “corporate-free candidate,” meaning she does not accept funding from corporations.
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