The chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party has announced he’s stepping down from the position to focus on a state Assembly run.
Mark Gonzalez, who won the California State Assembly District 54 primary election earlier this month, announced the decision Friday after more than six years leading Democrats in L.A.
“Serving as your party Chair for the largest County Central Committee in the nation has been the privilege of a lifetime,” he said in a statement. “As I embark on the next phase of my journey, with a focus now on ensuring that Sacramento continues to create policy that works for all, the work we have done together will forever remain close to my heart. With that focus in mind and to ensure our party’s continuity of leadership and continued success, I am stepping down as Chair effective immediately.”
He said Vice-Chair Patt Sanders will temporarily lead the party in the county.
Gonzalez, who took over the role in 2017 at the age of 33, was both the youngest and first Latino to serve as chair of the L.A. Democrats.
He’ll shift his focus now on the California State Assembly District 54 general election in November, where he’ll face John Yi. Gonzalez won the primary with 45% of the vote over Yi, who had 34%.
District 54 represents most of Downtown Los Angeles and the surrounding areas including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Koreatown and East Hollywood.