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Paul Seo, AD-66 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

May 6, 2026

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Paul Seo

Current job title: Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes

City where you reside: Rancho Palos Verdes

Campaign website or social media: paulseo.com

Do you believe balancing the state budget should rely more on spending cuts, new revenue streams or a combination? Tell us how you would propose tackling California’s projected budget deficit. (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

We should look to raise revenue and improve government efficiency instead of cuts that will hurt Californians. Cutting programs or furloughing employees should always be a last resort. Our state employees are our greatest asset and their hard work keeps California running.

We can generate additional revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes and have large corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share, without scaring businesses away from our state.

An important part of my strategy is being fiscally responsible and identifying where in the state budget we can reallocate funds if programs are less effective in their intended goals. Our state should use cost-effective audits, track taxpayer dollars, and have researchers, community input and government experts evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. I would like to promote a democratic process where we ensure our government is most effectively using taxpayer dollars.

I would focus first on identifying savings through greater government efficiency, reducing waste, and combating fraud in state systems. We should explore revenue-generating measures that strengthen the budget without cutting services like education, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure that keep our communities strong.

For you, what’s a non-starter when talking about budget cuts? Why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Breaking promises to public employees who have earned their pensions is a non-starter for me. Public employees who have earned their pensions are entitled to the benefits they have worked so hard for. These benefits provide economic security for people who have spent their careers on the frontlines doing difficult but necessary work for so many Californians.

My top budget priorities are funding housing projects, climate change, public education, and public safety. While I understand we must make difficult choices during budget shortfalls, we absolutely cannot break promises made to current public employees and should prioritize ensuring any changes are made transparently and in partnership with workers.

Funding should be adaptive, based on strategic planning, revenue stability, and program performance, so we can respond to urgent issues without undermining core services. For example, in Rancho Palos Verdes, we’ve had to continually increase funding for the ongoing emergency of land movement, and the state must similarly be prepared to maintain funding for essential services even during difficult financial periods.

What are the top three most pressing issues facing the state, and what would you propose, as a state legislator, to address them? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Affordability Crisis: The cost of living, housing, and high healthcare and grocery costs are crushing working families. I am committed to helping working families get ahead, lowering costs, and making life in Southern California affordable. This includes addressing the housing shortage and ensuring that the costs of our climate transition do not fall on the backs of working families.

Environmental Protection and Climate Resilience: We must protect our neighborhoods and coastline communities with responsible development and by taking on polluters. I will work to strengthen coastal protections, prevent future offshore oil drilling, and pass regulations to monitor and enforce safe standards for industrial emissions. We need to invest in modernizing our power grid to handle renewable energy expansion and strengthen water security by upgrading aging infrastructure to prepare for drought, wildfires, and other climate extremes.

Taking on Donald Trump and Corruption: I’ve spent my career prosecuting corrupt officials who abused the public’s trust and I’ll bring that same fight to Sacramento to clean up backroom deals and take on special interests. As Deputy Attorney General, my office has sued the Trump Administration more than 50 times, and I believe California must continue to stand up to Donald Trump who is threatening our communities, separating families, and gutting programs working families rely on.

What specific policy would you champion in the statehouse to improve the cost of living for residents? Would you see this having an immediate impact on Californians or would it take some time? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The cost of living in California has put enormous pressure on working families trying to make ends meet. My top priority is lowering housing costs by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting, and partnering with local leaders and developers to build housing faster so working families aren’t priced out of their communities. I also support policies that help first-time homebuyers and ensure new housing is built responsibly and pragmatically, protecting neighborhoods and high-risk fire zones.

I will also work to lower healthcare costs by supporting efforts to set cost targets for hospitals and other providers. Californians are paying too much for healthcare, and we need stronger oversight to hold powerful hospital systems and insurers accountable. California must use its full authority to lower premiums, deductibles, and co-pays.

My goal is to make California a place where working people can raise families and thrive without being priced out. By tackling housing affordability and healthcare costs, we can restore the promise that every Californian deserves a fair chance to succeed.

There have been numerous efforts made in the state legislature to curtail federal immigration enforcement in California, from prohibitions on agents wearing masks to banning federal officers from future employment in a public agency. Do you see any area where the state could better protect its residents from the federal government’s widespread immigration crackdown? Would you prefer the state work more hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration? Where does the role as a state legislator fall into your beliefs here? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

As a child of Korean immigrants, I fully support our state’s sanctuary law and believe California must continue leading the fight against ICE overreach. The Trump administration’s actions are not in any way about preventing crime, because a vast majority of people they are targeting are hard-working people who contribute greatly to our state’s culture, community, and economy.

I believe we need stronger protections against warrantless detentions and indiscriminate arrests. When safe spaces like schools, hospitals, and places of worship are targeted by ICE, it creates fear throughout the community.

California can also protect residents by expanding access to healthcare, education, and legal services regardless of immigration status, and by protecting privacy and due process for immigrant families. We must end information sharing between public institutions and federal immigration enforcement.

I do not support working hand-in-hand with the federal government on immigration enforcement when their actions involve racial profiling meant to instill fear in our communities. The separation of families and ICE’s discriminatory practices are despicable and threaten public health and safety.

My role will be to defend and strengthen California’s sanctuary laws, ensure immigrant workers receive protection from retaliation, and partner with local organizations who serve these communities. California must stand up to Trump’s overreach and hold federal agents accountable when their actions disrupt our communities or put residents in danger.

Health care costs — like in many other areas — are continuing to rise. What policies, specifically, would you support or like to champion that could lower premiums or out-of-pocket expenses? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Californians are paying too much for healthcare, and with Trump and MAGA Republicans slashing Medicaid funding, California must step up to protect working families and seniors. I will fight to enforce real cost controls, strengthen transparency, and hold powerful hospital systems and insurers accountable so they can’t pass skyrocketing costs onto patients.

Our state must use its full authority to lower premiums, deductibles, and co-pays so every Californian can get the care they need without going into debt. That means requiring insurers to pay fair reimbursement rates, simplifying billing so more clinicians can stay in-network, and updating outdated programs like Medi-Cal’s Share of Cost so low-income Californians aren’t forced to choose between healthcare and basic necessities.

Would you support expanding state health care programs to ensure more residents — including those who are not citizens — are covered? How would you propose the state fund such an expansion? Or, how would you propose the people who cannot afford health care still get the necessary care they need without expanding state programs? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare. Expanding coverage and lowering costs would be among my top priorities in the Assembly. We must ensure that premiums, deductibles, and co-pays do not deter patients from getting the care they need.

I support California’s expansion of Medi-Cal to all income-eligible residents regardless of immigration status. Preventive care is far less costly than emergency intervention, and a healthier community benefits everyone.

As part of combating homelessness, elected officials often talk about the need to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. What policies or programs should the state adopt to make housing more affordable for renters and homeowners? What do you propose the state do to incentivize housing development and expedite such projects? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The most effective way to combat homelessness is to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. Housing stability is critical for families to thrive, and California must do more to make housing affordable for renters and homeowners alike.

On the supply side, we need to cut red tape, streamline permitting, and partner with local leaders and developers to build more affordable housing faster and in ways that protect neighborhoods and high-risk fire zones. I support directing more state funding toward developments near jobs, schools, and transit, and incentivizing developers to include affordable units that working families can actually afford.

We must also ensure that the people building our housing are protected. Project Labor Agreements that guarantee prevailing wage, collective bargaining rights, and strong safety protections are essential to making sure housing development benefits workers as much as developers.

For renters struggling to keep up with rising costs, I will fight to strengthen eviction protections and ensure families have the resources they need to stay housed. Parents, teachers, healthcare workers, and service employees should be able to afford to live near the communities they serve.

My goal is to make California a place where working families can raise their children and build their futures without being priced out. By expanding housing supply responsibly and keeping existing residents stable and secure, we can make real progress on both affordability and homelessness.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2023 authorizing state energy regulators to penalize oil companies making excessive profits. But the California Energy Commission put off imposing the penalties last year after two oil refineries, which represent nearly a fifth of California’s refining capacity, said they would shut down operations. Those announcements prompted many to be concerned about soaring gas prices. What do you think of the commission’s decision? And how would you, as a state legislator, propose balancing California’s climate goals with protecting consumers from high gas prices at the pump? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I understand the commission’s concerns about potential supply disruptions and soaring gas prices that hurt working families already struggling with California’s affordability crisis. However, as we continue this energy transition and move away from fossil fuels, we must acknowledge it won’t happen overnight and be mindful of the financial burden on working families.

The reality is that someone has to shoulder these costs, and it shouldn’t be solely working families. Oil companies shouldn’t be able to hold consumers hostage with threats of shutdowns when facing accountability for excessive profits. As a prosecutor, I know what it looks like when powerful interests use leverage to avoid accountability.

As a legislator, I would focus on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by expanding investments in clean air vehicles, improving public transportation, and building out public charging infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles. This transition is also an opportunity for innovation and new industries that create good-paying jobs for California workers.

We must strike the right balance between protecting consumers from price gouging while accelerating our move toward renewable energy. California can’t fall behind in the clean energy economy, but we also can’t let working families bear the burden of corporate decisions that put profits over people.

In 2024, voters approved Proposition 36 to increase penalties for certain drug and retail theft crimes and make available a drug treatment option for some who plead guilty to felony drug possession. Would you, as a legislator, demand that more funding for behavioral health treatments be included in the budget? How would you ensure that money is used properly? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Californians want safer streets and real solutions to drug addiction and substance abuse, and I will fight to make sure the legislature delivers on both. That means pushing for robust funding for behavioral health treatments in the budget, and strong oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively.

Accountability is one of my core values, and I believe government has a responsibility to protect our communities. Expanding access to behavioral health care, offering supportive services, and coordinating with local organizations are key to helping people regain stability and find real pathways to recovery.

As a veteran, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of mental health challenges on fellow service members, and I know how important proper treatment is. We need more investment in mental health and substance use services.

That’s why I support increasing non-compliance fees after a grace period and an appropriate timeline to rectify issues. If programs continue to fall short, penalties should escalate until they comply. Any oversight mechanism I push for is designed to help providers deliver the best care possible while ensuring accountability to the taxpayers funding these programs.

What role should the state play in ensuring hospitals and doctors are providing gender-affirming care to LGBTQ+ residents? Similarly, what role do you believe the state could play should other states adopt policies that restrict that care? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes, our state government must play a leading role in improving our healthcare system and expanding coverage to ensure all Californians have access to quality, affordable healthcare – and that includes gender-affirming care for LGBTQ+ residents.

I fully support the California attorney general’s lawsuit against the Trump administration to stand up for transgender care. For gender affirming care, I’ll seek to fully fund those programs, and assure our healthcare industry that any research grants or federal funding will be fought for in court, where we will work to restore all funding.

I will accomplish this by providing more funding to the California Department of Justice, and give them the necessary resources and staff to continue to challenge this current administration’s unlawful executive orders. Early capitulation to this administration has rarely yielded favorable outcomes, and I support protecting our communities in the face of adversity when it matters the most.

When other states restrict gender-affirming care, California should serve as a safe haven and continue to lead by example in protecting healthcare access for the LGBTQ+ community.

As a legislator, I will defend policies and commitments to transgender care, ensuring that state-funded healthcare programs are inclusive and that we oppose any policies restricting access to medically necessary healthcare for LGBTQ+ Californians.

Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Do you believe it’s the state’s responsibility to regulate social media use? Why or why not? And what specific restrictions or safeguards would you propose as a state lawmaker? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I believe the state has a responsibility to protect our youth while respecting the rights of families to make decisions for their children. Young people are still developing emotionally, mentally, and socially, and we must take that into account when considering the impacts of social media on their well-being.

I support age verification requirements for social media platforms and mandatory parental controls for users under 16, as well as increased transparency requirements that force social media companies to disclose their algorithms and data collection practices regarding minors. We need to tackle this with a comprehensive approach that includes better mental health resources in schools, digital literacy education, and stronger privacy protections online.

Artificial intelligence has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Yet public concerns remain that there aren’t enough regulations governing when or how AI should be used, and that the technology would replace jobs and leave too many Californians unemployed. How specifically would you balance such concerns with the desire to foster innovation and have California remain a leader in this space? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

California must lead in artificial intelligence innovation while ensuring strong protections for workers and the public. AI serves as a helpful tool, but it is not yet reliable enough to operate without human oversight.

The challenges with workforce transition is that current workers are already established in their careers, and job training this late is difficult. California needs a long-term strategic plan for the future workforce. I want to continue investing in STEM education, scientific research, apprenticeship programs, and adequately funding our affordable public education systems – all critical for a skilled workforce that will lead innovation.

I support a pragmatic approach that establishes clear guardrails, ensuring AI technology meets the highest standards of accuracy, transparency, and accountability before deployment. AI should support human decision-making, not replace it entirely. Workers and their unions must have a meaningful role in evaluating and approving new technologies in their workplaces, with enforceable protections for privacy, professional judgment, and autonomy.

California has always been at the forefront of innovation, and AI is no different. I believe we can lead the world in developing AI responsibly — creating good-paying jobs, strengthening our economy, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are shared broadly across our communities, not just concentrated at the top.

Statistically, violent crime rates in California is on the decline, but still, residents are not feeling safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in the state legislature in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

As a Deputy Attorney General, and Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, I know that public safety requires more than statistics it requires results that residents can see and feel in their daily lives. My role in the legislature is to make sure communities have the resources, partnerships, and accountability mechanisms needed to deliver those results.

That starts with ensuring law enforcement has the tools and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. I also support partnerships between police, mental health clinicians, and housing outreach teams so we can take a more comprehensive approach to addressing crime and the underlying issues — homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse — that keep families from feeling secure in their neighborhoods.

As a prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand that real public safety requires tackling root causes, not just symptoms. That means investing in evidence-based mental health and substance use treatment, job training, housing support, and holding agencies accountable for delivering results with taxpayer dollars.

I will also fight to ensure firefighters and first responders have the staffing, equipment, and resources they need to keep neighborhoods safe. When communities see consistent, collaborative efforts that actually move the needle on the issues affecting their quality of life, that’s when trust is built and neighborhoods truly become safer.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

My hidden talent is that I make complicated problems simple, especially under pressure, then I stay disciplined and steady to actually solve them!

Orange County Register

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Paul Seo, AD-66 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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