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Tri Ta, AD-70 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: Tri Ta

Current job title: State Assemblyman

Age: 53

Political party affiliation: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: Former Mayor of Westminster

City where you reside: Westminster

Campaign website or social media: www.tritaforassembly.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.)

Californians already pay the highest taxes in the nation. Studies estimate the “Cost of California” penalty for a typical middle-class family at around $29,000–$30,000 per year extra compared to national averages across all categories — with taxes, housing, and energy/utilities making up the bulk. California’s overall cost of living ranks as the highest (or among the top) in the U.S. Every year, the majority in Sacramento raise taxes and grow spending without any checks.

The governor even vetoed a bill that would have audited the billions spent on homelessness without any results. It’s time we freeze spending, find efficiencies and start rooting out fraud costing taxpayers billions. An example that comes to mind is the stunning $30 billion in unemployment fraud that happened during the pandemic. I will continue to fight for reform for California taxpayers who deserve efficiency, transparency, and competence from their government.

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

Public Safety is a non-starter for cuts. Strong law enforcement, prosecutors, and corrections are essential to combat crime, retail theft, and fentanyl trafficking that plague our communities. Weakening them endangers our families and small businesses.

Healthcare requires smart reform. I support targeted reductions in bureaucracy and fraud within Medi-Cal, but core services for the truly vulnerable must be preserved.

Education demands results over endless spending. California already pours over $100 billion into K-12 and higher ed annually, yet outcomes lag. We need to redirect funds from administrative bloat, ineffective programs, and non-academic priorities to the classrooms so every child has a real shot at success.

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 — Californians pay significantly more than the national average in several major categories, largely due to a combination of high state taxes and costly regulations. Studies estimate the “Cost of California” penalty for a typical middle-class family at around $29,000–$30,000 per year extra compared to national averages across all categories — with taxes, housing, and energy/utilities making up the bulk. California’s overall cost of living ranks as the highest (or among the top) in the U.S.

Public Safety — It is the first duty of the government to protect its citizens from the violent crimes and break-ins occurring in our neighborhoods. We’ve got to end the madness and support our law enforcement officers. First, I support ending policies that allow dangerous criminals to be let out of jail early or to not be prosecuted at all. Second, I support fully funding police departments to boost safety and crime deterrence. Third, I will support law enforcement efforts to enforce our immigration laws and I will oppose Sanctuary Cities.

Taxes — As Californians, I think we can agree that we’re taxed far too much. And what do we have to show for it? Crime and homelessness continue to rise while our education system declines and our roads crumble. I think we need to hold Sacramento politicians accountable for their endless spending. I will continue to advocate and fight to pass a tax cut for the middle class.

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 energy is destroying family budgets and making it impossible for middle-class families to live in California. Due to state mandates and taxes, Californians pay $1.85 more per gallon of gas than the national average and electricity rates are 40% to 100% more.

I am proud to have introduced legislation to stop the yearly double-digit utility price increases by limiting price increases to inflation. I also co-authored legislation to suspend the outrageous gas taxes and stop the automatic yearly gas tax increases that are taking money out of the pockets of middle-class families, without a vote of the legislature.

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.)

The state should fully cooperate with federal agents to swiftly remove individuals who commit crimes on our soil. Data consistently shows that over 70% of those targeted by ICE have prior arrests or convictions here — yet sanctuary policies force federal agents into neighborhoods and communities for arrests. This makes operations more dangerous for law-abiding families, officers, and even bystanders.

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.)

To meaningfully lower premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, we must shift the focus from simply denying or delaying care to delivering better health outcomes through smarter policies.

I will champion reforms that reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, combat waste and fraud in Medi-Cal, and promote price transparency so patients can shop for the best value. We need more competition in the insurance market, greater use of health savings accounts, and incentives for preventive care and wellness programs that keep people healthier and reduce long-term costs.

Last year, I successfully overcame Gov. (Gavin) Newsom’s veto and passed AB 951, which stops insurance companies from using a loophole to force autistic children to undergo repeated re-diagnoses to delay or deny receiving essential care. This puts medical decisions back in the hands of doctors and families, not insurers.

True cost control comes from better outcomes, not barriers to care.

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.)

I voted against this bad idea because expanding state-funded healthcare programs like Medi-Cal to non-citizens is fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable.

California’s recent expansions to cover undocumented adults have already become runaway costs. What was originally projected at around $3 billion–$6 billion annually has ballooned to over $8.4 billion–$10.8 billion per year in General Fund spending—billions more than anticipated due to higher enrollment and per-person costs rising 10%–15% annually. This has contributed to massive Medi-Cal shortfalls, forced state borrowing, and worsened California’s structural budget deficit while squeezing resources for citizens, seniors, and the truly vulnerable. We simply cannot afford this bad idea.

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 best way to make housing genuinely affordable again is by fixing the root cause: decades of overregulation that has strangled housing supply.

To help renters and homeowners, California must dramatically reduce the regulatory burden driving up costs. CEQA lawsuits, density restrictions, and endless permitting delays have made our median home price roughly double the national average and rents 50–98% higher than most of the country.

I will champion aggressive regulatory reform, including:

• Streamlining and limiting abusive CEQA lawsuits that delay or kill projects for years.

• Cutting permitting timelines from years to months.

• Eliminating unnecessary environmental mandates that inflate construction costs.

To incentivize new housing development and expedite projects, the state should:

• Offer targeted tax incentives and fee reductions for projects that meet reasonable timelines.

• Create fast-track approval processes for housing.

• Shift from command-and-control mandates to pro-growth policies that reward builders for getting shovels in the ground quickly.

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 voted against and strongly opposed this law in 2023. It was obvious that targeting oil companies with punitive penalties would drive up gas prices and hurt working California families.

Gov. Newsom’s insistence on punishing refiners has backfired. It has accelerated refinery closures, forced California to rely more heavily on expensive imported gasoline, and made our supply even more vulnerable. The result is higher prices at the pump and, ironically, greater environmental harm from increased tanker shipments and less efficient out-of-state refining.

Unfortunately, the California Energy Commission’s decision came too late. Threatening massive fines caused refiners to warn of shutdowns that could have sent prices soaring even higher. The commission wisely chose to protect supply and consumers over ideology.

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.)

I co-chaired the Prop 36 Committee and fought hard to ensure its success. Voters spoke loudly — Prop 36 passed overwhelmingly in 2024 because Californians are tired of open-air drug markets, smash-and-grab theft, and failed “treatment” experiments that put criminals first.

In the Legislature, I have repeatedly demanded that Gov. Newsom fully fund Prop 36. The voters approved tougher penalties for drug and retail theft crimes while offering real drug treatment as an option for some who plead guilty to felony possession. That promise must be kept.

I will continue to demand more funding for behavioral health treatments in the state budget so counties can actually deliver the treatment component of Prop 36.

Prop 36 is the will of the people. We must fund it fully and spend it wisely to restore public safety. Families across California deserve nothing less.

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.)

The state should not play a role in mandating or promoting gender-affirming care.

Medical decisions belong between patients, parents and doctors — not politicians or government bureaucrats. The state has no business requiring hospitals or physicians to provide these procedures, especially for minors.

If other states choose to restrict such care, that is their decision. California should respect the sovereignty of those states and focus on protecting vulnerable children from irreversible treatments rather than interfering in their policies.

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 children from the proven mental health harms caused by social media.

I support carefully crafted rules that empower parents and protect underage kids, but it must strongly protect the First Amendment and prevent any backdoor government censorship.

Any law must include robust parental consent requirements, strong privacy protections, and clear limits so it targets only minors. I am strongly opposed to proposed laws that give bureaucrats power to control lawful adult speech.

Done correctly, targeted restrictions empower parents and safeguard the next generation without opening the door to broader government overreach.

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.)

It is critical that California and America remain the global leaders in AI innovation. We must take a balanced, pro-growth approach, while protecting people with common-sense rules while rejecting heavy-handed regulations that drive jobs and investment out of our state.

I strongly support targeted safeguards. Last year, I authored AB 1856 to ban the distribution of explicit AI-generated images without a person’s consent, protecting victims of deepfake abuse. This year, I introduced AB 2193 to ensure traffic laws can be clearly enforced against driverless vehicles, keeping our roads safe.

The best way to protect workers is to make California the best place in the world to start and grow a business. California should focus on narrow, practical protections — such as preventing harm from deepfakes and ensuring public safety.

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.)

Mark Twain once said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

That perfectly describes the disconnect we’re seeing today. While some officials point to declining violent crime statistics, the reality is that Californians do not feel safe in their own neighborhoods. People experience crime directly every day — smashed car windows, retail theft, open drug use, and homeless encampments impacting their daily lives. When you walk into a grocery store and everything is locked behind glass, or watch people running out with stolen merchandise, statistics offer no comfort.

The homeless crisis and rampant public drug use are making neighborhoods unlivable for families across California.

As your assemblyman, I will continue fighting to restore law and order. That means fully funding and implementing Proposition 36, repealing failed sanctuary and soft-on-crime policies, holding repeat offenders accountable, and demanding real treatment.

I will push for practical solutions that address the underlying issues: stronger penalties for theft and drug crimes, more accountability for behavioral health programs, and policies that put public safety first.

Families deserve to feel safe walking their streets and shopping in their stores. I will never hide behind statistics while our communities suffer.

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

I have a 5th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Orange County Register

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Tri Ta, AD-70 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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