Avelino Valencia was born in Anaheim, attended Katella High School, won election to the Anaheim City Council and has served in the California State Assembly for District 68 since 2022. He worked as a political staffer for Assemblyman Tom Daly from 2016 to 2022, a period that overlapped his 2020 council election. In 2022, after Daly announced his retirement and the district was redistricted, leaving no incumbent, Valencia was elected to the Assembly. In December 2024, he announced another campaign, this time for the State Senate seat held by termed-out Senator Tom Umberg. His public record includes staff work, municipal office, service in the Legislature and an announced State Senate campaign.
ROOTS
Valencia was born in Anaheim on November 12, 1988, to parents of Mexican descent. He attended Katella High School, Fullerton College, San Jose State University and Johns Hopkins University.
Playing for the 2009 San Jose State Spartans football team, Valencia made one reception for seven yards.
His documented connections to Anaheim include his birth there and his service on the City Council.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Valencia worked as Tom Daly’s political staffer from 2016 through 2022. That work began before Valencia was elected to the Anaheim City Council in 2020 and before he was elected to the Assembly in 2022.
In 2020, he ran for the Anaheim City Council to replace termed-out Lucille King. Valencia faced Annemarie Randle-Trejo and Jeannine Robbins and won the election.
Two years later, Daly announced his retirement from the California State Assembly, and the district was redistricted, leaving no incumbent in the 2022 election. Valencia entered the Assembly contest against three other politicians. He and Republican Mike Tardif advanced from the primary to the general election, where Valencia led Tardif in the votes and was elected to the Assembly in 2022.
In December 2024, Valencia announced that he would run for the California State Senate in 2026 to replace termed-out Senator Tom Umberg.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Valencia’s documented public record includes work as an Assembly staffer from 2016 to 2022, election to the Anaheim City Council, election to the Assembly and an announced State Senate campaign. The council race was to replace a termed-out member; the Assembly election followed Daly’s retirement and redistricting that left no incumbent; and the announced Senate campaign is to replace a termed-out senator.
The available biographical record identifies no named legislation, policy campaign, legislative vote, committee assignment or organized constituency associated with Valencia’s Assembly tenure. Without those details, no specific policy cause or alignment of interests can be established from this record.
The documented sequence includes Daly’s staff, the Anaheim City Council, the Assembly and an announced 2026 State Senate run. A fuller assessment of Valencia as a policymaker would require policy information not contained in the available record.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 68 · 2022–present
Avelino Valencia was born in Anaheim, attended Katella High School, won election to the Anaheim City Council and has served in the California State Assembly for District 68 since 2022. He worked as a political staffer for Assemblyman Tom Daly from 2016 to 2022, a period that overlapped his 2020 council election. In 2022, after Daly announced his retirement and the district was redistricted, leaving no incumbent, Valencia was elected to the Assembly. In December 2024, he announced another campaign, this time for the State Senate seat held by termed-out Senator Tom Umberg. His public record includes staff work, municipal office, service in the Legislature and an announced State Senate campaign.
ROOTS
Valencia was born in Anaheim on November 12, 1988, to parents of Mexican descent. He attended Katella High School, Fullerton College, San Jose State University and Johns Hopkins University.
Playing for the 2009 San Jose State Spartans football team, Valencia made one reception for seven yards.
His documented connections to Anaheim include his birth there and his service on the City Council.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Valencia worked as Tom Daly’s political staffer from 2016 through 2022. That work began before Valencia was elected to the Anaheim City Council in 2020 and before he was elected to the Assembly in 2022.
In 2020, he ran for the Anaheim City Council to replace termed-out Lucille King. Valencia faced Annemarie Randle-Trejo and Jeannine Robbins and won the election.
Two years later, Daly announced his retirement from the California State Assembly, and the district was redistricted, leaving no incumbent in the 2022 election. Valencia entered the Assembly contest against three other politicians. He and Republican Mike Tardif advanced from the primary to the general election, where Valencia led Tardif in the votes and was elected to the Assembly in 2022.
In December 2024, Valencia announced that he would run for the California State Senate in 2026 to replace termed-out Senator Tom Umberg.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Valencia’s documented public record includes work as an Assembly staffer from 2016 to 2022, election to the Anaheim City Council, election to the Assembly and an announced State Senate campaign. The council race was to replace a termed-out member; the Assembly election followed Daly’s retirement and redistricting that left no incumbent; and the announced Senate campaign is to replace a termed-out senator.
The available biographical record identifies no named legislation, policy campaign, legislative vote, committee assignment or organized constituency associated with Valencia’s Assembly tenure. Without those details, no specific policy cause or alignment of interests can be established from this record.
The documented sequence includes Daly’s staff, the Anaheim City Council, the Assembly and an announced 2026 State Senate run. A fuller assessment of Valencia as a policymaker would require policy information not contained in the available record.
The record
3,908 events, each with its sourceAB 1356 Dixon Assembly Third Reading
AB 86 Boerner Assembly Third Reading
AJR 7 Addis Assembly Third Reading
AB 53 Ramos Assembly Third Reading
AB 323 Fong Assembly Third Reading
AB 1332 Ahrens Assembly Third Reading
AB 64 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
AB 57 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading
AB 28 Schiavo Assembly Third Reading
AB 283 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 79 Arambula Assembly Third Reading
AB 224 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
AB 1026 Wilson Assembly Third Reading
AB 44 Schultz Assembly Third Reading
AB 929 Connolly Assembly Third Reading
AB 43 Schultz Assembly Third Reading
AB 250 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 715 Zbur Assembly Third Reading
AB 27 Schiavo Assembly Third Reading
AB 5 Berman Assembly Third Reading
AB 1112 Wallis Assembly Third Reading
AB 968 Boerner Assembly Third Reading
AB 1376 Bonta Assembly Third Reading
AB 967 Valencia Assembly Third Reading
AB 1410 Garcia Assembly Third Reading
AB 648 Zbur Assembly Third Reading
AB 546 Caloza Third Reading Urgency
AB 682 Ortega Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 686 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 615 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1104 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 408 Berman Assembly Third Reading
AB 1470 Haney Assembly Third Reading
AB 1299 Bryan Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1130 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 665 Chen Assembly Third Reading
AB 1207 Irwin Assembly Third Reading
AB 1387 Quirk-Silva Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 49 Muratsuchi Third Reading Urgency
AB 1390 Solache Assembly Third Reading
AB 424 Davies Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1272 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 317 Jackson Assembly Third Reading
AB 1318 Bonta Third Reading Urgency
ACR 84 Hoover Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 940 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 1199 Patterson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1338 Solache Assembly Third Reading
AB 1021 Wicks Assembly Third Reading
AB 1056 Bennett Assembly Third Reading