Most California lawmakers never buck their party. These few do

CalMatters analyzed California lawmakers' voting records and found they break from their party less than one percent of the time. But a few mavericks do it anyway. Assemblymember Greg Wallis, a Republican representing the Rancho Mirage area, leads the pack — breaking with his party eight percent of the time. His razor-thin victory margin in twenty twenty-two, by just eighty-five votes, explains why: he has to appeal to both sides. This year, Wallis was the only Republican to vote for bills protecting abortion providers and insurance coverage for gay and transgender people. On the Democratic side, Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains of Bakersfield voted against her party about two percent of the time, most notably against Governor Newsom's oil-profit measure to protect Kern County's economy. But that independence came at a cost: she lost her congressional race in June to a more progressive challenger. Party leadership controls valuable committee assignments and campaign resources, making dissenters pay a price. And rising polarization means mavericks risk primary challenges from hard-liners in their own party. Still, Wallis and Bains say they vote their conscience and their constituents' needs, not party loyalty.

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