California Asm. Bill Essayli (R–Corona) has been appointed by President Donald Trump to be the new U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, based in Los Angeles.
Essayli resigned his seat in the Assembly on Tuesday, just hours after his efforts to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s were shot down by Democrats.
Driving the news: Essayli graduated from Chapman University School of Law and started his career as a lawyer, which eventually took him to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District.
- He first ran for the Assembly in 2018, challenging now Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D–Riverside) in the 60th district at the time, but lost.
- Four years later, Essayli tried again, but in the 63rd district following the California redistricting process. He secured victory against Fauzia Rizvi and was reelected last year, winning both of his campaigns by at least 15 points.
The big picture: After being up against the Democratic supermajority in the Legislature, Essayli now takes over the largest U.S. Attorney’s office in the nation.
- The Central District covers around 20 million people across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
State of play: Republicans in the Legislature lose a colleague who was a conservative firebrand, seen as an up-and-coming Republican in a state so often overshadowed by the left.
- His last act in the Assembly came Tuesday during a hearing in the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee, where he tried to get support for Assembly Bill 844.
- AB 844 would have required students to participate in school programs and use facilities based on their biological sex.
- Essayli brought conservative commentator Matt Walsh to the hearing to serve as a primary witness, but every Democrat on the committee voted down his proposal, along with another similar bill from Asm. Kate Sanchez (R–Trabuco Canyon).
What he’s saying: “I am honored that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed their trust in me to serve as United States Attorney for the Central District of California,” Essayli said in a statement on X. “I intend to implement the President’s mission to restore trust in our justice system and pursue those who dare to cause harm to the United States and the People of our nation.”
- He continued, “In just over two years, we have achieved major victories to restore common sense in Sacramento. When I joined the Assembly, parental rights, illegal immigration, and voter ID were peripheral issues; we’ve made them centerpieces of our Party. This past election we added true fighters and I am confident they will continue the important work needed in the Legislature to make Republicans start winning in California.”
