Assemblymember Chris Ward was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2020 and re-elected in 2022 to represent the 78th Assembly District, which includes San Diego and El Cajon. He currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism and Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. He also leads the Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology.
A dedicated legislator focused on solving California’s most pressing challenges, Assemblymember Ward champions policy on housing access, homelessness, climate action, water resilience, and responsible budgeting. His accomplishments include authoring legislation to launch California’s first community solar program, curb the spread of ghost guns, expand the behavioral health workforce, improve transparency around government use of automated decision-making, and prohibit discrimination in mixed-income housing developments.
He previously held key leadership positions in the Assembly, including Speaker pro Tempore and Assistant Majority Leader. His legislative leadership has earned statewide recognition, including the 2024 “California Legislative Champion” award from SEIU, 2023 “Distinguished Legislator” award from the League of California Cities, 2022 “Labor Superhero” award from the California Labor Federation, and the 2022 “Community Solar Champion” award from the Coalition for Community Solar Access.
Before joining the Assembly, Ward served on the San Diego City Council, where he authored the city's landmark Equal Pay Ordinance and chaired both the Land Use and Housing Committee and the San Diego County Regional Task Force on the Homeless. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Senator Marty Block.
A longtime community advocate, Assemblymember Ward has served on the San Diego Community College District's Citizens Oversight Committee, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, and the San Diego LGBT Center, and is a member of the Truman National Security Project.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He lives in University Heights with his family.