Assemblymember Chris Ward was first elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2022 to serve the 78th Assembly District representing San Diego and El Cajon. He currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, as well as the Select Committee on Biotechnology. He is also currently serving as the Assembly designee on the California State Coastal Conservancy and Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.
Assemblymember Ward focuses his legislative efforts on housing, homelessness, climate, state budget and water supply issues, while balancing other key priorities concerning constituents. Since he was first elected, Assemblymember Ward has secured efforts to establish the state's first community solar program, ensure transparency around government use of automated decision-making systems, make rental application fees cheaper, prohibit discrimination in mixed-income housing developments, reduce access to ghost guns, and increase the substance use disorder counselor workforce.
He was previously elevated to Speaker pro Tempore and Assistant Majority Leader in the Assembly. He received a 2024 “California Legislative Champion” award from SEIU, a 2023 “Distinguished Legislator" award from the League of California Cities, a 2022 “Labor Superhero” award from the California Labor Federation, and received the "2022 Community Solar Champion" award from the Coalition for Community Solar Access.
Prior to his election to the Assembly, Assemblymember Ward served on the San Diego City Council and authored San Diego's landmark Equal Pay Ordinance. He chaired the San Diego County Regional Task Force on the Homeless and served as chair of the Land Use and Housing Committee. Before being elected to office, Assemblymember Ward was the Chief of Staff to Senator Marty Block and an environmental planner at the firm EDAW.
As a longtime volunteer for his community, Assemblymember Ward served on the San Diego Community College District's Citizens Oversight Committee, a board member of the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation and San Diego LGBT Center, as well as a member of the Truman National Security Project.
Assemblymember Ward earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Johns Hopkins University and a Master's in Public Policy and Urban Planning at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He and his partner, Thom, reside in University Heights with their two young children.