Former Cypress Mayor Paulo Morales is the latest to jump into the race for an open Assembly seat that includes communities in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
Morales — only a recent Republican — has launched a 2026 bid for California’s 67th Assembly District. It is represented now by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, a Fullerton Democrat who is prevented from running again because of term limits.
Before his time in city government, Morales spent more than two decades working for the Cypress Police Department in various roles, including in patrol operations and on the West Orange County SWAT team, according to his campaign.
He said both jobs — as mayor and in the police force — honed his listening skills, a feature he believes would bode him well if he’s elected to the Assembly.
Morales acknowledged he became a Republican two months ago, but noted that his political transition was “a long time coming.” He said he grew up a Democrat, but felt the party left him.
“Do I sometimes think the government as a whole has an overreach problem in controlling us and telling us what to do? Absolutely,” said Morales. “Republicans are focused on letting that person make the decision.”
California’s 67th Assembly District includes Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton and La Palma in Orange County as well as Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens in southern Los Angeles County.
Along with Morales, former Orange County Democratic Party chair Ada Briceño, Cerritos Councilmember Mark Pulido and Artesia Mayor Ali Taj are running for the seat. Those three are all Democrats.
Quirk-Silva was first elected to the Assembly in 2012. There, she serves on the lower chamber’s Budget Committee as well as the Housing and Community Development Committee. She’s been largely focused on homelessness issues in the legislature.
Morales’ campaign noted that he’s focused on affordability issues, as well as improving education and public safety, as he vies for the seat.
“Our community deserves a representative who listens, leads with common sense and brings a balanced and pragmatic approach to the legislature,” Morales said. “The most effective ideas come from residents, teachers, business owners and community leaders, not from the partisan agendas that too often drive decisions in Sacramento.”
Registered Democrats make up 41.63% of registered voters in the 67th Assembly District, according to the latest tally from the secretary of state’s office, while Republicans account for 27.86% and 24.8% are no party preference voters.