Tanya Cook, a founder of two small businesses in Garden Grove, has joined the race for California’s 70th Assembly District seat, represented now by Assemblymember Tri Ta, R-Westminster.
Born in Honolulu — her father was in the U.S. Navy, her mother a registered nurse — Cook has lived in Orange County since she was 8 years old, growing up in Garden Grove. She is working on completing a degree in political science at Cypress College while managing her small businesses and raising four children as a single mother, Cook said.
“My heart’s always been in politics,” Cook said. “This isn’t really a career change; it was more of an opportunity to finally stand up and do something and not just sit back and do nothing.”
Cook, a Democrat, launched her campaign for the Assembly shortly before the presidential inauguration in January. She said the Trump administration “is not representing the community,” and so she wanted to get involved in politics.
Cook’s platform is centered on three key issues: immigration policy and pathways to citizenship, health care and reproductive rights, and homelessness and veteran support.
“Immigration is really important and personal to me,” Cook said. “My family is an immigrant family.”
With the recent immigration protests across Orange and L.A. counties, Cook said the issue has become even more prominent for her. As a legislator, Cook said she hopes to expand sanctuary for immigrants and push for state-funded legal defense for immigrant families, she said.
“Every family deserves safety, dignity and a chance to build their future without fear of being torn apart,” Cook said.
In addition to immigration protections, Cook plans to fight for universal health care and the protection of Medi-Cal coverage, which she depends on for one of her children’s health care, Cook said.
Cook also said she would like to advocate for better infrastructure for homeless people and new solutions for housing issues locally. She plans to propose the idea of repurposing the Los Alamitos military training base for housing homeless veterans, Cook said.
“Once I get to Sacramento, I am going to represent the community,” Cook said. “I will be a voice of the community, and my door will be open and available to both sides of the aisle, not just Democrats.”
Ta, who was first elected in 2022, is running for re-election in 2026, a spokesperson said. Ta serves as the vice-chair for the Local Government Committee as well as the Revenue and Taxation Committee.
This year, Ta championed legislation that would eliminate a requirement for people with a behavioral or developmental health disorder to be re-evaluated in order to maintain treatment coverage. The bill has passed the California Legislature and is awaiting action by the governor.
Cook, in her campaign, has vowed not to take money from any PAC or super PAC.
“I don’t want to be owned by corporate because I don’t represent them,” Cook said. “I represent the people in my community.”
Cook manages two businesses — Plumeria Lane Events & Weddings and Aloha Mobile Notary — both of which she founded and works as CEO.
In addition, Cook serves as the president of the Garden Grove High School Aquatics Booster Club and is active in many Democratic clubs across Orange County.
The 70th Assembly District covers the cities of Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Stanton and Westminster. The district also encompasses Little Saigon in northwestern Orange County and has a large immigrant population.
According to the most recent state data, Democrats account for 35.7% of all the registered voters in the district, while 34.1% are Republicans and 26.4% are no party preference voters.