Jesse Gabriel

Jesse Gabriel lives in Encino with his wife, Rachel Rosner, and their three sons. His route into public office ran through legal work, Los Angeles civic organizations and a county commission appointment before a 2018 special election. In Sacramento, his record includes constitutional amendments, accountability for homelessness funding and measures helping neighborhood restaurants. Recurring subjects include food safety, gun safety, environmental policy and legislation supporting low-income Californians, homeless veterans and other groups.

BACKGROUND AND THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB

Born in Berkeley on September 25, 1981, Gabriel was raised in Oak Park and is Jewish. At the University of California, Berkeley, he served as president of the Associated Students during the 2002–03 academic year, then graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned his law degree with honors from Harvard Law School and received the Dean’s Award for Community Leadership from then-Dean Elena Kagan.

From 2008 to 2010, Gabriel served as counsel to Evan Bayh in the United States Senate. He worked at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles as part of its litigation and public policy groups. His cases included representing victims of domestic abuse and Holocaust survivors. In 2017, he filed two lawsuits against the Trump Administration on behalf of young illegal immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He received the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year award from The Daily Journal in 2018.

His civic résumé included service on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the League of Conservation Voters. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky appointed him to the Los Angeles County Commission on Local Governmental Services.

THE PATH TO OFFICE

Following Matt Dababneh’s resignation from the Assembly, effective December 31, 2017, Gabriel announced his candidacy in the special election for the 45th Assembly District. He won on June 5, 2018, with 65.7 percent of the vote, and was sworn in six days later. In the November general election, he defeated Justin Clark with 70.3 percent to secure his first full term.

Shortly after assuming office, Gabriel was appointed Assistant Majority Whip under Majority Whip Todd Gloria. His colleagues also elected him vice chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus under Chair Ben Allen. He took on both posts soon after arriving in the Assembly.

During that first full term, Gabriel authored nine bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The measures included legislation expanding legal services for low-income Californians in civil cases and establishing a Nonprofit Security Grant Program. He was also a principal co-author of the constitutional amendment to protect reproductive freedom in the California Constitution and a co-author of the constitutional amendment to protect marriage equality.

THE RECORD

Gabriel co-founded a legislative working group on gun control in 2019. Four years later, he authored the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, signed on September 26, 2023. He also wrote legislation prohibiting the sale of DIY machine guns, signed on October 10, 2025. In 2025, he introduced legislation strengthening penalties for looting and impersonation of first responders during wildfires and other emergencies; Newsom signed the bill as part of a package supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Food regulation became another recurring part of the record. Gabriel authored the California Food Safety Act in 2023, the California School Food Safety Act in 2024 and the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act in 2025. Newsom signed them on October 7, 2023; September 28, 2024; and October 8, 2025, respectively — three food-safety laws in three years.

Elsewhere, Gabriel has championed efforts to address climate change and expand electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he authored measures cutting red tape and helping struggling neighborhood restaurants safely expand outdoor dining. His housing and homelessness legislation has included bills supporting homeless veterans, increasing accountability for homelessness funding and programs, and delivering more affordable housing.

THE POLICY SIGNATURE

Food safety is a recurring part of Gabriel’s legislative record, with a three-year sequence of named laws addressing foods sold in California, food served in public schools and ultra-processed food in schools. Gun safety is another recurring subject: his record includes a legislative working group, the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act and legislation prohibiting DIY machine-gun sales. His environmental work includes efforts involving climate change and electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and he has consistently been ranked as one of the Legislature’s most committed environmentalists.

His legislation has addressed low-income Californians seeking legal help, homeless veterans, neighborhood restaurants and students. The documented measures include establishing a nonprofit security grant program, expanding legal services in civil cases, prohibiting specified food additives and DIY machine-gun sales, and increasing accountability for homelessness funding and programs. Across the record, food safety, gun safety, environmental protection and support for specific groups are recurring subjects.