Heath Flora

Heath Flora is a Republican member of the California State Assembly representing the 9th District, which spans portions of Amador, Calaveras, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties in California's Central Valley. ^[1,3] A lifelong farmer, small business owner, and volunteer firefighter who rose to the rank of Battalion Chief, ^[4,5] Flora was unanimously elected Assembly Republican Leader in 2025, making him the top Republican in the lower chamber. ^[7,8] First elected in 2016 in an upset victory to succeed Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, ^[1,2] Flora has championed public safety, agricultural advocacy, and wildfire prevention throughout his tenure, drawing on his deep roots in Central Valley agriculture — his family has farmed in the region since homesteading in Modesto in the 1920s. ^[4,5,8] His commitment to faith-based service, including missionary work building churches and schools in Cambodia, ^[4] combined with his advocacy for limited government, rural communities, and working families, reflects values closely aligned with the California Family Council's mission of defending life, family, and liberty. His 67% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating reflects alignment with CFC's worldview framework on limited government (Chapter 11) and family-centered policy, while indicating some divergence on CFC's core social policy priorities.

Flora was born on July 19, 1983, in Stanislaus County, California, and was raised on a farm in Modesto. ^[1,2] His family has been involved in California agriculture since the 1920s. ^[4,5] In 2015, Flora and his family moved from Modesto to Ripon, where he currently resides. ^[2] Before entering politics, Flora received paramedic training and worked for CAL FIRE for three summers from 2005 to 2007. ^[2,4] He then served as a volunteer firefighter for over fifteen years, rising to Battalion Chief.

Flora's political career began in 2016, when he ran for the open Assembly District 12 seat being vacated by Republican Kristin Olsen. Encouraged to run by former Senator Anthony Cannella, Flora won with 52.2 percent of the vote. ^[2,8] He was reelected in 2018 with 60 percent and again in 2020 with 67 percent. ^[1,2] Following redistricting, Flora transitioned to Assembly District 9 and secured 70.1 percent of the vote in November 2024. ^[1]

In Flora's first term, he authored seven bills signed into law, including legislation establishing a statewide firefighter apprenticeship program and measures to reduce property taxes on new construction. ^[4,5] He co-authored Assembly Bill 1309 to increase CAL FIRE salaries, though it was vetoed by Governor Newsom. ^[9] He also authored AB 1557, signed by Governor Newsom in September 2023, making permanent a temporary waiver allowing health facilities to perform medication chart reviews remotely.

Their 75.0% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 104 scored floor votes demonstrates strong alignment with CFC's worldview framework, reflecting consistent support for the sanctity of human life, parental authority in education, and religious liberty protections.

On June 9, 2025, the Assembly Republican Caucus unanimously elected Flora to succeed James Gallagher as Assembly Republican Leader, officially assuming the role on September 16, 2025. ^[1,7] As Minority Leader, Flora oversees a caucus of approximately nineteen to twenty Republican Assembly members. He has articulated a leadership philosophy rooted in bipartisan cooperation, centering on wildfire prevention, affordability, and housing reform. ^[8] He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Budget, Business and Professions, and Labor and Employment committees. ^[1]