Steve Bennett is a Democratic member of the California State Assembly representing District 38, which encompasses the western portion of Ventura County [1,2]. A former high school teacher, Ventura City Council member, and two-decade Ventura County Supervisor, Bennett brings extensive local government experience and a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, education, and community service to Sacramento [2,3]. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2020 and won re-election in both 2022 and 2024 [1]. With a 17% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Bennett's voting record has consistently placed him at considerable distance from the California Family Council's worldview framework on the sanctity of life (Chapter 6), parental authority in education (Chapter 8), and religious liberty (Chapter 9).
Stephen Bennett was born on December 31, 1950, in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was raised with what he describes as a strong Midwestern sense of community responsibility [2,3]. He attended Brown University, graduating with honors in economics in 1972, and was a standout linebacker and team captain on the football team during his time there [2,5]. He later earned a master's degree in education from Butler University in 1976 [2]. Bennett and his wife Leslie, a three-decade high school Spanish teacher, share four children and have for many years opened their home to an immigrant family from Mexico, an experience that has profoundly shaped his commitment to addressing income inequality and expanding access to education, healthcare, and affordable housing [3,5].
Bennett spent over twenty years as a high school economics and American history teacher at Calabasas High School and Nordhoff High School in Ventura County, where he also served as a counseling department leader and assistant principal [2,3]. His career in education gave him firsthand insight into the challenges facing working families and young people, themes that would become central to his political identity. His transition into public service began in the early 1990s when he became active in local civic organizations, including the Alliance for Ventura's Future [2].
On the issues central to the California Family Council's mission, Bennett's voting record has consistently diverged from CFC's worldview framework. His 17% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating reflects a pattern of voting that has supported abortion access expansion over the sanctity of life, government-directed education over parental authority, and progressive social mandates over religious liberty protections.
