Jesse Gabriel

Jesse Gabriel is a Harvard Law-educated attorney and Democratic Assemblymember representing the western San Fernando Valley in Assembly District 46, currently serving as Chair of the powerful Assembly Budget Committee ^[1,2]. While Gabriel's legislative record reflects progressive priorities that diverge from CFC's positions on life, marriage, and religious liberty, his bipartisan work on food safety -- banning harmful chemical additives from children's food -- and his legislation strengthening penalties for looting during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires demonstrate a willingness to cross ideological lines on issues that protect families and communities ^[3,4,5]. With a 21% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Gabriel's voting record has frequently diverged 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).

Jesse Samuel Gabriel was born on September 25, 1981, in Berkeley, California, and was raised in Oak Park, a suburb of Los Angeles in Ventura County. He is Jewish. Gabriel graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in political science, where he also served as student government president of the Associated Students of the University of California during the 2002-2003 academic year. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2008 ^[1,2].

Gabriel entered the California State Assembly in 2018 through a special election following the resignation of Assemblymember Matt Dababneh amid sexual harassment allegations. Gabriel won that special election on June 5, 2018, with 65.7 percent of the vote in what was then Assembly District 45. Following redistricting, he has represented Assembly District 46, which covers much of the western San Fernando Valley including the communities of Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Calabasas, Van Nuys, Reseda, West Hills, and Winnetka. He won reelection in 2024, defeating Republican Tracey Schroeder ^[1,4]. Gabriel currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, where he works closely with legislative leadership and the Governor to direct hundreds of billions of dollars in state spending, as well as Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus ^[2,3].

His 14.9% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 104 scored floor votes reflects consistent divergence from CFC's worldview framework. His voting record has supported abortion access expansion over the sanctity of human life, government-directed education over parental authority and school choice, and progressive social mandates over religious liberty protections.

On a more positive note for CFC's public safety priorities, Gabriel introduced AB 469 (later renumbered AB 468) in February 2025 in response to the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that struck Los Angeles County. The bipartisan legislation strengthens penalties for looting in evacuation zones, making it a felony offense punishable by state prison time, and closes legal loopholes that hampered prosecution of crimes against displaced families. The bill was signed into law by Governor Newsom ^[8,9]. Gabriel lives in Encino with his wife, Rachel Rosner, an affordable housing attorney, and their three sons, Ethan, Joshua, and Noah. He is known as an enthusiastic youth soccer coach ^[2,3]. His role as a father of three and community coach reflects genuine family values, even as his policy positions on several key issues diverge from CFC's advocacy priorities.