Henry Stern

Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) represents the 27th Senate District spanning parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, first elected in 2016 as the youngest state senator of his generation ^[1,2]. A former high school civics teacher, juvenile justice investigator, and environmental attorney, Stern has carved out a legislative niche around wildfire resilience, mental health reform, and protecting children from online dangers -- areas where families of faith may find meaningful despite significant policy divergences on life and religious liberty issues ^[3,4]. With a 22% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Stern'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).

Henry Isaac Stern was born on April 12, 1982, into a Jewish family in Malibu, California. He is the son of actor Daniel Stern, known for his role in the Home Alone films and as the narrator of The Wonder Years. A sixth-generation Californian, Stern attended public schools before heading east to study American History at Harvard University, where he also played NCAA Division I water polo. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. Before entering politics, Stern taught high school civics, worked as a juvenile justice investigator for Legal Aid, led a national youth organizing campaign around climate change, and served as junior staff counsel to Congressman Henry Waxman during his chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He later worked as a senior policy advisor to his predecessor, State Senator Fran Pavley ^[1,2,3].

In 2016, Stern won election to the 27th Senate District seat, becoming the first millennial elected to the California State Senate. He defeated Republican Steve Fazio in the general election to succeed the term-limited Pavley. He was re-elected in 2020, defeating Houman Salem, and again in 2024, defeating Lucie Volotzky. His current term runs through December 2028. The district encompasses nearly one million residents across communities including Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, North Hollywood, Chatsworth, and parts of Santa Clarita ^[1,2,5].

His 14.7% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 102 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.

Stern lives in Los Angeles County with his wife, Alexandra, whom he married in 2019, and their two children. His advocacy for foster youth voter registration through SB 332, his work on juvenile justice, and his legislation protecting children from social media dangers reflect a genuine concern for the welfare of young people that transcends partisan lines. While CFC will find clear policy disagreements with Senator Stern on matters of life, marriage, and religious liberty, his willingness to champion parental empowerment on children's digital safety, fund disability services, and protect houses of worship from violence suggests a legislator open to collaboration where the well-being of families and vulnerable populations is at stake ^[1,3,4,6].