Former Lake Elsinore City Councilmember Natasha Johnson was sworn into office Monday, officially marking the start of her tenure in the California State Assembly during the final week of the session as the representative for the 63rd District.
“Today, during the busiest week in the legislative calendar I was sworn into the State Assembly to serve the 63rd Assembly District,” Johnson wrote in a social media post. “I am committed to fighting to lower our cost of living, protect parents’ rights, and make sure our law enforcement officers have the resources and support they need to keep our communities safe.”
The ceremony took place less than two weeks after the special general election was held to fill the seat vacated by Bill Essayli, who was appointed interim U.S. Attorney for Southern California in April. In that election Johnson, a Republican, went head-to-head against Democrat Chris Shoults.
On Friday, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV) released the final certified results. With 65,287 ballots counted, roughly 21% of registered voters, Johnson won the election with 34,866 votes compared to Shoults’ 30,332.
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“I really do want to thank the broad base of volunteers who came out and did a ton of heavy lifting on behalf of my candidacy,” Shoults said in an interview with The Record. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of folks to get behind me, and I really want to thank all of the folks in labor who got behind the candidacy as well, and really kind of saw me as a candidate of the everyday people, just another everyday Californian out there trying to represent everyday Californians.”
Shoults, who wished Johnson the best in her new role representing AD63, said he wasn’t immediately sure if he would mount a run for the seat next year.
“I don’t take running for Assembly lightly, and it’s always based on the numbers and the atmosphere and the environment, and you have to look at all the variables and say, ‘It’s winnable,’” he said. “So that’s what’s happened in each of the past runs, and so that’s what will drive whether or not [2026] is on the table.”
Shoults previously ran against Essayli in 2024, losing the race with 43% of the vote.
In an email to The Riverside Record, Johnson said she plans to run for re-election for a full term next year.
The Lake Elsinore City Council, from which Johnson resigned to take her seat in the California Assembly, is expected to discuss filling the seat at its next regularly scheduled meeting set for September 23.
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