Dawn Addis seeks third Assembly term in District 30

Dawn Addis, a Democrat representing California's 30th Assembly District, is seeking a third term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Shannon Kessler, according to BallotReady election data.

Asked why she is running, Addis said in our candidate questionnaire: "I am honored to be the incumbent seeking reelection. I am the Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No 1 on Health and the Assembly Speaker Appointee to the Ocean Protection Council. I'm also a mom, a teacher, and a longtime Central Coast resident." She added: "In my first two terms, I'm proud to have passed 36 bills into law addressing some of the most urgent challenges."

Candidate information

Party: "Democrat," Addis said in our questionnaire.

Family: "My husband, Marcus, and I are the proud parents of two children and two rescue pets," Addis said in our questionnaire.

Education: "Bachelor's Degree in art education and Spanish, Master's Degree in special education, and four teaching credentials from San Francisco State University," Addis said in our questionnaire.

Residence: Morro Bay, according to IVN.

Experience and public service

Asked about previous offices, Addis said in our questionnaire: "In 2022, I ran for the State Assembly and was elected. In 2024 I was elected to my second term. I served on the Morro Bay City Council from 2018 to 2022."

On her work history, Addis said: "As a proud public school teacher, I previously worked in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District for over 20 years. I taught special education K-12 for thirteen years . Then I became a teacher on special assignment serving immigrant and English learner students."

According to IVN, Addis is the first Democrat from San Luis Obispo County to serve in the State Assembly since 1922 and the first Democratic woman to hold the seat. She chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Serving Students with Disabilities, IVN reported.

On the issues

Asked what accomplishments show she can handle the job, Addis said in our questionnaire: "I have authored and successfully passed laws that reduce costs and add to the supply of student and senior housing and protected mobile home residents … I have also fought to lower utility rates, ensure access to home owners insurance, and restore funding for local services and infrastructure."

She also cited "AB 3233, signed into law, to strengthen local communities' authority to limit or prohibit oil and gas operations" and "AB 560, the Special Educator Support Act, signed into law, to promote manageable special education caseloads and better outcomes for students with disabilities."

Addis convened a 2026 hearing on how federal budget cuts could worsen access to physicians in medically underserved Central Coast areas, according to IVN. Physician shortages are personal to her. She told IVN: "I've heard from people almost daily that they would like to see a doctor. They have insurance. They go to make an appointment, and they simply can't get an appointment because there's just not enough doctors in the system."

She is also carrying Assembly Bill 1159, a student data privacy bill that would restrict how AI companies use student data, according to IVN.

Asked about the best advice she has received, Addis said in our questionnaire: "Secretary Panetta, my constituent and someone I consider a mentor, has said 'In a democracy, we govern either by leadership or by crisis'. I work to govern by leadership every day."