Bill Essayli

Bill Essayli
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 63rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 5, 2022
Preceded byAnthony Rendon (redistricting)
Personal details
Born
Bilal Ali Essayli

(1985-11-24) November 24, 1985 (age 39)[1]
Corona, California
Political partyRepublican
EducationChapman University School of Law

Bilal Ali "Bill" Essayli is an American lawyer and politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. He is the first Muslim elected to the California State Assembly. A Republican, he represents California's 63rd State Assembly district, which includes Canyon Lake, Corona, Eastvale, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Norco, Riverside, Temescal Valley, and Woodcrest.[2]

Early life

Essayli's parents are immigrants from Lebanon who fled to the country to escape its civil war.[3]

Education

Essayli is the first member of his family to graduate from college. He received his undergraduate degree from the Kellogg Honors College of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Chapman University School of Law.[4]

Career

Essayli served as an intern in the White House Counsel's Office in 2008. He then worked in private practice, where he focused on employment law. Then he joined the Riverside County District Attorney's office as a prosecutor. He then became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California. Among the cases he worked on was the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino.[5]

Political campaigns

In 2018, Essayli ran for the California State Assembly against incumbent Democrat Sabrina Cervantes. He lost the election, but made a strong showing, which raised his local profile.

In 2022, Essayli ran for the state Assembly in the newly created 63rd Assembly District. He defeated Eastvale Mayor Clint Lorimore in the primary and businesswoman Fauzia Rizvi in the general election.

Personal life

Essayli is the first Muslim in history to be elected to the California State Assembly.[6]

Electoral history

2022

2022 California's 63rd State Assembly district election[7][8]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Fauzia Rizvi 33,456 40.0
Republican Bill Essayli 28,659 34.2
Republican Clint Lorimore 21,598 25.8
Total votes 83,713 100%
General election
Republican Bill Essayli 82,613 58.6
Democratic Fauzia Rizvi 58,346 41.4
Total votes 140,959 100%
Republican win (new seat)

References

  1. ^ "JoinCalifornia - Bill Essayli".
  2. ^ "Biography - AD63 | ESSAYLI". 12 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  3. ^ "Bill Essayli is the first American Muslim elected to the state Assembly". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  4. ^ "Bill Essayli". Digital Democracy. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  5. ^ "Bill Essayli for Assembly".
  6. ^ Christopher, Ben (5 May 2018). ""I'm not running for president": How the California Republican Party tries to put on a new face in the era of Trump". Calmatters.
  7. ^ "Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 7, 2022" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  8. ^ "General Election - Statement of the Vote, November 8, 2022 - State Assembly" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.


Stub icon

This article about a member of the California State Assembly is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.