Your guide to the state’s 10th Assembly District primary race
Democratic incumbent Stephanie Nguyen is set to face one challenger, a Republican, in the race to represent the 10th Assembly District, which covers Elk Grove and parts of Sacramento. The Democrat is heavily favored to maintain control of the seat.
Republican Vinaya Singh, a retired scientist and IT specialist, is running against Nguyen for a second time. He unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Nguyen in 2024, earning roughly one-third of the votes in that general election.
Nguyen, a former executive director of a Sacramento-area nonprofit, is seeking her third term in the Assembly. Only Nguyen and Singh are registered for the upcoming June primary, and both will advance to face each other in the November general election.
Where is the district?
The 10th Assembly District represents part of Sacramento County. The district includes Elk Grove and portions of the capital city, including the Pocket and south Sacramento.
The district is a Democratic stronghold. Over 50% of the district’s 275,094 registered voters are registered Democrats. Only one-fifth are registered Republicans.
Who are the candidates?
Nguyen, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, grew up in Sacramento and Elk Grove, according to her campaign website. Until 2022, Nguyen worked as the executive director of Asian Resources, Inc., a Sacramento-area nonprofit that provides social services to immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals and other vulnerable populations.
Prior to her election to the Assembly, Nguyen served as vice mayor and a council member for the city of Elk Grove. As a member of the city’s task force on homelessness, Nguyen said she played a critical role in obtaining $5 million in state funding to provide services to homeless individuals.
Nguyen was elected to the Assembly in 2022 after winning an open seat. She serves on several Assembly committees, including Business and Professions, Insurance and Public Safety. Recently, Nguyen secured major state investments, including $30 million for Special Olympics California and $60 million for California food banks.
Singh was born in rural India and worked his way out of poverty to become a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organization, according to his campaign website.
Singh moved to the United States in 1999 and became a naturalized citizen in 2016. He worked as an information technology specialist for several companies before retiring and launching his campaign for the Legislature.
“California is being ruined by the influence of wealthy special interests. If voters want accountability, affordability, and safety, they must elect new leaders,” Singh wrote on his campaign website, which includes outdated references to his 2024 race. One of Singh’s priorities is to reform election financing. He advocated for abolishing political action committees as a way to reduce outside influences in elections.
His education priorities include giving local school boards more control over curriculum and barring unions from contributing to public officials who vote on their contracts. Singh is an opponent of California’s sanctuary policies and has urged the state to prioritize services for U.S. citizens over asylum seekers.
Who is funding the race?
Nguyen raised more than half a million dollars in contributions last year. In 2025, her campaign expenses totaled more than $417,000.
As of early April, Nguyen had $360,922 on hand. Her contributions came from a range of sources, including labor groups representing law enforcement, oil and gas companies, corporate political action committees, housing associations and individual donors. Personal-injury attorney Anh Phoong, who also endorsed Nguyen, made two $5,900 contributions to Nguyen’s campaign committee last year, according to reports filed with the California Secretary of State’s office.
Nguyen has received endorsements from several statewide and local elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, U.S. Rep. Ami Bera and Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen. Several unions and law enforcement groups, such as the Peace Officers Research Association of California and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, have endorsed Nguyen for reelection. Nguyen’s husband is an Elk Grove police officer.
Singh is not raising funds for the election because he said those contributions come with expectations. Singh said in a statement that he refuses to be influenced or compromised. Additionally, Singh said he is not seeking endorsements.
This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 12:46 PM.
