The Bee endorses a Republican for California’s 9th Assembly District. Who? | Opinion

The race for California’s 9th Assembly District comes at a moment when voters would be justified in feeling frustrated with a political system that feels distant, opaque and, at times, self-serving.

That frustration could be directly attributed to the man representing the 9th District.

Heath Flora, the Republican minority leader running for re-election to the 9th District, did not participate in The Bee’s endorsement process, making him ineligible for consideration. That absence is notable, given the ethical questions that have followed him.

Last October, a Bee investigation by Kate Wolffe found that Flora did not live in the Central Valley home registered as his legal domicile. He took taxpayer-funded per diem expenses despite “apparently living in Sacramento.” Court records show he wasn’t paying child support until his wife initiated a wage garnishment claim against him. A lobbyist told The Bee that she had an affair with Flora and expense reports show he spent much of the more than $600,000 contributed to his political campaign on travel, lodging and meals.

The Bee Editorial Board endorsed Flora in 2024 when he ran unopposed. We wrote then that Flora had “emerged as a bipartisan legislator who can work across the political aisle to confront problems such as retail theft and energy policy.”

Consequently, it would be an understatement to say we had a lot of questions for Flora. He clearly did not wish to answer them.

In the June primary, Flora faces three challengers: Democrat Matthew Adams and Republicans Brandon Owen and Jim Shoemaker.

The 9th Assembly District, spanning Elk Grove suburbs, Stockton neighborhoods, and rural Central Valley communities, requires a representative familiar with its diversity and economic pressures. On balance, Owen is best-positioned to provide that representation.

We endorse Owen, a rancher, real estate broker and a small business owner who has worked in the communities he now seeks to represent. That background shows in how he approaches policy, not in sweeping ideological terms but in practical, lived experience.

Where Owen distinguishes himself is on the issue of property insurance, a growing crisis in the foothill and rural portions of the district. As insurers retreat from high-risk fire areas, families are being dropped from coverage or forced into expensive, last-resort options.

This is not a theoretical concern. It is reshaping whether people can afford to stay in their homes.

Owen speaks to this with specificity and urgency. He describes a system that has “lost connection” between insurers and consumers, and he is right. His call for a “happy medium,” one that brings insurers to the table with regulators and property owners, reflects a clear-eyed understanding that this problem requires confronting the unintended consequences of past decisions.

That kind of grounded thinking is valuable in the Legislature, and Owen could just be the person to draw together experts to address this issue.

He also speaks to a broader concern that resonates across party lines: the need for greater transparency and accountability in Sacramento. His proposal to require single-subject legislation and limit last-minute amendments may not be flashy, but it addresses a core dysfunction in how laws are made.

Owen is not without limitations. Like many first-time candidates, his policy framework is still developing, and at times, he leans heavily on general critiques of government rather than detailed solutions. But in this field, he offers the clearest combination of practical experience, relevant insight and a focus on issues directly affecting district residents.