Brian Goldsmith

Why Thrive LA endorses Brian

Brian Goldsmith is a Beverly Hills attorney, tech entrepreneur, and former CBS News political producer running for the open State Senate District 24 seat vacated by Senator Ben Allen. This is his first run for elected office, and he has assembled the strongest coalition of law enforcement, business, and civic endorsements in a crowded 14-candidate field. Brian Goldsmith combines a clear-eyed understanding of California's regulatory failures with the pragmatic, enforcement-friendly approach to public safety that Los Angeles desperately needs. In a district stretching from the Westside to the South Bay, voters deserve a senator who will fight to reduce the cost of building housing, hold government accountable for wasted dollars, and reject the failed ideological experiments that have made our streets less safe. Goldsmith has earned the endorsement of the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), CAL FIRE Local 2881, and both LA school police associations. He actively supported Proposition 36 to correct the failures of Proposition 47, going so far as to produce ads advocating for its passage. He backed Nathan Hochman over George Gascon for LA County District Attorney. When asked, he stated plainly: public safety is "the first responsibility of government," and he was "never for defunding the police." That is exactly the clarity voters need. On housing, Goldsmith identifies the real problem: California's permitting and regulatory burden makes it cost 2.5 times more per unit to build here than in Texas. He supports streamlined permitting and the Builder's Remedy concept while opposing bills like SB 79 that impose unfunded mandates on local governments. He has no record of supporting excessive rent control or anti-housing-provider regulations. On fiscal matters, he explicitly opposed the wealth tax when pressed by UNITE HERE, calls out "billions of wasted taxpayer dollars," and frames his candidacy around accountability and measurable results rather than new spending programs. Goldsmith's endorsement list reads like a who's who of pragmatic governance: Rick Caruso, Antonio Villaraigosa, Nancy Pelosi, Teamsters Joint Council 42, and the Asian Business Association PAC. Brian Goldsmith is the pro-safety, pro-building, fiscally accountable candidate that Senate District 24 needs to push Sacramento toward results instead of rhetoric.