John Harabedian

Why Thrive LA endorses John

John Harabedian represents California's 41st Assembly District, covering the Pasadena area and surrounding foothill communities. He is an attorney with degrees from Yale, Oxford, and Stanford Law School, a former prosecutor in the LA District Attorney's Office, a former policy analyst for Mayor Villaraigosa, and a two-time mayor of Sierra Madre. He was elected to the Assembly in 2024. Harabedian's housing legislation is the strongest reason to support him. He has authored bills that directly address the regulatory barriers choking housing production: AB 2058 streamlines inspection and permitting for factory-built housing, AB 2576 promotes transit-oriented development, and AB 748 expands preapproved housing plans to cut red tape at the local level. He co-chairs the Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability and, importantly, has called for both affordable and market-rate housing, not just subsidized units. In a Legislature dominated by members who treat housing providers as adversaries, Harabedian's willingness to reduce permitting friction is a real distinction. His push to streamline approvals for wildfire rebuilding is also timely and necessary for communities recovering from recent fires. Harabedian also chairs the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which gives him direct oversight of how Sacramento spends public money. That role matters. On homelessness, his emphasis on mental health services and supportive housing is reasonable, though we would prefer to see a stronger willingness to pair those investments with encampment enforcement. John Harabedian is a capable legislator whose housing work earns this endorsement, but fiscal discipline must follow.