Bill Essayli

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Date	Party	Office	Votes	Result
11-06-2018	Republican	AD-60	57710	Loss
11-08-2022	Republican	AD-63	82613	Win
11-05-2024	Republican	AD-63	122968	Win

Candidate Biography:

Bilal Ali Essayli
Born: November 24, 1985 in Orange Co., CA

2008: Intern, White House Counsel's Office
2012-2014: Deputy District Attorney, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
2014-2018: Assistant U.S. Attorney
2018-2019: Chief of Staff, San Bernardino Mayor John Valdivia
2020: Alternate Delegate, Republican National Convention
2024: Delegate, Republican National Convention 

• One of the first two Muslims (with Aisha Wahab) to serve in the California State Legislature (both legislators started service on December 5, 2022)
• LAWSUIT: Essayli and Melissa Melendez were plaintiffs in the lawsuit to overturn of SB 27 (Chapt. 121, Stats of 2019) by Mike McGuire and Scott Wiener, which requires candidates for President and Governor to file their income tax returns for the 5 most recent taxable years with the Secretary of State in order to appear on a primary election ballot. On November 21, 2019, the California Supreme Court found that the law violated the State Constitution.
• QUOTABLE: "California is a fallen republic. When the CA Supreme Court can block the People from voting on a ballot initiative, we have devolved from a constitutional to a banana republic." Source: Twitter (@billessayli 6/20/2024)
• Legislative Altercation: During an Assembly floor debate on the morning of morning of June 27, 2024, Jackson was involved in an loud argument with Assemblyman Bill Essayli. During the debate over AB 1955 (2024; by Chris Ward), which would prohibit California schools from having policies to notify parents if students request to change their gender identity in school, Essayli began his comments by saying "I think this bill is everything that’s wrong with our politics today. This bill is built on a foundation of disinformation, hyperbole and fearmongering." Two minutes into his comments, Speaker pro Tem Jim Wood ruled that Essayli was out of order (for having comments of a general nature rather than on the merits of the bill), to which Essayli replied "I am not out of order," and "By the way, I am tired of being interrupted by you." At some point, Jackson yelled "You better watch yourself" multiple times at Essayli before he was restrained by Assemblymen Marc Berman and Isaac G. Bryan.
• On the final day of the 2023-24 Regular Session, the presiding officer of the Assembly announced that he would not recognize Essayli for debate or comments. Something similar happened in the Assembly in 1880, when by a vote of 41-32, Assemblyman Samuel Braunhart was suspended from the priviledge of the floor for three days for disorderly language. [Source: Assembly Daily Journal for 1880, p. 367]
  On September 9, 2024, Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher wrote a letter to the Rules committee in protest: "I write to you today to file a formal complaint over the actions that took place on the Assembly Floor on August 31, 2024, the last day of the 2023-24 legislative session. The last hours of session were more than chaotic. The actions taken by the majority were an assault on open debate... Just as egregious, the Speaker pro Tempore refused to even recognize at least two Members of the Republican Caucus: one who had his mic up waiting to speak on a bill, and another whom the Speaker pro Tempore decided he’d had enough of and refused to recognize the rest of the night, calling the Member’s actions “dilatory.” This, despite the fact that the motions, points of order, and appeals raised by the Member up to that point were deemed appropriate enough by the Speaker pro Tempore to be voted on. Quite frankly, his refusal to recognize a Member of the Assembly attempting to exercise his rights is an abuse of power."