California › Orange County › California Assembly District 72
2 candidates are tracked for California Assembly District 72 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Chris Kluwe and Gracey Van Der Mark. Candidate information follows official Orange County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Chris Kluwe (Democratic) and Gracey Van Der Mark (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Assemblymember Diane B. Dixon (Republican), the sitting member per the Legislature's roster, is not on the November ballot. June 2 top-two primary result: Chris Kluwe (DEM) 43.8 percent and Gracey Van Der Mark (REP) 37.7 percent advanced over Matthew Harper (REP) 16.4 percent, Frank Wagoner (NPP) 2.1 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Democratic
Chris Kluwe is a former NFL punter who played for UCLA and the Minnesota Vikings and has since worked as a writer and community advocate, per his campaign site. He is running for the open 72nd Assembly District seat in Orange County.
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →Republican
Gracey Van Der Mark is a Republican candidate for California's 72nd Assembly District and a Huntington Beach City Council member, per the OC Independent. She previously served as Huntington Beach mayor, the first Latina to hold that position, and was born to immigrant parents, per her campaign website.
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →