As California’s State Senate District 24 race begins to take shape, the contest is emerging as one that reaches far beyond city boundaries, touching issues that define daily life across the coast and South Bay, from housing affordability and homelessness to wildfire resilience, economic recovery and the future of California’s environmental leadership.
The district stretches from Malibu through Santa Monica, Venice and the Westside, then south toward the Beach Cities and Palos Verdes, making it one of the most economically dynamic and politically watched regions in the state. Whoever wins the seat will help shape legislation tied to zoning, coastal protection, public safety funding, transit investment, insurance markets, small business growth and quality of life for hundreds of thousands of residents.
One of the candidates seeking to represent the district is Michael Newhouse, a Venice resident, attorney and former Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner who is positioning himself as a pragmatic Democrat focused on what he calls the basics of governing. "We have made it too difficult to build housing, too difficult to start a business, and too difficult to keep businesses open,” said Newhouse.
Newhouse brings a background in land use, environmental and development law, along with years of civic involvement on the Westside. He previously served on the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and led the Venice Neighborhood Council, experience he says gives him firsthand understanding of how state and local policy intersect on issues ranging from development to homelessness to coastal infrastructure.
At the center of his campaign is the argument that California has become too expensive and too difficult to navigate for working families, entrepreneurs and communities trying to grow responsibly. He points to small businesses as the backbone of the state economy and says reducing bureaucracy must become a priority.
Across the district, those concerns take different forms. In Malibu and Pacific Palisades, the conversation may center on wildfire recovery, insurance access and rebuilding timelines. In Santa Monica and Venice, residents are focused on downtown revitalization, homelessness and public safety. In the South Bay, issues such as housing pressure, transportation and economic competitiveness often dominate civic debate. Newhouse argues these concerns are connected by one common theme: government must deliver practical results.
Housing is expected to be one of the defining issues in the race. Newhouse supports a statewide adaptive reuse law that would make it easier to convert vacant office and retail buildings into housing and mixed use projects, helping create supply without lengthy entitlement battles. He says California should prioritize infill development near transit and commercial corridors while being more thoughtful about imposing density on established neighborhoods.
Homelessness is another major pillar of his platform. Newhouse says the state must continue investing in shelter, mental health treatment and addiction recovery, while also acknowledging that encampments cannot remain the default response. “Streets are not for living. To save lives and protect communities, we need to combine housing and comprehensive services with enforcement of anti-camping laws," he said.
He also calls for stronger support for police and fire agencies, arguing that residents across the district want confidence that emergency services can respond quickly and effectively, whether the concern is neighborhood crime, wildfire threat or disaster readiness.
Since the district is defined by its coastline, environmental issues are likely to remain front and center. Newhouse said stormwater runoff systems, beach water quality and climate resilience should be elevated as core infrastructure priorities, particularly in a region where tourism and outdoor access are major economic drivers. “If visitors come from around the world and cannot use our beaches after a storm, that says something about where we are,” he said.
Politically, Newhouse is attempting to carve out a lane as a moderate, issue focused Democrat. While other candidates may emphasize more progressive approaches to housing, labor or climate policy, he says voters are increasingly looking for leadership grounded in execution rather than ideology.
He describes himself as a “common sense Democrat” whose coalition includes business leaders, environmental voices, labor supporters and multiple law enforcement groups.
The broader stakes of the race reflect the changing identity of coastal Los Angeles County itself. Once defined largely by lifestyle and location, the region now faces pressures familiar across California from affordability, public safety, housing scarcity, infrastructure strain and climate risk. The next senator will inherit not only a district of opportunity, but one demanding solutions that work across very different communities.