Melanie Burkholder Announces Campaign For 76th Assembly District

CARLSBAD - Melanie Burkholder began her campaign for California's 76th Assembly District today, challenging two-term Democrat Tasha

Boerner Horvath.

Burkholder, a Republican, took on Boerner Horvath, D-Encinitas, in 2020 for the same seat, ultimately falling short by a 55.6%-44.4% margin. The

district encompasses coastal North County, stretching from the Camp Pendleton Marine base in the north to Encinitas in the south.

Burkholder is a Secret Service agent and mental health counselor.

``California has gone from a state where people dreamed of living to a state that people are now fleeing,'' she said. "Compounding the pain,

businesses are also fleeing the state -- all the while the state is becoming an incredibly unaffordable place to live.''

Burkholder garnered headlines in March for being a representative for The Parent Association of North County San Diego, which won a round in court when Superior Court Judge Cynthia Freeland sided with the group in its lawsuit against state officials and granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of several rules the plaintiffs alleged unfairly prevented school districts from reopening for in-person learning.

Burkholder said she intends to fight Sacramento special interests.

``To fight back against the Sacramento swamp, California needs a fighter to take our state back from the people who are destroying our beautiful

state,'' she said. ``My campaign is focused on making California more affordable, protecting our tax dollars and holding the Sacramento politicians

who got us into this place accountable.

``These all are things that seemingly are lost on most of the existing Sacramento politicians,'' Burkholder concluded.

Burkholder graduated from the University of Memphis with a masters in counseling, educational psychology and research, and also holds a doctorate in

clinical counseling.

Boerner Horvath was elected to the Encinitas City Council in 2016, then won the 76th District seat two years later.

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