By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) is entering his final year of service in the state Legislature due to term limits.
A native of the Watts community in Los Angeles, Gipson says he inherited a spirit of service from his parents. He was elected to the Carson City Council in 2005, and he served as Mayor Pro Tempore before entering the race for the California State Assembly in 2014. The following year, Gipson was appointed as the Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair. He served in that role until July 2023, making him the longest-serving Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair in California state history.
Gipson is currently running for the State Board of Equalization (BOE), which oversees the state’s property tax system and ensures taxes are assessed fairly across the state’s 58 counties.
California Black Media spoke with Gipson on his accomplishments and disappointments during the past year, and his plans heading into 2026.
What was your greatest accomplishment this year?
My work on gun regulation. My bill, Assembly Bill (AB) 1263, was signed by the governor in October. It deals with ghost guns. When you look at mass shootings, eight times out of ten, a ghost gun was used, something that is untraceable.
My community is victimized by these guns that are winding up on our streets. It’s Black and Brown communities who become victims of these guns.
How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians this year?
For me, my work has been supportive of Black-serving institutions. That’s why I carried AB 335, trying to get $75 million for them. When you look at what the Trump administration has done — attacking HBCUs, trying to cut Black-serving institutions, erasing Black contributions from history books — we need to protect funding streams.
This year, the bill was unsuccessful because of budget constraints, but in 2026, my final year in the Legislature, I’ll try again with a smaller amount. We’re organizing Black-serving institutions across California to rally behind it. Even if one door closes, another opens, and we’ll keep pushing so our institutions have the resources they need.
What was your greatest frustration this year?
My greatest frustration has been seeing grants canceled, funding cut off, jobs lost, and immigrant communities like Haitians and Dominicans targeted. I’ve seen ICE militarization in our streets in Los Angeles. The rhetoric from Washington, D.C., doesn’t match the reality — crime is down in these communities, yet militarization continues.
What inspired you most this year?
When Gov. Gavin Newsom stood up and said California would not be relegated to the back of the bus. He said we’d stand up to states like Texas, draw our own maps, and not allow our voices to be muffled. I was proud to push that green button and stand up for democracy. That made me proud not only as a Californian but as a Black man and as a legislator.
What’s one lesson that you learned this year that will inform your decision-making next year?
As chair of the Revenue and Taxation Committee, I’ve been able to shape policy that impacts communities like Altadena, a historically African American community, as well as places like the Palisades after the losses they faced in 2025. I’ve helped usher through tax policies that improve lives.
I’ve served on the committee before, but now as chair, I can lead. I believe I’m well-prepared for the next step.
I hope voters in 2026 will elect me as a Board of Equalization member.
In one word, what’s the biggest challenge Black Californians are facing?
Trumpism.
What is the goal that you want to achieve most in 2026?
I want to make sure that in my final year in the state Assembly, that I finish strong. I started this race in 2014. My goal is to finish this race in 2026. When I complete my term, I want to go out strong with pride, dignity, and a sense of purpose. I want to be able to tell the people who elected me that I delivered on the priorities they sent me to Sacramento to advance.