City of Sacramento City Council Councilmember Lisa Kaplan

With longtime Councilwoman Angelique Ashby heading to the California State Senate, District 1 has a new representative: Lisa Kaplan, who had previously served five terms on the Natomas Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Kaplan, who was sworn in Dec. 13, easily prevailed over challenger and realtor Alyssa Lozano in the general election, with Kaplan receiving 60.64 percent of the vote to Lozano’s 39.36 percent. The two had advanced after besting Nate Pelczar, a financial accountability manager and reportedly Ashby’s preferred candidate.

Background

Kaplan has a long history of involvement in various groups and causes in the Sacramento region, with her campaign website stating that she’s “a PTA mom, a small business owner, education attorney, a Girl Scout Leader, a twenty-year elected member of the Natomas Unified School District, and a passionate advocate for our community.”

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Oregon, Kaplan attended McNary High School near Salem and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Seattle University in 1997. She came to the Sacramento area to attend McGeorge School of Law thereafter, graduating in 2000. Kaplan was first admitted to the California State Bar the following year and has maintained a law practice, though Google noted in a search on Dec. 13, 2022, that her offices were “temporarily closed.”

The Bee noted in October 2014, when endorsing Kaplan for one of her school board reelections, that she had “seen the district through the roller coaster of the last decade.” The paper also noted her career as a school district adviser on education policy and law.

Aside from this, Kaplan has worked in the California State Legislature and is a past president of Natomas Rotary, the Sacramento Region Jewish Federation Board, and the Sacramento Regional Chapter of Women Lead.

Kaplan is married with two school-aged daughters.

Key issues

An issues section of Kaplan’s website listed four areas:

• Housing, with Kaplan stating, “Everyone should be able to afford a home near their place of employment. We have to do better.”


• Homelessness, with Kaplan stating, “Addressing homelessness requires a wholistic approach and we—as a community—need to start thinking differently about this critical issue.”


• Public safety, with Kaplan stating, “Safe communities are places where people spend time together in local parks, and have access to nutritious food, affordable housing, and excellent schools. I’m proud of my work that has helped to make Natomas a place that residents can live, work, and play.”


• Economic recovery, with Kaplan stating, “"The last two years seriously affected local businesses and Sacramento's economy more broadly. While the road to economic recovery is not any easy one, its time we begin to re-build our city's pre-pandemic reputation as a thriving local economy."

When endorsing her for the general election, the Bee also pointed out that Kaplan’s relationships with Sacramento County supervisors Patrick Kennedy and Phil Serna could help improve the city’s strained relationship with the county.

District boundaries and office location

District 1, whose boundaries were redrawn by the Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission on Dec. 16, 2021, spans the northwest portion of the city. Portions of Rio Linda Boulevard can be found at its eastern boundary, while the Interstate 5 and Highway 99 split is near its western border.

• District office: Council District 1, 915 I Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814