Patrick Ahrens

Ahrens grew up in household that struggled with substance addiction and he experienced homelessness while attending college. He was a graduate of the federal Head Start program. ==Career==

Ahrens worked for U.S. Representative Janice Hahn in Washington, D.C., where he met Evan Low. In 2014, he served as field director then campaign manager of Paul Fong's unsuccessful bid for the San Jose City Council. He was first elected to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees in 2018 and selected as president of the board on December 13, 2021. ==California State Assembly==

Ahrens ran for the California State Assembly in the 26th district in 2024 to succeed incumbent Evan Low, who ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. The race attracted $3.7 million in outside spending including $2 million boosting Ahrens. Ahrens defeated Sreekrishnan receiving 56% of votes cast (76,807) compared to her 44% of votes cast (60,392) in the general election. Tenure On October 5, 2025, governor Gavin Newsom signed Ahrens' bill repealing the state's ability to charge parents of chronically truant students with a misdemeanor. In a The Sacramento Bee opinion piece published on October 15, 2025, Ahrens and Republican assemblymember Heather Hadwick called on the U.S. Congress to fully fund the Head Start program. ==Personal life==

Ahrens had a twin brother, Sean, who died of cancer. ==Electoral history==