{ "id": "eptnbjbggv", "slug": "joe-patterson", "title": "Joe Patterson", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.politics", "label": "Politics and government", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions", "label": "Government and public administration", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders", "label": "Politicians and government officeholders (biographies)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials", "label": "US governors and state officials", "api_url": 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Rocklin.", "node": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.western-and-pacific-state-legislators.alpha-n-to-so", "markdown": "# Joe Patterson\n\nJoe Patterson is an American politician and a Republican member of the [California State Assembly](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-state-assembly), representing the 5th district.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) He was elected to the Assembly in 2022, after serving on the Rocklin City Council and as Mayor of Rocklin.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Party | Republican[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) |\n| Current office | Member, California State Assembly, District 5[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) |\n| Previous offices | Rocklin City Council; Mayor of Rocklin (2019)[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/) |\n| Education | B.A. in Government, California State University, Sacramento; Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) |\n\n## Party affiliation\n\nPatterson is a Republican.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) The California Republican Party lists him among its alumni.[2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n## Early life and education\n\nPatterson was born and raised in [Napa, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/napa-california), and moved to the [Placer County](https://www.edgepedia.org/placer-county) region in 2000.[2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/) He graduated with a B.A. in Government from [California State University, Sacramento](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-state-university-sacramento), and was selected for the post-graduate Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship, where he began his career working in the California State Assembly.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) After several years as a legislative staffer, he left the state Capitol for the private sector, and in 2019 he launched his own small business working with businesses and associations on regulatory and legal matters.[2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/) He and his wife, Colleen, have four children.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n## Career\n\nPatterson began his career in the California State Assembly through the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship and later worked as a legislative staffer before moving to the private sector.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/) He served on the Rocklin City Council, where, according to his official biography, he championed fiscal responsibility and public safety, and he was elevated to Mayor of Rocklin in 2019.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) In 2022, the voters of the 5th Assembly District elected him to the California State Assembly, and his official biography states that he was reelected in 2024.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) The 5th Assembly District spans parts of Placer and [El Dorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-dorado) counties in the California foothills.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n## Electoral history\n\n- 2022: Elected to the California State Assembly from the 5th district.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) • [2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n- 2024: Reelected to the California State Assembly from the 5th district; his official biography describes the margin as overwhelming.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/)\n\n## Positions and legislative record\n\n### Public safety and sexually violent predators\n\nAccording to his official Assembly biography, Patterson has authored legislation intended to stop the release of sexually violent predators into the community.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) His biography also cites making the community safer among the causes he championed while on the Rocklin City Council.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/)\n\n### Fentanyl\n\nPatterson's official biography states that he authored legislation addressing the fentanyl epidemic.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/)\n\n### Government transparency\n\nPatterson's official biography says he has championed efforts to increase transparency and get corruption out of the [Legislature](https://www.edgepedia.org/legislature). It states that he authored a bipartisan bill, which became law, to end the process of special interests negotiating legislation out of the public view and using non-disclosure agreements to keep details hidden.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/)\n\n### Fiscal responsibility and government regulation\n\nPatterson's official biography says he routinely fights to rein in state bureaucrats whom he describes as wasting taxpayer dollars, and that fiscal responsibility was among the causes he championed on the Rocklin City Council.[1](https://joepatterson.com/about/) His small business, launched in 2019, worked with businesses and associations on regulatory and legal matters.[2](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [About Joe Patterson](https://joepatterson.com/about/)\n2. [Joe Patterson - California Republican Party](https://cagop.org/alumni/joe-patterson/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US governors and state officials › State legislators › Western and Pacific state legislators › Surnames N to So*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Joe Patterson\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Joe Patterson](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Joe Patterson\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-patterson. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Joe Patterson is an American politician and Republican member of the California State Assembly's 5th district, elected in 2022 after serving as Mayor of Rocklin." }