Brian Nestande (January 10, 1964 – March 6, 2024) was an American consultant and politician who was a Republican California State Assemblyman representing the 42nd district.

[10] He proposed legislation that would create online education standards, increasing college access to those unable to participate in traditional classroom instruction.

[11] In June 2014, Nestande expressed concern about the potential for money in the Governor's budget to be diverted from tech education programs.

[16] Nestande, described by the Press Enterprise as the moderate candidate, received more votes than the conservative Ray Haynes, a former state assemblyman, in the blanket primary.

[8][17] In September 2014, Roll Call wrote that Nestande "has proved to be one of the cycle’s more disappointing candidates" in terms of fundraising, but a campaign spokesperson in October 2014 told the Desert Sun that there was a "strong finance plan for the end game."

The campaign also stated that opponent Ruiz is receiving financial contributions from outside forces, "while more than 90 percent of Nestande's money is from California.

"[18][19] In October 2014, the Press Enterprise offered their endorsement to Nestande who they write is "best-suited to protecting taxpayers’ money, tackling the federal government’s mounting spending and debt and generally keeping government from hampering job growth and interfering in individuals’ personal affairs.

[24] The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified the cause of death as "multiple substance intoxication, including fentanyl and cocaine.