Congressman Mike Honda
U.S. House of Representatives California, 17th District |
Congressman Mike Honda represents California’s 17th district, which includes Silicon Valley – the leading region for tomorrow’s technologies. He serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, and is Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. He chairs CAPAC’s Immigration Task Force, and authored the Reuniting Families Act. Congressman Honda ensured that President Obama’s historic healthcare reform addressed AAPI health disparities and cultural, language barriers.
Since being held in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, he has championed civil rights. For over 20 years, he advocates to bring justice to “Comfort Women” survivors. Congressman Honda introduced H.Res.121 – the “comfort women resolution,” which passed unanimously in 2007, and secured a provision in the Fiscal Year 2014 spending bill which urges the Secretary of State to encourage the Government of Japan to address the issues raised in H.Res.121. As a senior AAPI Member of Congress and previous seven-year DNC Vice-Chair, Congressman Honda advocated for increased AAPI representation at all levels of our government. |
Congresswoman Judy Chu
U.S. House of Representatives California, 27th District |
Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009. She represents the 27th Congressional District of California. Rep. Chu currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee. She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, where she is the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access.
In 2011, Chu was elected Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which advocates for the needs and concerns of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community across the nation. Chu was first elected to the Board of Education for Garvey School District in 1985. From there, she was elected to the Monterey Park City Council, where she served as Mayor three times. She then was elected to the State Assembly and then California’s State Board of Equalization. In 2009, she became the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in history. |
Congressman Ted Lieu
U.S. House of Representatives California, 33rd District |
In 2014, Ted W. Lieu was elected to an open seat for the 33rd Congressional District, succeeding retiring 40 year incumbent Henry Waxman. He was elected president of the Freshman class of Democrats by his colleagues and serves on the House Budget Committee, and the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform. Ted is a former active duty officer who currently serves as a reservist in the United States Air Force.
In February of 2011, Ted was elected to the State Senate in a special election. In the State Senate, Ted was Chair of the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, Chair of the Select Committee on Air Quality, and Chair of the Joint Committee on Arts. Ted's legislative accomplishments include co-sponsoring landmark legislation regulating the subprime mortgage industry, state tax reform that saved small businesses from billions in retroactive taxes, increasing planning for climate change, increasing tax incentives for film/TV production and banning the state from investing in or doing business with companies doing business with Iran. Ted was elected to the Torrance City Council in 2002. In 2005, Ted was elected to the State Assembly, where he served until 2011. Ted chaired the Assembly Rules Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, and sat on the Governmental Organization Committee, Judiciary Committee, Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee, and Veterans Affairs Committee. Ted was also Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Aerospace. Ted's wife, Betty, is a former California Deputy Attorney General. They have two sons, Brennan and Austin. |
Congressman Raúl Grijalva
U.S. House of Representatives Arizona, 3rd District |
Raúl Grijalva began his career in public service as a community organizer in Tucson. Four decades later, he continues to be an advocate for those in need and a voice for the constituents of his home community. From 1974 to 1986, Raúl served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, including six years as Chairman. In 1988, he was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he served for the next 15 years, chairing the Board for two of those years. Raúl resigned his seat on the Board of Supervisors in 2002 to seek office in Arizona's newly created Seventh Congressional District. Despite a nine-candidate primary and the challenge of being outspent three-to-one by his closest competitor, Raúl was elected with a 20-point victory, thanks to a diverse coalition of supporters that led the largest volunteer-driven election effort in Arizona.
Throughout his career, Raúl has always fought for underrepresented voices. The passions that drove him as a School Board member to fight for and succeed at implementing bilingual education in Arizona are the same passions that motivated him to help pass the first bond package containing a $10 million commitment to reinvest in older, poorer neighborhoods while he was a County Supervisor. Likewise, they are what drive him today as he fights to reform our broken immigration system, ensure livable wages for American workers, and create vital land protections to safeguard our nation's natural treasures for the next generation. In 2014, Raúl was elected Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee by his Democratic colleagues on the committee. He also serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as a long-standing member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. |
Congressman
John Conyers Jr. U.S. House of Representatives Michigan, 13th District |
Congressman John Conyers, Jr., a Detroit Democrat, was re-elected to represent the 13th Congressional District in November of 2014, to his 26th term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Having entered the House of Representatives in 1965, Mr. Conyers is the Dean of the House of Represenatives, its most senior member. He served as Chairman of the House Committee on Government Operations (now renamed Committee on Oversight and Government Reform) from 1989 until 1994. In 2006, Congressman Conyers was elected by his congressional colleagues to lead, as Chairman, the pivotal House Committee on the Judiciary in the 110th and 111th Congress. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. Congressman Conyers is also one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and is considered the Dean of that group. Formed in 1969, the CBC was founded to strengthen African-American law makers' ability to address the legislative concerns of Black and minority citizens. In Mr. Conyers' 50 plus years in Congress, some of his major accomplishments include: the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Motor Voter Bill of 1993, the Martin Luther King Holiday Act of 1983, the Alcohol Warning Label Act of 1988, and the Jazz Preservation Act of 1987. He was also the driving force behind the Help America Vote Act of 2002. |
Congresswoman
Donna Edwards U.S. House of Representatives Maryland, 4th District |
Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, comprising portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. She was sworn in after a special election to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 110th Congress in June 2008, becoming the first African American woman to represent Maryland in Congress. She began her first full-term in the 111th Congress in 2009.
Congresswoman Edwards has enjoyed a diverse career as a nonprofit public interest advocate and in the private sector on NASA’s Spacelab project. In 1994, as co-founder and executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, she led the effort to pass the Violence Against Women Act that was signed into law by President Clinton. Since being sworn in, Congresswoman Edwards has secured a number of legislative accomplishments to improve the lives of working families in her Congressional District and around the country. Her first act as a Member of Congress was to add Maryland to the Afterschool Suppers Program, ensuring access to nutritional suppers to afterschool and youth development programs in schools located in low-income areas. During the health care debate, Congresswoman Edwards secured a provision that holds insurance companies accountable for unjustifiable rate increases. Congresswoman Edwards has introduced legislation to expand research and development, domestic manufacturing, and infrastructure spending to create jobs and grow our economy. She was also the first Member of the House to introduce and champion a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. |
Delegate Mark Keam
Virginia House of Delegates 35th District |
Mark Keam represents Fairfax County in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 2009, Mark became the first Asian immigrant elected to hold state-level office in Virginia. As a third term legislator with a reputation for bipartisanship and effectiveness, Mark focuses on creating jobs, improving schools, addressing traffic gridlocks, reducing burdens on businesses, strengthening social safety nets, and making the government more accountable.
Mark serves on Commerce, Education, Finance, and Agriculture Committees. Several bills he authored have become law in Virginia, including green jobs tax credit, healthcare jobs for military veterans, property tax relief for elderly homeowners, food allergy safety training, sales tax fraud prevention and prisoner reentry reforms. Born in Seoul, Korea, Mark spent his childhood in South Vietnam until just before that country fell to communism. His family then moved to Australia before settling in America when Mark was a teenager. He graduated from the University of California at Irvine and Hastings College of the Law. |
Grace Han Wolf
Council Member Herndon Town Council Commonwealth of Virginia |
Grace Han Wolf is serving her third term on the Herndon Town Council. She is the first Korean American woman elected to office in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is the Town’s representative to the Committee for Dulles Board of Directors and the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission.
In 2006, Wolf received the Town of Herndon’s prestigious Distinguished Service Award, recognizing her commitment to volunteerism. She is a member of the Leadership Fairfax Class of 2007. She received the Public Service Award from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in 2012. In 2013, Wolf was recognized as one of “The Influential Women of Virginia” by Virginia Lawyers Media, an award that recognizes the outstanding efforts of women in all fields across the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2014, Wolf was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Commission for the Arts as Commissioner, and appointed to the Board of Directors for the Arts Council of Fairfax and the Fairfax County Park Authority. Wolf is an active member of the regional AAPI community and is a founder of the Jade Philanthropy Society, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to is to encourage and facilitate philanthropy by Asian Americans in the DC metro area. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Korean American Scholarship Foundation – Eastern Region, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and is a member of KOWIN. |
Congressman
Mark Takano U.S. House of Representatives California, 41st District |
For more than twenty years, Mark Takano has worked to improve the lives of Riverside County residents, both as an elected official and as a teacher at Rialto High School.
Born and raised in Riverside, Mark's commitment to public service began at an early age. His family roots in Riverside go back to his grandparents who, along with his parents, were removed from their respective homes and sent to Japanese American Internment camps during World War II. After the war, these two families settled in Riverside County to rebuild their lives. Mark attended La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District, and in 1979 he graduated as the school's valedictorian. Mark attended Harvard College and received his bachelor's degree in Government in 1983. In 1990, Mark was elected to the Riverside Community College District's Board of Trustees. At RCC, Mark has worked with Republicans and Democrats to improve higher education for young people and job training opportunities for adults seeking to learn a new skill or start a new career. He was elected Board President in 1991 and helped the Board and the District gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges. During Mark’s long history of public service in Riverside County he has served on the Community Advisory Board of the Children's Spine Foundation and the Board of the Chancellor's Asian Pacific Islander Community Advisory Center at the University of California, Riverside. He has served as chairman of the Riverside Mayor's Task Force on the Digital Divide, as a charter member of the Association of Latino Community College Trustees, as a member of the Association of California Asian American Trustees and as a member of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. He is a recipient of the Martin Luther King Visionaries Award. Today, Mark Takano represents the people of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris in the United States Congress. He serves on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee. |
Donald Wagner
CA State Assemblymember 68th District |
First elected in 1998 to the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Don served three consecutive terms, including an unprecedented six years serving as Board President.
A practicing attorney, Don is active in the Orange County business and legal communities. He has served on several committees or advisory boards for the Orange County Bar Association and as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Superior Court of Orange County. He has also published articles on legal, political, and cultural topics in the local media. He served as president of the American Lung Association of Orange County, an affiliate of the nation's oldest voluntary health organization. He founded and served as the first president of the Orange County Chapter of the Federalist Society, a national organization of conservative lawyers, judges, and law professors committed to ensuring a judicial integrity and strict adherence to the Constitution of the United States. Don is also a past finalist for the Irvine "Citizen of the Year" award. Don received his bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned a Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and was admitted to the California Bar in the same year. In the Assembly, Don was appointed to serve on the two key fiscal committees, Appropriations and Budget, where he sits on the Sub-Committee 4 that addresses state administration. He is proud to serve as both Vice-Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and Vice-Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care. Don also serves on the Assembly Health Committee, and as the Deputy Republican Floor Leader. Don and his wife, Megan, reside in Irvine, where they raised their three children. All of the Wagner children were educated in the Irvine public schools, with which the Wagners have long been heavily involved in various types of volunteer work. |
Congresswoman
Grace Meng U.S. House of Representatives New York, 6th District |
U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her first term in the United States House of Representatives. Grace represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central and northeast Queens. Grace is the first Asian-American Member of Congress from New York, and the only Representative of Asian descent on the entire east coast. She is also the first female Member of Congress from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
During her first term in the House, Grace scored several legislative victories, an unusual accomplishment for a new Member of Congress. Her first major legislative effort, to allow federal disaster funds to be used for rebuilding houses of worship damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, passed the House just six weeks after she was sworn in to Congress. She also secured passage of her bill to reduce the massive backlog of veterans’ disability claims, as well as legislation that better protects American diplomats serving overseas, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. In addition, the House approved her measure to make the desecration of cemeteries a violation of religious freedom. Born in Corona, Queens, and raised in the Bayside section of the borough, Grace graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Michigan. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. Prior to entering public service, she worked as a public-interest lawyer. Grace resides in Queens with her husband, Wayne, two sons – Tyler and Brandon – and her dog, Bounce. |
David Hadley
CA State Assemblymember 66th District |
Assemblyman David Hadley was elected to represent the 66th Assembly District (the South Bay) in November 2014. Born and raised in Fullerton, he attended Servite High School in Anaheim. David completed his Bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College and his Master’s degree at the London School of Economics. David and his wife Suzanne have been married for over 22 years and they are the proud parents of four children. Their 20-year-old son, Jack, is a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Their three daughters are Claire (17), Ellen (15), and Faith (13). Claire and Ellen are students at Mira Costa High School, and Faith attends Manhattan Beach Middle School. Sixteen years ago David founded Hadley Partners, Incorporated (HPi). HPi is a financial advisory firm that specializes in representing entrepreneurial and family-owned businesses in the financing or sale of their companies. Since its founding, HPi has advised well over 100 businesses, and has helped some of those businesses create thousands of new jobs as well as new products and services.
|
Senator
Mark Warner U.S. Senate Virginia |
Mark Warner spent 20 years as a successful technology and business leader in Virginia before he was elected to public office. The first in his family to graduate from college. Warner was elected Virginia Governor in 2001, and worked with a Republican legislature to turn a $6 billion budget shortfall into a $1 billion budget surplus. He brought business efficiency to state government, launched innovative education reforms, and led an economic development effort that created nearly 130,000 new jobs across Virginia. When Mark Warner left the Governor's Office, Virginia was ranked as the best state for business, the best managed state, and the best state in which to receive a public education.
Governor Warner was elected to the United States Senate in 2008, and serves on the Banking, Budget, Finance and Intelligence committees. At a time when Washington seems gridlocked by partisan politics, he has emerged as a bipartisan leader who's willing to cross the political aisle to bring people together and get things done. Mark Warner has consistently been in the Senate's sensible center, working with Republicans and Democrats to cut red tape and reduce spending. He has partnered with Senate Republicans on every major piece of legislation he has introduced, including bills to end taxpayer bailouts of failing banks, address our significant infrastructure needs, and promote innovative new tools for start-up companies and job creation. |
Congressman
Adam Schiff U.S. House of Representatives California, 28th District |
Congressman Adam B. Schiff represents California's 28th Congressional District. Born on June 22, 1960, Adam is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He and his wife Eve (yes, it's true) have two children, a daughter, Alexa Marion, born in July 1998, and a son, Elijah Harris, born in July 2002. In his 8th term in the House of
Representatives, Schiff currently serves as the Ranking Member, or top
Democrat, of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and as a
Member of the Benghazi Select Committee. Schiff is currently on a leave
of absence from the House Appropriations Committee.
In addition to his committee work, Schiff’s top priority is to create jobs. Schiff has always believed that small businesses have been the true engine of growth in challenging economic times and has been fighting to enact tax deductions for small businesses that can be used for start-up expenses, to eliminate payroll taxes for new hires, and to remove burdensome regulations. Schiff also believes that reestablishing America as a manufacturing powerhouse is crucial. He has advanced efforts to ensure the safety of all Americans by improving nuclear safety, and is the author of the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, which President Obama signed into law on February 16, 2010. In March 2003, Schiff co-founded the Democratic Study Group on National Security in an effort to explore emerging national security issues with other Members of Congress. Schiff also co-founded the Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press in May 2006, a bipartisan, bicameral caucus that is chaired by Schiff. Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Schiff completed a four-year term as State Senator for California's 21st State Senate District, chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Juvenile Justice and the Joint Committee on the Arts. |
Janet Nguyen
CA State Senator 34th District |
The Honorable Janet Nguyen was overwhelmingly elected to the California State Senate in November 2014 to represent the residents of the 34th Senate District. Senator Nguyen has set many firsts in state and national politics. She is the first Vietnamese-American in the country to be elected to a state’s legislative Senate house, and she is the highest-ranking Vietnamese-American elected official in the United States. Senator Nguyen represents more than 925,000 residents in California’s 34th Senate District, which covers the Cities of Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Westminster, unincorporated communities of Midway City and Rossmoor and portions of Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, and Orange.
For her efforts to serve the community, Senator Nguyen has been awarded the We Give Thanks 2004 Women of Vision Award, which recognizes outstanding women who have provided exceptional services to the community. Nguyen was also named to the Class of 2008 Latino OC 100 for her work with the Latino community. In addition, the Orange County Register has listed her as one of the “30 Vietnamese-Americans to Watch.” Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Senator Janet Nguyen and her family escaped their homeland on a small wooden 10-meter boat sailing across the South Asia Sea in search of freedom. After passing through numerous refugee camps, Senator Nguyen and her family arrived in California in 1981. She is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Senator Nguyen resides in Garden Grove with her husband Tom and two sons. |
Congresswoman
Doris Matsui U.S. House of Representatives California, 6th District |
Congresswoman Doris Matsui has represented the city of Sacramento and its surrounding areas since 2005. As a member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee she serves on the Health and Communications and Technology subcommittees.She was at the forefront of the effort to build the Joint Federal Project at Folsom Dam, a $1 billion project that is a model of cooperation and efficiency. She also fights to preserve the region’s water rights and resources within the ongoing Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
She has worked tirelessly to improve access to high quality health care in Sacramento and across the nation. Through her committee work, Congresswoman Matsui helped author the Affordable Care Act, and she continues to work with stakeholders to ensure the Sacramento region has what it needs to provide the access to health care services that every citizen deserves. She is also a champion in Congress for improving our nation’s mental health care system, and secured passage of landmark bipartisan legislation, the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which provides $1 billion to strengthen the mental health safety net. Congresswoman Matsui has been a leader in Congress on tackling climate change, and she serves as a co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). During the 114th Congress, Congresswoman Matsui was elected by her peers to serve as a co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. As co-chair, she works closely with the 88 women Members of the House to advance issues that matter most to women in the United States. After growing up on a farm in California's Central Valley, Congresswoman Matsui met her husband, the late Congressman Bob Matsui, while attending the University of California at Berkeley. During President Clinton's first term in office, she served as one of eight members of the President's transition board. She later served for six years as Deputy Assistant to the President in the White House Office of Public Liaison. Congresswoman Matsui has a son Brian Matsui and a daughter-in-law Amy Matsui. She has two grandchildren, Anna and Robby. |
Congressman
Chris Van Hollen Maryland, 8th District |
Congressman Chris Van Hollen was elected to Congress in 2002 and quickly earned a reputation as an active, engaged, and effective member of the House of Representatives. He is working to advance policies that support job creation and economic growth, reduce the deficit, and put America on a path to fiscal sustainability and broadly-shared prosperity.
In addition to representing the Eighth District of Maryland and serving in House leadership, Congressman Van Hollen was re-elected by his colleagues in 2012 to serve a second term as the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. In this position, he serves as a key point person on budget and economic legislation in the House. The Washington Post described Congressman Van Hollen as a “bona fide budget expert” and the LA Times said he “is among his party's best budget minds.” Roll Call has noted that “Van Hollen gets near-universal respect from his colleagues for his intellectual firepower and combination of policy and political chops.” Congressman Van Hollen was given the “Courageous Leadership Award” from The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee and was recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as the “Best Metro Area Member of Congress” and as the “Best Local Elected Official” by Bethesda Magazine. He is a leader of efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and fought successfully to obtain a historic boost in federal funds for the Bay as part of the Farm Bill and to secure provisions in the Recovery Act that provided loan guarantees for renewable energy projects. A former professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congressman Van Hollen has a strong background in national security policy. The son of a Foreign Service officer, he lived and studied abroad for many years and has remained active in issues related to U.S. foreign policy and national security. Congressman Van Hollen has received numerous leadership awards for his legislative activities, including the top award from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters for his work on environmental issues! Before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Van Hollen served 4 years in the Maryland House of Delegates and 8 years in the Maryland Senate. He also worked as an attorney in private practice for 10 years. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Kensington, Maryland with his wife, Katherine, and their three children, Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander. |
Mike Gipson
CA State Assemblymember 64th District |
Mike A. Gipson, first elected to the California State Assembly in November 2014, represents the 64th Assembly District.
In various capacities, Assemblymember Gipson has been serving the people of the 64th District his entire life. As a peace officer, legislative staff, elected official, and labor organizer, Gipson’s dedication to the residents of the South Bay is a testament to his heart and enthusiasm for helping others. Born and raised in Watts, Gipson’s passion for public service was instilled at a young age. The son of a labor activist, Gipson learned the value of hard work, solidarity and leadership. As a youth pastor at the One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Christian church, Gipson helped teach the importance of community and giving back to others. These lessons have continued to lead him throughout his life. Eager to serve, Gipson became a police officer for the Maywood Police Department after graduating from the South Bay Police Training Academy. After leaving the police force, Gipson earned his Bachelor of Science in Business/Management from the University of Phoenix and his Associate of Arts degree from the Los Angeles Southwest College. Gipson’s introduction into politics came as a Field Representative for L.A. Councilman Robert Farrell and Mark Ridley-Thomas, and as Staff Aide to Compton’s Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally and State Senator Bill Greene. Gipson would eventually serve as Chief of Staff to Chairman Jerome E. Horton, the first African-American elected to the California State Board of Equalization, and whose district currently serves 8.5 million residents. As a resident of Carson, Gipson served on the Public Safety and the Human Relations Commissions, and as a board member of Carson’s Workforce Investment Network. He was also appointed as the youngest to chair the County of Los Angeles Community Action Board, which distributes $10 million annually in Community Service Block Grant funds. Additionally, Gipson formerly served as Vice President of the Advisory Board for the State Public Utilities Commission. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Director for Positive Imagery Foundation, Inc., a Los Angeles-based agency that deals with HIV/AIDS and other STDs prevalent in the African-American and Latino communities. Serving on the Carson City Council from 2005 to 2014, Assemblymember Gipson was selected by his peers to serve as the Mayor Pro Tem. He established the Midnight Basketball program, which was a highly successful at removing children from the streets during summer nights. Gipson also started two program conferences to mentor at risk youth: S.O.S (Saving our Sons) and R.O.S.E. (Reaching Out to our Sisters Everywhere). Passionate about ensuring that those who educate our children are treated with dignity and respect, Gipson has recently applied his leadership skills as an area organizer for the 48,000-strong United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). Prior to working for UTLA, he was the Legislative and Political Director for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 399, the state-wide Political Director for Justice for Janitors 1877 SEIU and a Business Representative for SEIU Local 99. Gipson is a devoted husband, and still lives in Carson with his wife, LeCresha. They have two sons, Devon and Jordan. |
Ed Hernandez
CA State Senator 22nd District |
Dr. Ed Hernandez had only one goal as a young man – to serve the health care needs of the community he came from. As an optometrist and local businessman, he never dreamed he would one day work in the California State Legislature. As a health care provider in predominantly low-income communities though, the need to improve access to health care is what drove him to run for office. Dr. Ed was first elected to the Assembly in November of 2006, and re-elected in November of 2008. He won his seat in the California State Senate in November of 2010 and was re-elected once again in 2014.
Senator Hernandez serves as Chair for the Senate Committee on Health. He is also a member of the Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee, the Government and Finance Committee, the Committee for Governmental Organization, and the Senate Insurance Committee. Senator Hernandez is the Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus, made up of 12 Senators and Assembly members representing the greater San Gabriel Valley. This position has allowed him to work in cooperation with fellow legislators on issues critical to the San Gabriel Valley, including water and transportation. Senator Hernandez grew up in La Puente, attended local schools and graduated from Bassett High School. He worked his way through school, attending both Rio Hondo and Mt. San Antonio Community Colleges before going on to get his B.S. degree in Biology from Cal State Fullerton. He received a scholarship to study Optometry at Indiana University, which is also where he met his wife Diane. After returning home, Dr. Ed and his wife setup their first practice in his hometown of La Puente. Senator Hernandez proudly represents the 22nd Senate District. |
Congressman
Juan Vargas U.S. House of Representatives California, 51st District |
Congressman Juan Vargas was raised on a chicken ranch in National City, in California’s 51st District. He is one of ten children, born to his parents, Tomas and Celina Vargas on March 7, 1961. His father, Tomas, immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the late 1940s as part of the Bracero Program which brought millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States on short-term, primarily agricultural labor contracts, as part of a series of bi-lateral agreements between Mexico and the United States. Through the Bracero Program, Tomas became a legal resident and Juan’s mother, Celina, went on to earn her U.S. Citizenship.
Juan attained impressive academic credentials. He attended the University of San Diego on scholarship, graduated Magna Cum Laude receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1983. In 1987, Juan earned a Master of Humanities from Fordham University in New York City and in 1991 earned a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he was a classmate of President Barack Obama. He married Adrienne D'Ascoli and they returned to San Diego where Juan worked as an attorney with the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps. Although he enjoyed the practice of law, Juan decided to contribute to his southern San Diego community as a public official. Juan was elected to the San Diego City Council on February 16, 1993. On the Council, he assumed a leadership role in planning, funding, and advocating for public safety, municipal infrastructure and schools. During his eight-year tenure on the San Diego City Council Juan helped establish community-based policing, which has become a national model, fought tobacco advertising directed at children, and helped create the City of San Diego' s 6-to-6 after-school program. When President Bill Clinton ordered an invasion of Kosovo in 1999 to end a terrifying regime of “ethnic cleansing,” Juan and Adrienne answered the President’s call to duty and took in a refugee Kosovar family into their home for nearly two years. The family is now thriving and independent, residing in the city of El Cajon. In 2000, Juan was elected by a wide margin to the California State Assembly. As the State Representative to the 79th Assembly District. In his first year as a State Legislator, Juan was appointed Assistant Majority Leader. Following the end of his term the State Assembly in 2006, Juan went on to serve as Vice President of External Affairs for Safeco Insurance and Vice President of Corporate Legal for Liberty Mutual Group. In 2010, Juan answered the call to return to public service and was elected to the California State Senate. He represented the 40th California State Senate District. As a State Senator, Juan worked tirelessly to ensure public safety and protect services to the poor and elderly. He was Chairman of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. Juan was first elected to the United States Congress in 2012 with over 70 percent of the vote, the highest in both San Diego and Imperial counties. He represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes portions of San Diego County, all of Imperial County, and the entire U.S. - Mexico Border in California. Currently serving his second term in Congress, Juan sits on the Committee on Financial Services, including the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; and the Committee on House Administration. Juan lives in San Diego with his wife, Adrienne, an executive at the San Diego Foundation, and his daughters, Rosa and Helena. |
Senator
Mazie K Hirono U.S. Senate Hawaii |
Mazi Hirono attended Georgetown University Law Center because it had a strong clinical program and she wanted to focus on public interest law. After graduation, Mazi worked in the antitrust division of the Hawaii attorney general’s office.
Although prior to law school Mazi had helped many others run for office, she had not thought much about becoming a candidate herself. However, with the encouragement of others, she successfully ran for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives in 1980. As chair of the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, she focused on greater protections for Hawaii’s workers and consumers. After serving more than a decade in the House, Mazi was elected lieutenant governor in 1994. She led an effort to revamp Hawaii’s workers’ compensation insurance laws, saving businesses millions. She also helped lead state efforts to improve early childhood education and promote Hawaii’s tourism industry through visa reform, issues she continue to champion in the U.S. Senate. In 2006, Mazi was elected to Congress by voters in Hawaii’s second congressional district. During her time in the House, her nation and state faced incredible challenges and opportunities. With the retirement of Senator Daniel Akaka, the people of Hawaii elected Mazi to the U.S. Senate, where she serve as the first and only Asian American woman and first woman senator from Hawaii. Mazi serve on the Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and am the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. All of these committees deal with issues important to Hawaii’s people. |
Congresswoman
Tammy Duckworth U.S. House of Representatives Illinois, 8th District |
Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran and former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. She was re-elected to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in 2014 and was sworn in for her second term on January 6, 2015.
In 2004, Duckworth was deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. She was one of the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom until her helicopter was hit by an RPG on November 12, 2004. Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm and was awarded a Purple Heart. Duckworth spent the next year recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where she quickly became an advocate for her fellow Soldiers and testified before Congress about caring for our Veterans and wounded warriors. Following her recovery, Duckworth ran for Congress in 2006. After a narrow loss, she became Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She worked to create a tax credit for employers who hired Veterans, established a first-in-the-nation 24/7 Veterans crisis hotline, and developed innovative programs to improve Veterans’ access to housing and health care. In 2009, President Obama appointed Duckworth to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. At VA, Duckworth led an initiative to end Veterans homelessness. Duckworth recently completed her PhD in Human Services at Capella University. In her spare time, she volunteers at local food pantries and enjoys couponing and flea markets. Duckworth served in the Army Reserve Forces for 23 years until she announced her retirement at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. Duckworth lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband Bryan, an Army Major, and their daughter Abigail. Since her recovery, Duckworth has resumed flying as a civilian pilot. Fulfilling a promise she made at Walter Reed, she has also completed several marathons. |
Congressman
Gerald E Connolly U.S House of Representatives Virginia, 11th District |
Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly is serving his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District. Prior to his 2008 election to Congress, Connolly served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five years as Chairman.
Congressman Connolly serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He has earned a reputation in Congress as a results-oriented legislator who does his homework and gets things done for his Northern Virginia district. As the Ranking Democratic Member for the Committee’s largest Subcommittee, he is responsible for shaping government-wide policy for a broad range of issues, such as the federal workforce, federal procurement, regulatory reform, federal property, federal and presidential records, information policy, national drug policy, FOIA, the Paperwork Reduction Act, the United States Postal Service, the United States Census Bureau, and the District of Columbia. Connolly serves as vice-chair of the New Democrat Coalition, chair of the Smart Contracting Caucus, co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Taiwan. Connolly has sponsored and supported a number of legislative initiatives on behalf of active-duty service members, military families, and veterans, including measures to protect them from predatory service fees, enhance Veterans Administration services to veterans, provide more funding to treat brain injuries incurred on the battlefield, and assist military families when they must move to a new duty station. Congressman Connolly received a M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1979. He received a B.A. in Literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. After graduating from Harvard, Connolly spent 10 years on the staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he handled numerous foreign policy issues including oversight of international economic issues and policies concerning the Middle East and the United Nations. Congressman Connolly also worked in the non-profit sector, primarily advocating for hunger aid and international assistance. He also has strong ties to the business community having spent two decades working for organizations and companies involved in international trade, regulatory matters, technology, and research. He resides in Fairfax with his wife Cathy and his daughter Caitlin. |
Congressman
Xavier Becerra U.S House of Representatives California, 34th District |
First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, Representative Xavier Becerra serves as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, is a member of the powerful Committee on Ways And Means and is Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security.
He has dedicated himself to promoting issues affecting industries critical to the economic vitality of the Southern California region such as health care, high technology, entertainment, and stimulating free, yet fair, trade. The first Latino to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Becerra has used his position to increase opportunities for working families, to improve the Social Security program for women and minorities, to combat poverty among the working poor, and to strengthen Medicare and ensure its long-term viability. In 2010, Rep. Becerra served on the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Rep. Becerra is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he served as Chair during the 105th Congress (1997-98). The Congressman is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Becerra served one term in the California Legislature as the representative of the 59th Assembly District in Los Angeles County. He is a former Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. The congressman began his legal career in 1984 working in a legal services office representing the mentally ill. Rep. Becerra is the son of working-class parents and was the first in his family to graduate from college. His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico and immigrated to the United States after marrying his father. In 1980, Rep. Becerra earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 1984. Rep. Becerra is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes. They are the proud parents of three daughters: Clarisa, Olivia and Natalia. |
Congressman
Charles B. Rangel U.S House of Representatives New York, 13th District |
Charles B. Rangel, war hero,
history-making congressman, master lawmaker. A founding member of the
Congressional Black Caucus, he made history as the first African American
member of Congress to lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Now serving
his 23rd term in the House of Representatives, he was the primary sponsor of
President Obama's historic healthcare reform law and is a leading advocate for
equal rights and opportunity. Following Saint Matthew's teaching, he has been a
stalwart champion for the "least among us," dedicated to improving
the lives of working families. He was first elected to Congress in 1970, after
serving in the New York State Assembly and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Rep
Rangel is a veteran of the Korean War, where he earned a Purple Heart and the
Bronze Star. He and his wife, Alma, reside in Harlem where he was born. They
have two adult children and three grandchildren.
|
