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FOR CALIFORNIA STATE OFFICE - 2010
CALIFORNIA LIST is looking for a few good women!
The 2008 election may be over, but the good fight continues. CALIFORNIA LIST is looking ahead to 2010 when we might lose three women Democrats in the Assembly and two Democratic women in the Senate as a result of term limits. Who will fill their seats when the time comes? This will become our $64,000 question over the next 2 years as we diligently work to reverse the trend of the declining number of women elected into positions in California state office by keeping the pipeline filled with viable, pro-choice Democratic women candidates.
We have been meeting with women throughout the primary season, and providing training seminars to assist viable candidates to win their primary campaign in 2010 and are moving forward with our support of their campaigns for the November general election.
We are beginning to post them here so that you can contribute to their campaigns and visit their websites to get to know them better. Early identification and fundraising is critical to running and winning seats in any election.
ONLY THE CANDIDATES LISTED FOLLOWED BY THE CALIFORNIA LIST LOGO ARE CURRENTLY ENDORSED. OTHER CANDIDATES ARE LISTED FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY AS DEMOCRATIC WOMEN CANDIDATES RUNNING IN THE 2010 ELECTION CYCLE.
Any suggestions by members and friends of candidates to interview would be openly appreciated. Please contact us at info@californialist.org and help us build the pipeline to the future!
Debra Bowen
Re-Election Candidate for Secretary of State
State Executive Branch
Debra Bowen currently serves as California’s 30th Secretary of State and is running for re-election. A pioneer in open government reform, election integrity, and personal privacy rights, Debra Bowen became only the sixth woman in California history elected to a statewide constitutional office when she was elected as Secretary of State in November 2006.As the chief elections officer for the largest state in the nation, Secretary Bowen is responsible for overseeing state and federal elections, a role that also requires her to test and certify the voting equipment used in California. Her goal is to ensure that voting machines certified for use in Californians elections are secure, accurate, reliable, and accessible, and every voter’s ballot is counted exactly as it was cast.
In her first year in office, Secretary Bowen commissioned an independent, top-to-bottom review of voting technology, as well as a comprehensive review of the state’s decades-old election auditing standards. Following the top-to-bottom review, Bowen strictly limited the use of direct recording electronic voting machines, and imposed significant security and auditing requirements on systems used in California elections. Secretary Bowen was recognized for her national leadership in election integrity with the 2008 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage AwardTM, the nation’s most prestigious honor for elected public servants who choose principles over partisanship.
Secretary Bowen is also responsible for helping to carry out election laws and campaign disclosure requirements by maintaining a statewide database of registered voters, certifying the official lists of candidates for each election, tracking and certifying ballot initiatives, compiling election returns, and certifying the election results for all state and federal contests.
Kamala Harris
Candidate for Attorney General
State Executive Branch
Kamala D. Harris, candidate for Attorney General (State Executive Branch), is the District Attorney of San Francisco. A veteran prosecutor, Kamala has dedicated her outstanding legal talents to prosecuting violent crime, combating the sexual exploitation of children and working creatively to improve the quality of life in our communities.
As Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County from 1990 to 1998, Kamala prosecuted hundreds of serious and violent felonies, including homicide, rape and child sexual assault cases. Before being recruited to join the City Attorney’s office, Kamala was the Managing Attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.
Among her many community activities, Kamala is Co-Chair of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights; President of the Board of Directors of Partners Ending Domestic Abuse; elected member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bar Association; and founder of an SF Museum of Modern Art mentoring program which has served hundreds of young people from the inner city.
Kamala was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley. Her parents, both professors, were active in the Civil Rights Movement and instilled in Kamala a strong commitment to justice and public service. That commitment led Kamala to Howard University, America’s oldest black university, and then to Hastings College of the Law. Kamala has been recognized many times for the excellence of her work, but most recently, she earned an award from the County Counsel Association of California for her work granting gay couples equal rights in child adoption cases.
Noreen Evans
Candidate for Senate
District 2 (Napa, Sonoma)
Assemblywoman Noreen Evans is a candidate for Senate in District 2, currently held by Senator Pat Wiggins, servicing the counties of Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma. Assemblywoman Evans currently represents the 7th State Assembly District, which includes all of Napa County and portions of Solano and Sonoma Counties.
Assemblywoman Evans has four primary legislative priorities: fighting for families and children, protecting our environment, reforming our legal system, and advocating for California’s wine industry. Now in her third term of office, Assemblywoman Evans serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. In that capacity, she chaired the Budget Conference Committee which forged compromises leading to the final budget proposal. She also works to support the Assembly Speaker’s efforts to modernize and reform California’s budget process. In addition, Assemblywoman Evans is a member of the Committees on Banking and Finance, Governmental Organization, and Judiciary. She also serves on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Representing much of California’s premium wine growing region, Assemblywoman Evans has chaired the Assembly Select Committee on Wine for the past four years, where she serves as a liaison between the wine industry and the Assembly.
As a member of the Law Revision Commission, Evans studies intricate legal problems to resolve deficits in our laws and identifies major policy questions for legislative attention. As a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, she also advises the Governor and the Legislature on inequities in laws, practices and conditions that affect women. As a member of the Coastal Conservancy, she works to protect, preserve and restore California’s beautiful coastline.
Prior to her election to the Assembly in 2004, Assemblywoman Evans served two terms on the Santa Rosa City Council, and three years on the Santa Rosa Planning Commission. An attorney by training, Assemblywoman Evans also practiced law for more than twenty years, focusing on civil litigation and appeals.
Assemblywoman Evans has a Juris Doctor degree from the McGeorge School of Law at the University of Pacific and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento. She lives in Santa Rosa and has three children: Erin, Joel, and Rachel.
Anna Caballero
Candidate for Senate
District 12 (Merced, Salinas)
Assemblymember Anna Caballero is running for Senate District 12 and is currently serving in the assembly representing District 28. Assemblymember Caballero was elected to serve the 28th Assembly District in November of 2006 and is a strong advocate for public safety, affordable housing, quality health care and education.
Now in her second term, Assemblymember Caballero has been re-appointed as chair of the Committee on Local Government, and as a member of the following committees: Accountability and Administrative Review; Budget; Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources; Water, Parks and Wildlife; and, the Select Committee on Renewable Energy. In recognition of her extensive work to prevent youth violence and gang membership, Caballero has also been re-appointed as chair of the Select Committee on Youth Violence Prevention.
Born to a family of copper miners, Assemblymember Caballero graduated from the University of California San Diego magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sociology, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Los Angeles. She moved to the Salinas Valley 30 years ago to work for California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA). As an attorney, she represented striking farm workers and fought side by side with unions to prevent plant closures.
Seeing the need for legal representation at a price working families could afford, Caballero and two colleagues founded a law firm, Caballero, Matcham & McCarthy, in 1982. The business received many awards, and she was personally recognized by the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce with the Athena Award for entrepreneurial excellence. Assemblymember Caballero took a leave from her law practice to serve as the executive director of Partners for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the community together to prevent gang violence, with a focus on literacy, early childhood education, youth employment and empowerment, and providing services to families.
Assemblymember Caballero is also a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her husband, Juan Uranga, is the director of the Center for Community Advocacy in Salinas.
Alyson Huber
Re-Election Candidate for Assembly
District 10 (Sacramento, San Joaquin)
Assemblywoman Alyson Huber is running for re-election for District 10 which serves Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties including the cities of Lodi, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Stockton, and Jackson. Assemblywoman Huber was elected to the State Assembly in 2008 in a hard fought race that had the odds stacked against her.
Raised in Lodi, Alyson graduated from Lodi High School before attending San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. Because of her national success on the debate team she received a scholarship to California State University, Chico. After state budget cuts threatened to dismantle Chico’s speech and debate team, Alyson transferred to Cornell University where she received her Bachelor of Science with honors. She came back to California and received her law degree from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.
Alyson is living proof that the American dream is alive and well. Overcoming family hardships as a child, she worked hard to put herself through school and was the first of her family to graduate from college. She has made a life-long commitment to community and public service, including advocating on behalf the Junior Leagues of California for legislation designed to reform our foster care system. She also serves the community by working with the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations to promote justice and equality within our legal system. Alyson has served as a volunteer advocate for the indigent, at-risk youth and those with serious life-threatening illnesses who otherwise could not afford to seek legal advice.
Although new to politics, Alyson believes that common sense solutions can help us tackle many of the problems facing our state. As a business lawyer she understands the pressures facing business in our state, and as a working mother she understands the pressures that families face every day. Her knowledge of the district and her unique resume make her a strong Democratic candidate for the 10th Assembly District.
Currently, Assemblywoman Huber lives in District 10 in the city of El Dorado Hills with her husband, Tim and two of their four children. They have two children in college.
Susan Bonilla
Candidate for Assembly
District 11 (Contra Costa)
Susan A. Bonilla is a candidate for Assembly District 11 and serves as the Contra Costa County Supervisor for District IV since January 2007. She was previously elected to the Concord City Council in 2002, serving as Vice Mayor in 2005 and Mayor in 2006.
In her time on the Concord City Council, she initiated the Literacy Coalition which serves as a network of literacy providers dedicated to raising the awareness of literacy needs and mobilizing volunteers to meet these needs. In 2006, Susan, as Mayor of Concord, organized and led the local coalition in negotiations and discussions with the Department of the Navy regarding the reuse of the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
On January 6, 2009, Susan was elected as Chair of the Board of Supervisors, by her colleagues, for 2009. Among Susan’s priorities as Chair will be to work with her colleagues to protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods, and diverse communities of Contra Costa County. She will work with the Board of Supervisors to help Contra Costa County meet its core purpose by maintaining safe and caring communities, practicing environmental stewardship, creating a culture of engagement, and supporting healthy economies. In order to meet these goals, Susan believes the county budget must be a plan that matches projected revenue with projected expenditures in order to support the organization’s strategic vision, goals, and objectives.
Susan has been a resident of Concord since 1989. Her community participation has included many years with the neighborhood swim team, AYSO soccer, and involvement with parent-faculty clubs. She has worked in various capacities in the Mt Diablo Unified School District as a teacher in the Gifted and Talented Program, as a teacher of English as a Second Language in the adult program and as an English teacher at Concord High School.
Nora Campos
Candidate for Assembly
District 23 (San José)
Nora Campos is a candidate for Assembly in District 23 and currently services as a San José councilmember. First elected to the San José City Council in a special election in March 2001, Councilmember Nora Campos has twice been overwhelmingly re-elected to represent the 97,000 residents of District Five in East San José. Building strong and safe neighborhoods, supporting and promoting vibrant business districts and increasing the availability of and access to affordable housing have been the continued vision of Councilmember Campos.
Believing strong, equitable neighborhoods are the foundation to great, sustainable cities, the Councilmember has worked hard to bring state-of-the-art facilities and quality infrastructure to the community. Residents enjoy the new Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock and Hillview libraries and young people play safely at the youth-designed Plata Arroyo Skate Park and Alum Rock Youth Center. Additional street lights and an upgraded sanitary sewer system have also improved the quality of life for all residents.
During the FY 08-09 budget process, Councilmember Campos fought to ensure that public safety remains our city’s priority. Residents of the City of San José will benefit from 25 additional police officers patrolling their streets, protecting their children and keeping their neighborhoods, their parks and their schools safe. Councilmember Campos also succeeded in adding over $700,000 to combat gang violence and provide invaluable after school and summer programs to at-risk youth. The approved $1 million increase in funding for gang intervention and prevention services provided by community-based organizations will also provide ongoing funding to keep youth centers around the city open late on Friday and Saturday nights.
Fran Florez
Candidate for Assembly
District 30 (Fresno, Kern)
Fran Florez is a candidate for Assembly in District 30 and currently is the Vice Chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority, the state agency responsible for planning, building and operating a high-speed train system for the State of California. She was elected to the Shafter City Council in 1996, 2000 & 2004 served two terms as Mayor, and Mayor Pro Tem. She served as past chair of the Community Development Agency and Joint Powers Authority for the City of Shafter.
Fran is active in the community serving as past president of the Shafter Chamber of Commerce and the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fran retired from the banking industry after 35 years, continued working in the Community as the liaison for PG&E’s Contribution Program for Kern County and also worked for Mission Bank as a Business Development consultant. She serves on the Bakersfield College Foundation Board, chaired the High Speed Rail Authority in 2005, and served as Vice President of the Kern County Association of Cities, Vice Chair of the Kern Council of Governments, and served on the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council.
In her years as a council member and Mayor, Fran made it a priority to make sure that the City grew and maintained healthy reserves enabling the City to continue to provide outstanding service to its residents. City growth brought many jobs to the region. Fran has received recognition for her work on the city council and received the Distinguished Leadership Award for Public Service from the Kern Council of Governments, and received the Woman of the Year award from the Democratic Central Committee of Kern County.
Fran and her husband Ray have two grown children and three grandchildren.
Hilda Zacarias
Candidate for Assembly
District 33 (Nava)
Hilda Zacarías is a candidate for Assembly District 33 and was elected to the Santa Maria City Council in 2006. Her previous public office experience included the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees, 1993-1998; Santa Barbara County Commissioner: Affirmative Action, 1991-1993 and the Women’s Commission, 1999-2000; and she served on the Santa Barbara County Children & Families Commission Leadership Team.
Councilmember Zacarías was born in McAllen, Texas; her family came to Santa Maria in the early 1960’s when she was a toddler. She attended local elementary schools and graduated from Santa Maria High School, Allan Hancock College and Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo in Business with an emphasis in accounting. Councilmember Zacarías recently completed her Masters in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which she attended as a Harvard Presidential Scholar Fellow. Upon graduation she received the prestigious Littauer Fellow Award for academic excellence and service to the Kennedy School Community.
Councilmember Zacarías owned and operated an accounting and tax firm for 12 years in Santa Maria, as well as worked as an auditor of non-profits for a Santa Barbara-based CPA firm. She has been an educator, teaching taxation and accounting at Cal Poly, “The Business of Family Day Care” at Allan Hancock College, and self-employment training for women through Women’s Economic Ventures. She served on the Board of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and was recognized as the Hispanic Businessperson of the Year.
Since 1999, Councilmember Zacarías has limited her practice to non-profits, governments, and other community based organizations and has expanded from her financial and accounting services into other areas of management, including fund development.
Linda Jones
Candidate for Assembly
District 36 (Los Angeles, San Bernardino)
Linda Jones is a candidate for Assembly in District 36 and is the immediate past president of the board of trustees for Westside Union School District. A very active member of the Antelope Valley community, Linda also serves as the 3rd Vice president of the Antelope Valley School Boards Association, President of High Desert Alliance of Black School Educators, member of the Lancaster Alumnae chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and the Plan committee Chair for the Antelope Valley Community Labor Coalition. Linda notes that her most fulfilling community service is working as campus advisor to the Highland High school Jr. Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Robotics team in addition to being a mentor, drill sergeant and shoulder to cry on for many of her students.
Linda started her professional life as a licensed vocational nurse in the San Fernando Valley. For over 15 years, she rendered comfort and provided hope for patients on the difficult road to recovery. As a parent, her nature compelled her to get involved in her children’s education. She immersed herself in details that most parents took for granted. She learned how education worked and doesn’t work. Her curiosity about how schools functioned took her insight to a new level. She grew to respect the behind-the-scenes aspects of government, sometimes called politics. After receiving her B.A. degree in Urban Studies with an emphasis in community development, her skills were recognized by California State Assemblyman Richard Katz, who asked her to become one of his legislative field representatives. She served Assemblyman Katz with distinction for 2 years before moving to the Antelope Valley.
Voters, community groups, congregations and temples in Katz’s district respected Linda for her skilled service, her empathy and her responsiveness to hear their concerns. In 2008, Linda was the recipient of the Athena Award, sponsored by the Zonta Club of the Antelope Valley. In 2006, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Farwest Region honored Linda at “Delta Days at the Capital” with a service award. In 2007, she received the Antelope Valley Union High School District Special Service Award, and the Lockheed Martin Black History Celebration Committee Outstanding Community Service Award. In 1992, Linda was awarded a certificate of Appreciation by City of Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley for her outstanding efforts during the civil unrest of April and May of 1992. That same year she was recognized by the Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee for her devoted and invaluable services for educational equality and political leadership.
Linda has taught special education for 11 years in the Antelope Valley and after teaching both resource and special day classes, she decided to earn a Masters of Arts in Special Education. She found her political gifts useful in serving her schools, her students and parents, as well as her community. Linda currently lives with her husband Robert and together they have four daughters and three grandchildren.
Holly Mitchell
Candidate for Assembly
District 47 (Los Angeles, Westwood)
Holly J. Mitchell is a candidate for assembly in District 47 that is held by Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass who will be termed out in 2010. Currently, Holly is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Crystal Stairs, an advocacy organization championing child care policymaking throughout the state. Holly’s public policy expertise has enabled Crystal Stairs to increase its voice throughout the state. As the CEO of Crystal Stairs, Holly has been invited by various members of the California Legislature to provide expert testimony before policy and budget committees.
Holly’s public advocacy career began in the office of former State Senator Diane Watson, where she advised members of the legislature on issues related to quality child care as a policy analyst for the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Before joining Crystal Stairs, Holly was a Legislative Advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty where she coordinated with other advocates on health policy issues affecting low-income communities. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director of the California Black Women’s Health Project where she interfaced with community-based agencies, policy makers, government agencies, grant makers, and health care professionals on current trends and data on the status of women’s health.
Holly has received statewide honors and recognition from the National Women’s Political Caucus – Westside Chapter, the Los Angeles County Black Employees Association, and Black Women for Political Action (BWOPA), among others. In addition to her duties at Crystal Stairs, she has taken on numerous statewide leadership roles including Chair of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network’s Public Policy Committee and Chair of the California State Commission on the Status of Women. Presently, Holly in the Vice Chair of the City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families.
Betsy Butler
Candidate for Assembly
District 53 (Los Angeles, Venice)
Betsy Butler is a candidate for the 53rd Assembly District and is presently the Director of Development for the Consumer Attorneys of California. A long time organizer and activist, Betsy has fought for working families and healthy communities at the local, state and national level.
A current board member of Equality California and a former president of the National Women’s Political Caucus (LA Westside Chapter), Betsy remains committed to fighting for equality and fairness for all and has been actively working to elect progressive leaders for decades. In 2006, then-Congresswoman Hilda Solis recognized Betsy for her activism and commitment to working families at the Congresswoman’s annual leadership luncheon.
Betsy’s commitment to public service was solidified during her years in college as an intern for Assemblymember Lucy Killea, U.S. Senator Alan Cranston and Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy. After graduation, Betsy was a field representative for Lt. Governor McCarthy where she served as a community liaison in 29 cities across Los Angeles and coordinated public policy outreach regarding a wide range of issues including economic development, international trade and green technology investment as well as elder care and environmental protection matters.
Betsy also served in the Clinton administration at the Department of Commerce in the International Trade Administration where she worked on the trade policy priorities of the early 1990’s including the Uruguay Round and WTO transformation matters, intellectual property rights and trade development. At the California League of Conservation Voters and the Environmental Defense Fund, Betsy helped create and solidify communities of support for strategic environmental movements including carbon emission standard changes, water conservation and habitat protection policies.
A resident of the Marina del Rey and South Bay area of Los Angeles for nearly twenty years, Betsy is active in local grassroots groups promoting green and responsible development in her neighborhood. Born in Sacramento, Betsy graduated from San Diego State University and from the Executive Program in Management at UCLA.
Melissa Fox
Candidate for Assembly
District 70 (Costa Mesa, Irvine)
Melissa Fox is a candidate for Assembly District 70 and is currently a small business attorney, a wife and mother, and a dedicated community leader. As a small business attorney for 17 years, Melissa respects the hard work and knows the problems of business owners – problems that have been intensified by the current economic crisis. As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight to reignite our Southern California economy and protect and grow the jobs we need.
Melissa was born in Garden Grove and raised in Westminster. Her mother was a registered nurse and a librarian and her father was a police officer and later a compliance officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is also a Korean War combat veteran.
Melissa attended the Hebrew Academy, where she graduated as valedictorian, and then went to Brandeis University and Tulane University Law School. After law school, she returned to Orange County, where for the last 17 years she has specialized in providing legal counsel to small businesses. Melissa is ready to bring to government a much needed breath of fresh air, new ideas, truth and openness — and will fight for real solutions with a passionate commitment to California’s future.
As a volunteer Ranger with the Orange County Parks Department who trained with the Orange County Sheriff and Fire Departments, Melissa knows the incredible commitment and dedication to duty of Orange County’s public safety officers. She is just as dedicated to fighting for those who protect us. As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight for our sheriffs, firefighters and public safety officers and fight to keep them on the job. Melissa is also a camper, hiker, and advocate for new green jobs and new sources of energy, knows the need for responsible stewardship of our land, water and air — not only for all the recreational opportunities we enjoy, but also for our economic well-being now and in the future. As a member of the Assembly, Melissa will fight for new local green jobs, the development of new cleaner sources of energy, and responsible stewardship of our natural resources.
Melissa lives in Lake Forest with her husband, Michael, a college teacher, and their son, Max. As a working mom, Melissa knows the pressures of raising a family, especially in a hard-hit economy. Melissa is dedicated to the fight for children and families, especially in education and will continue her commitment if elected to the assembly.
Crystal Crawford
Candidate for Assembly
District 74 (Carlsbad, Del Mar)
Councilwoman Crystal Crawford is a candidate for Assembly in District 74 that serves the communities in San Diego County including Carlsbad and Del Mar. She currently is the former Mayor of Del Mar and serves on the City Council, a position she has held for over ten years. She grew up in a working class family that owned a small business in a small town in Louisiana. Her parents valued hard work and education and instilled those values in Crystal. She paid her own way through college and law school.
As a Councilmember, Mayor Crawford has served in many capacities on the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). She is currently a SANDAG Board member and the North County Coastal Representative on the SANDAG Borders Committee. As the initial chair of the Borders Committee, she worked to expand our relationships with Riverside, Imperial and Orange Counties and to improve SANDAG’s relationships across the international border. She is also the regional representative on the California Biodiversity Council and served for ten years on the San Dieguito River Valley JPA.
Councilwoman Crawford is licensed to practice law in California, Washington and Louisiana and also works as a general counsel to Molsoft LLC, a privately held biotech company in La Jolla, California. She is running for the State Assembly because she wants to work toward assuring that every resident of the 74th District and the State of California has an opportunity to get a good education, enjoy rewarding employment, and have access to health care. As a two time cancer survivor, she understands the importance of reliable and affordable health care.
Councilwoman Crawford came to San Diego from her home state of Louisiana to study law at the University of San Diego and soon decided this would be her home. She has lived in the 74th District since 1992. Her enthusiasm for civic affairs and involvement is matched by an equally avid love of animals and the great outdoors. She makes time in her busy work and civic schedule to hike our region’s beaches and canyons, practice yoga, and paddle competitively with an all-women Dragonboat team.
Toni Atkins
Candidate for Assembly
District 76 (San Diego, Clairemont)
Toni Atkins, candidate for Assembly in District 76 (San Diego), is a former councilmember in San Diego’s third city council district. Toni was elected to the City Council in 2000 after spending seven years on the staff of former councilmember Christine Kehoe, who is who serving as a Senator for District.
During her service on the council, Toni was committed to revitalizing the District 3 older neighborhoods, providing more affordable housing, preserving Balboa Park and making communities safe for residents. Using a variety of funds and working with local, state and federal officials, she has allocated millions of dollars for projects and programs that went to pave streets, fix sidewalks, install streetlights, plant trees and landscape medians. Toni tripled the number of miles of utility lines under-grounded in the District, and led the charge to push through the nation’s first Housing State of Emergency.
Councilmember Atkins has been recognized by groups throughout the country for her results and commitment. In 1997 she was named San Diego Lesbian & Gay Pride’s “Woman of the Year” and she received the “Outstanding Achievement in Affordable Housing and Community Development.” In 2001, Toni was presented with a Historic Preservation Award from the American Institute of Architects and the Co-Presidents Award by the Tom Homann Law Association. She was also named one of San Diego Magazine’s “50 People to Watch in 2001.”
Councilmember Atkins is originally from Southwestern Virginia. She graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in political science with a focus on community organizing. A 17-year resident of Council District 3, she currently resides in South Park.
