During his time as President pro Tempore of the California State Senate, Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) led the 40-member Senate body to historic accomplishments that will continue to improve the lives of Californians and the state’s environment and economy for decades to come.
Senator de León led a bold agenda to increase economic opportunity for all Californians with a focus on maintaining California’s global leadership role in fighting climate change and building a clean-energy economy, rebuilding our state’s infrastructure, public education, workplace and healthcare equity for women, immigrants and low-wage workers and public safety.
In his three years leading the Senate, Senator de León empowered his caucus members to take on big and bold legislation that truly shaped the policy conversation in the nation. Through his ambitious approach to policymaking, he authored groundbreaking legislation on a variety of issues that have become national models.
Senator de León is the son of an immigrant mother who supported her family in the San Diego barrio of Logan Heights with housekeeping and other pick-up jobs. He was the first in his family to graduate from high school.
He attended U.C. Santa Barbara and graduated from Pitzer College at the Claremont Colleges with honors. He is a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California. He has one daughter.
Before entering into politics, Senator de León served the public as a community organizer, taught English as a Second Language and U.S. Citizenship, and advocated for public schools.
Senator de León was elected by his colleagues to lead the Senate in 2014, making him the first Latino to hold that position in over a century. Senator de León served four years in the Assembly before his election to the Senate in 2010. He is the first person in California history to serve as the Chair of the Appropriations committees in both the Assembly and Senate.
In the Senate, De Leon represented Senate District 24, which includes the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Mt. Washington, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Arlington Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, Larchmont, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Westlake-MacArthur Park, Historic Filipinotown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Arts District, Civic Center, City Terrace, and East Los Angeles.