A leader with decades of experience in public service and community-building, Dr. Susan Talamantes Eggman was elected to the State Senate in November of 2020, serving the 5th Senate District which is comprised of San Joaquin County, a significant portion of Stanislaus County and the Sacramento County community of Galt. Susan served in the State Assembly from December of 2012 through November of 2020.
Susan grew up on her family’s small almond orchard and apiary in Turlock. It was a farm-to-market family business, with Eggman’s father and brother tending the orchard and hives, her mother keeping the books, and later her partner, Renee Hall, bottling and selling the honey at farmers markets in San Francisco. Continuing through three generations of growing and beekeeping in California’s Central Valley, the operation ultimately grew to over 40 acres of almonds and 2000 beehives.
Susan joined the U.S. Army out of high school and served four years as a medic. After her service, she attended California State University, Stanislaus, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work. She worked as a mental health provider and medical social worker before completing a Ph.D. at Portland State University. Prior to joining the State Assembly, Susan was a Professor of Social Work at CSU, Sacramento. A lifelong learner, Susan passed the Licensed Clinical Social Worker examination shortly after assuming office.
A former member of the Stockton City Council – and the first Latina elected to that office – Susan is committed to policies that advance the good of her whole community, including improving access to health care and expanding educational opportunities. She has a proven record of working across partisan divides to find working solutions to real problems.
While in the Assembly, Susan successfully authored legislation to support the rights of undocumented residents who are victims of crimes; authored legislation to increase diversion programs as an alternative to incarceration for minor drug crimes; and authored the law that established the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program – which will invest up to $1 billion over ten years to install solar roofs and provide electricity bill savings to residents of multifamily housing in disadvantaged communities. Susan is also the author of the landmark End of Life Option Act and authored the legislation establishing the National Guard’s Discovery Challenge Academy in French Camp that is turning around the lives of hundreds of high school students each year. Susan is recognized as a leader in behavioral health care policy and – in the Senate – has helped secure billions of dollars to transform California’s behavioral health care system and successfully authored legislation to modernize the law regulating involuntary holds and conservatorships for the severely mentally ill.
Susan and Renee, her spouse and partner for more than 30 years, live in Stockton where they are raising their daughter, Eme.