Laura Richardson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laura Richardson
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024
|
|
| Member of the California Senate from the 35th district |
|
| Assumed office December 2, 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Steven Bradford |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 37th district |
|
| In office August 21, 2007 – January 3, 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Juanita Millender-McDonald |
| Succeeded by | Janice Hahn (Redistricting) |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 55th district |
|
| In office December 4, 2006 – September 4, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Jenny Oropeza |
| Succeeded by | Warren Furutani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 14, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of Southern California (MBA) |
Laura Richardson (born April 14, 1962) is an American politician. Since 2024, she has been a member of the California State Senate, representing the 35th district. As a member of the Democratic Party, she has held several important government jobs.
From 2007 to 2013, Richardson served in the United States House of Representatives for California's 37th district. Before that, she was a member of the California State Assembly in 2007. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election after the previous representative, Juanita Millender-McDonald, passed away.
In 2012, the boundaries of her district were changed. She ran for re-election in a new district but was defeated by another Democratic politician, Janice Hahn.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Laura Richardson was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Long Beach. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she was raised by her mother. Her father was African American and her mother was white.
Richardson earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1984. After college, she worked at the Xerox Corporation for 14 years. In 1996, she received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Southern California (USC).
Start of Her Political Career
Long Beach City Council
From 2000 to 2006, Richardson served on the Long Beach City Council. She focused on improving neighborhoods, making the city safer, and bringing new jobs and businesses to the area. She also supported job training for adults and after-school programs for kids.
One of her major projects was the Sixth District Master Plan, a guide for future development in her district. She also helped get funding to maintain city alleys and started a transportation program for senior citizens.
While on the city council, she also worked for California's Lieutenant Governor, Cruz Bustamante, as his director for Southern California.
California State Assembly
In 2006, Richardson was elected to the California State Assembly. She served as the assistant speaker pro tempore, a leadership position. She was the first African-American representative from the South Bay area to hold this role.
In the Assembly, she was part of several important committees, including the committees on Budget, Human Services, and Government Organization.
Service in the U.S. House of Representatives
In 2007, Richardson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This is part of the U.S. Congress, which makes laws for the entire country.
What Committees Did She Work On?
In Congress, members work in small groups called committees to focus on specific topics. Richardson was a member of these committees:
- Committee on Homeland Security: This committee works on keeping the country safe.
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
- Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications (She was the leading Democrat on this subcommittee.)
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee deals with roads, bridges, and public transportation.
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
What Caucuses Was She Part Of?
Caucuses are groups of Congress members who share common interests or goals. Richardson was a member of:
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member)
What Were Her Political Views?
As a politician, Laura Richardson had views on many important issues.
Iraq War
In 2003, before the Iraq War began, Richardson believed that weapons inspections in Iraq should continue and did not support an invasion. Once the war started, she said it was important to support the troops. She believed that American soldiers should have returned home after the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was captured.
Environment
Some environmental groups, like Greenpeace, encouraged her to support a specific law about global warming.
Immigration
Richardson did not support building a fence along the U.S. border. She supported creating a way for some immigrants who are in the country without official permission to become citizens.
2008 Presidential Election
During the 2008 presidential primary elections, Richardson supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party's nomination.
FISA Amendments Act
In 2008, Richardson voted for an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law deals with how the U.S. government can gather information to protect the country from threats.
Political Campaigns
First Election to Congress
In 2007, Richardson ran in a special election to fill a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She won the Democratic primary election against nine other candidates. In the final election, she won with over 65% of the vote. She was easily re-elected for a full term in 2008 and again in 2010.
2012 Re-election Campaign
In 2012, the boundaries of California's congressional districts were redrawn. Richardson's district was split, and she found herself in a new district, the 44th. Another Democratic member of Congress, Janice Hahn, also lived in this new district.
Both Richardson and Hahn ran for the same seat. In the election on November 6, 2012, Hahn defeated Richardson.
Return to Politics
After a break from politics, Richardson ran for the California State Senate in 2024. She won the election for the 35th district and began her term in December 2024.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
- List of United States representatives expelled, censured, or reprimanded
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
