Laura Richardson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laura Richardson
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| Member of the California Senate from the 35th district |
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| Assumed office December 2, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Steven Bradford |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 37th district |
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| In office August 21, 2007 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Juanita Millender-McDonald |
| Succeeded by | Janice Hahn (Redistricting) |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 55th district |
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| In office December 4, 2006 – September 4, 2007 |
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| 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. She has served as a member of the California State Senate for the 35th district since 2024. Before that, she was a U.S. Representative for California's 37th district from 2007 to 2013.
A U.S. Representative is a person elected to speak for their local area in the United States Congress. The California State Senate is part of California's state government, where elected officials make laws for the state. Laura Richardson is a member of the Democratic Party.
She also served in the California State Assembly for the 55th district in 2007. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 2007. This election filled a spot left empty after the death of Juanita Millender-McDonald. Laura Richardson was reelected to her U.S. House seat in 2008 and 2010.
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Early Life and Education
Laura Richardson was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in Long Beach. Her parents divorced when she was two, and she was raised by her single mother. Her father was a member of the Teamsters, a large labor union. Laura Richardson has shared that her early experiences made her want to become a public servant.
She studied political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning her bachelor's degree in 1984. After college, she worked at Xerox Corporation for 14 years. In 1996, she earned her MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.
Starting in Politics
Laura Richardson began her political career on the Long Beach City Council. She served there from 2000 to 2006. A city council is a group of elected officials who make decisions for a city. In 2004, she was reelected for a second term.
As a councilwoman, she focused on improving neighborhoods and public safety. She also worked to bring jobs and businesses to the city. She helped create job training programs for adults and after-school programs for young people. She also worked to expand programs for seniors.
One of her achievements was creating the Sixth District Master Plan. This plan guided how the area would develop. She also helped get funding for alley maintenance in Long Beach. While on the city council, she also worked for Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante for five years.
Serving in the California Assembly
Laura Richardson served in the California State Assembly. The Assembly is one of the two parts of California's state legislature, where state laws are made. She became the assistant speaker pro tempore, which was a big role. She was the first African-American and first person from the South Bay area to hold this position.
She was also part of several important committees. These included committees on the state budget, human services, and government organization. She also chaired the Select Committee on Proposition 209-Equal Opportunity.
Work in the U.S. House of Representatives
As a U.S. Representative, Laura Richardson worked on important national issues. She was part of key committees in the House.
Committee Roles
- Committee on Homeland Security: This committee deals with protecting the country from threats.
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
- Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications (Ranking Member)
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee works on roads, bridges, and other public works.
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Special Groups
Laura Richardson was also a member of special groups in Congress called caucuses.
- Congressional Black Caucus: This group focuses on issues important to African Americans.
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member): This group focuses on issues important to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Views on Key Issues
Laura Richardson has shared her opinions on many important topics during her time in public service.
Iraq War
In 2003, she believed that weapons inspections in Iraq should have continued. She did not support an invasion. Once the war began, she stated that it was important to support the troops. She thought that once Saddam Hussein was captured, American troops should come home. She also promised to oppose any new spending for the war.
Environment
Laura Richardson has faced questions about her stance on global warming. She did not co-sponsor some global warming legislation.
Immigration
She does not support building a border fence. She does support ways for some undocumented immigrants to become citizens.
Political Campaigns and Elections
Laura Richardson ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 2007. She won her party's nomination and then won the general election with over 65% of the vote. She was easily reelected in 2008 and 2010.
In 2012, the boundaries of congressional districts in California changed. Her old district was split, and her home was moved into a new district. She decided to move into the new 44th district because it was similar to her old one. In this new district, she ran against another Democratic Congresswoman, Janice Hahn.
In the primary election, Janice Hahn defeated Laura Richardson. On November 6, 2012, Laura Richardson was defeated in her bid for re-election by Representative Hahn.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
