Lou Correa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Correa
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 46th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Loretta Sánchez |
| Member of the California State Senate from the 34th district |
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| In office December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Janet Nguyen |
| Member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from the 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 2005 – December 4, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Charles V. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Janet Nguyen |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 69th district |
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| In office December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Morrissey |
| Succeeded by | Tom Umberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jose Luis Correa
January 24, 1958 East Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Esther Correa
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | California State University, Fullerton (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (JD, MBA) |
Jose Luis Correa (born January 24, 1958) is an American businessman and politician. He serves as a U.S. Representative for California's 46th district. He has held this position since 2017. His district is located in Orange County. It includes cities like Anaheim and Santa Ana. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before his time in the U.S. House, Correa was a State Senator in California. He represented the 34th district from 2006 to 2014. Before politics, he worked in finance and teaching.
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Early Life and Education
Jose Luis Correa's family has a long history in the United States. His grandfather came from Mexico in the 1910s. He worked for a railroad company. During the Great Depression, his grandfather returned to Mexico with his American-born children. Years later, Correa's father moved back to California from Mexico.
Correa was born in East Los Angeles. When he was two, his mother passed away in a car accident in Mexico. This led to Correa and his father moving to Zacatecas, Mexico. Five years later, they moved to Anaheim, California. His family included his father, his sister, and an aunt he called "mom." His father worked at a cardboard factory. His aunt cleaned hotel rooms. They moved often because of the cost of rent.
Correa started second grade speaking only Spanish. It was hard for him to learn English at first. But he became fluent over time. He graduated from Anaheim High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from California State University, Fullerton. He also earned two advanced degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Political Journey in California
Correa's political career began in 1996. He ran for the California State Assembly. This is one part of California's state legislature. He lost his first election by a very small number of votes. In 1998, he ran again and won.
Serving in the State Assembly
As a member of the State Assembly, Correa worked on many important issues. He led committees that dealt with business, public employees, and mobile homes. He also worked on plans for reusing the land of a former military base.
Correa was reelected to the Assembly two more times. However, California has a law called "term limits." This law limits how many terms a politician can serve. Because of this, he had to leave the Assembly.
In 2004, Correa was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This group helps manage Orange County. He was the first Democrat to serve on the board since 1987. He represented a district that included cities like Garden Grove and Santa Ana.
Serving in the State Senate
In 2006, Correa decided to run for the California State Senate. This is the other part of California's state legislature. He won the election and was sworn in on December 4, 2006.
He was reelected in 2010. After his time in the State Senate, he ran for the Orange County Board of Supervisors again in 2015. He lost that election by a very small number of votes.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a U.S. Representative
In 2016, Correa ran for the United States House of Representatives. This is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress. He ran for the 46th district in California. The person who held the seat before him was running for a different office.
Correa won the primary election. Then, he won the general election with almost 70% of the votes. He became the U.S. Representative for his district in 2017.
His Work in Congress
Correa was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. This was a group of moderate Democrats in Congress. He later left the group.
In July 2024, Correa was chosen to be part of a special task force. This group included members from both major political parties. They were investigating a serious event involving a former president.
January 6th Capitol Event
On January 6, 2021, Correa was at the U.S. Capitol building. He was there to confirm the results of the presidential election. During this time, a group of people entered the Capitol building. Correa was in the House Chamber when this happened. He hid in the gallery with other members of Congress. He held a gas mask in case it was needed.
After the event, Correa was traveling home from Washington. A group of people bothered him at the airport. They called him names. Airport police eventually helped to break up the crowd. Correa was concerned that the police did not question the people who bothered him. He supported efforts to hold the former president accountable for the events.
Committees and Groups
In the U.S. House of Representatives, members work in different committees. These committees focus on specific topics. For the 118th Congress, Correa is on two main committees:
- Committee on Homeland Security: This committee deals with protecting the country. He is a leader on the subcommittee for border security.
- Committee on the Judiciary: This committee handles laws and the justice system. He is a leader on the subcommittee for immigration.
Correa is also part of several groups called caucuses. These groups bring together members of Congress who share similar interests or backgrounds. Some of the caucuses he belongs to include:
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Blue Collar Caucus
Personal Life
In 1990, Luis Correa married his wife, Esther. For many years, they lived in Anaheim with Correa's father. Correa now lives in Santa Ana, California. He and his wife have four children.
See also
Images for kids
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U.S. Representative Lou Correa
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Correa during his time in the California State Senate
