Lou Correa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Correa
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Official portrait, 2023
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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 – December 1, 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 – December 6, 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) |
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| Website | |
Jose Luis "Lou" Correa (born January 24, 1958) is an American politician and businessman. Since 2017, he has been a U.S. Representative for California's 46th district. A representative is a person elected to speak and vote for the people in their area in the U.S. Congress.
Correa's district is in Orange County. It includes the cities of Santa Ana and parts of Anaheim and Orange. Most of the people in his district have Hispanic backgrounds. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming a politician, Correa worked with money as an investment banker. He also sold property as a real estate broker and taught at a college.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Lou Correa's family story connects both Mexico and the United States. His grandfather on his father's side came from Mexico to the U.S. in the 1910s to work for a railroad company. During the Great Depression, a time of great economic hardship, his grandfather's family moved back to Mexico.
Years later, Correa's father moved from Mexico to California. Lou Correa was born in East Los Angeles. When he was two, his mother sadly died in a car accident in Mexico. After this, he and his father moved to Zacatecas, Mexico.
When he was seven, they moved back to California, to a neighborhood in Anaheim. His father worked in a factory that made cardboard. His aunt, who he called "mom," cleaned hotel rooms. The family often had to move because rent was expensive.
Correa started school speaking only Spanish and found it hard to learn English at first. But he worked hard and became fluent. He graduated from Anaheim High School. He then went to California State University, Fullerton and earned a degree in economics. Later, he earned a law degree and a business degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Career in California Government
California State Assembly
Correa's political career started in 1996. He ran for the California State Assembly, which is part of California's state government. He lost his first election by only 93 votes. But he ran again in 1998 and won.
In the Assembly, Correa was in charge of several important groups called committees. These committees focused on topics like business, government jobs, and mobile homes.
He was elected two more times. However, California has term limits, which are rules that say how long a person can serve in a government job. Because of these limits, he had to leave the Assembly.
In 2004, Correa was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This board helps run the county government.
California State Senate
In 2006, Correa decided to run for the California State Senate, another part of the state government. He won the election and was sworn in on December 4, 2006.
He was reelected to the State Senate in 2010.
In a special election on January 27, 2015, Correa ran for the Orange County Board of Supervisors again but lost by a very small margin of 43 votes.
U.S. House of Representatives
The U.S. House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. It makes laws for the entire country.
Elections
In 2016, the representative for California's 46th district, Loretta Sanchez, decided to run for the U.S. Senate instead of for reelection. Correa ran for her open seat in Congress.
In California's "top-two" primary election, all candidates run against each other, and the two with the most votes move on to the final election. Correa came in first place. He then won the final election in November with almost 70% of the vote.
Time in Office
On July 29, 2024, Correa was named as one of six Democrats in a special group. This group, with members from both political parties, was formed to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
On June 12, 2025, Correa was one of four Democrats who did not vote on a plan to cut $9 billion in government spending.
January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack
On January 6, 2021, Correa was in the U.S. Capitol building. He was helping with the official process of confirming the presidential election results. A crowd of supporters of the outgoing president, Donald Trump, broke into the building.
Correa was in the House Chamber when people tried to break down the doors. He and other members of Congress had to hide. He said the people in the crowd had been "misled" by the president.
Later, at an airport, a group of people harassed Correa. Airport police broke up the crowd. Correa later supported efforts to impeach the president.
What are Committee Assignments?
In Congress, much of the work is done in small groups called committees. Each committee focuses on specific topics, like farming, security, or the justice system. Representatives are assigned to different committees.
For the 118th Congress, Correa's committee assignments include:
- Committee on Homeland Security: This committee works on keeping the country safe.
- Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement (Top Democrat)
- Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence
- Committee on the Judiciary: This committee deals with laws, courts, and immigration.
- Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
- Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust (Top Democrat)
What are Caucuses?
Caucuses are groups of lawmakers who join together because they share common interests or goals. It's like a club for members of Congress. Some of Correa's caucus memberships include:
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Problem Solvers Caucus
Personal Life
Correa married his wife, Esther, in 1990. They live in Santa Ana, California, and have four children.
One of their children, Adan, has autism. He is a cast member on the Netflix show Love on the Spectrum.
See also
