Malia Cohen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malia Cohen
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Official portrait as State Controller
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| 33rd Controller of California | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2023 |
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| Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Betty Yee |
| Member of the California State Board of Equalization from the 2nd district |
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| In office January 7, 2019 – January 2, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Fiona Ma |
| Succeeded by | Sally Lieber |
| President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors | |
| In office June 26, 2018 – January 7, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | London Breed |
| Succeeded by | Norman Yee |
| Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from the 10th district |
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| In office January 8, 2011 – January 7, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Sophie Maxwell |
| Succeeded by | Shamann Walton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 16, 1977 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Warren Pulley
(m. 2016) |
| Education | Fisk University (BA) Carnegie Mellon University (MA) |
Malia M. Cohen (born December 16, 1977) is an important American politician. She currently serves as the 33rd Controller of California. She started this role in 2023.
Malia Cohen is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming Controller, she held other big jobs. She was the Chair of the California State Board of Equalization from 2019 to 2023. She also served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2019.
She is one of only a few African Americans to hold a statewide office in California. She follows six other important leaders in this achievement.
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Malia Cohen's Early Life and Education
Malia Cohen was born in San Francisco, California, on December 16, 1977. She was the oldest of five sisters. She grew up in the Richmond District of San Francisco.
She went to Lowell High School. Her mother worked as a social worker. Her father worked in telecommunications.
Malia Cohen studied political science in college. She earned her first degree from Fisk University. Later, she earned a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Malia Cohen's Political Career
Malia Cohen started her career working for Gavin Newsom. She helped him during his campaign for mayor of San Francisco in 2003. After he became mayor, she worked as his confidential secretary for two years.
After leaving Newsom's office, she worked for a supervisor in San Mateo County. This experience helped her learn more about local government.
Serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
In 2010, Malia Cohen ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This board helps govern the city. She ran for District 10 and won the election. She won using a system called ranked choice voting. This system lets voters rank candidates in order of preference.
In 2013, Malia Cohen helped pass a new law. This law made it illegal to sell certain firearms in San Francisco. These were guns that could hold more than 10 bullets. The law was passed by everyone on the Board of Supervisors.
Also in 2013, Malia Cohen worked with another supervisor, Jane Kim. They created a law called the "Fair Chance ordinance." This law is also known as "ban the box" legislation. It stopped employers and landlords from asking about a person's criminal history on applications. This law also passed with everyone's support.
Malia Cohen was re-elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2014. She continued to represent District 10.
In 2015, she spoke out to defend San Francisco's "sanctuary city" laws. These laws limit how local police work with federal immigration officials.
Role on the California State Board of Equalization
On June 26, 2018, Malia Cohen became the President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She took over from London Breed, who became the mayor of San Francisco.
Later that year, Malia Cohen was elected to a new role. She joined the California State Board of Equalization. She represented District 2 on this board. This board helps manage tax collection in California.
Becoming California State Controller
Malia Cohen ran for California State Controller in 2022. This is a very important statewide job. The Controller is like the state's chief accountant. They manage California's money.
She won the election against Lanhee Chen. She received 55% of the votes. In September 2024, Malia Cohen announced new ideas. These ideas were to help stop fraud in charter schools.
After Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away in September 2023, Malia Cohen was considered for her Senate seat. She was one of several people discussed to finish the Senator's term.
Malia Cohen's Personal Life
Malia Cohen is married to Warren Pulley. He is a lawyer who works with workers' compensation cases. They got married in May 2016.
