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. Since 2023, she has been the 33rd Controller of California. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before this, she held other big roles. She was the Chair of the California State Board of Equalization from 2019 to 2023. She also led the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2019. Malia Cohen is one of only a few African Americans to hold a statewide office in California.
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Early Life and Education
Malia Cohen was born in San Francisco, California. She was born on December 16, 1977. She is the oldest of five sisters. Malia 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 helping politicians. She worked for Gavin Newsom when he ran for mayor of San Francisco in 2003. She then served as his private secretary for two years. After that, she worked as a legislative aide. This means she helped a supervisor in San Mateo County with laws.
Serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
In 2010, Malia Cohen ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She ran to represent District 10. She won the election using a special voting system called ranked choice voting.
In 2013, Cohen helped pass a new law about guns. This law made it illegal to sell gun magazines that hold more than 10 bullets. The law passed easily.
Also in 2013, Cohen worked with another supervisor, Jane Kim. They created the "Fair Chance ordinance." This law stops employers and landlords from asking about a person's criminal history on applications. This law also passed without anyone voting against it.
In 2014, Malia Cohen was re-elected for her second term. She continued to represent District 10. In 2015, she spoke up to defend San Francisco's "sanctuary city" laws. These laws protect immigrants.
Role on the California State Board of Equalization
In June 2018, Malia Cohen became the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She took over after London Breed became mayor. Later that year, Cohen was elected to the California State Board of Equalization. She represented District 2 on this board.
Becoming California's State Controller
In 2022, Malia Cohen ran for California State Controller. She won the election against Lanhee Chen. She received 55% of the votes.
As Controller, Malia Cohen manages California's money. In September 2024, she suggested new ways to stop fraud. These recommendations focused on preventing fraud in charter schools.
Personal Life
Malia Cohen is married to Warren Pulley. He is a lawyer who helps people with workers' compensation cases. They got married in May 2016.
Images for kids
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Official portrait as State Controller
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Malia Cohen at Indigenous Peoples' Day
