Nanette Barragán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nanette Barragán
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 44th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Janice Hahn |
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Nanette Díaz Barragán
September 15, 1976 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of Southern California (JD) |
Nanette Díaz Barragán (born September 15, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician. She serves as a U.S. Representative for California's 44th congressional district since 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, she was a Hermosa Beach City Councilmember from 2013 to 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Nanette Barragán was born in Harbor City, Los Angeles. She is the youngest of 11 children. Her parents came from Mexico. She grew up in Torrance and nearby areas. She went to North Torrance High School and played softball.
She studied political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned her degree in 2000. Later, she went to the University of Southern California to study law. She received her law degree in 2005.
While in college and until 2003, Barragán led the Gillian S. Fuller Foundation. This foundation gave money to nonprofit groups. These groups focused on education, protecting the environment, and helping young people.
Legal Career and Helping Others
In 2003, Barragán worked for Justice Carlos R. Moreno at the California Supreme Court. In 2004, she helped low-income people at the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation. She assisted workers who needed help getting paid for overtime.
In 2005, she worked at the United States Attorney's Office. There, she helped with cases about organized crime.
Barragán later joined a law firm called Latham & Watkins LLP. She worked on many different types of cases. She helped a child and mother from Guatemala with an immigration case. She also traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina. There, she helped people with their insurance claims for free. She also helped low-income families with adoptions.
Early Political Work
Barragán started her political work at the Clinton White House. She worked in the Office of Public Liaison. She helped connect the president with African American organizations. In 1999, she worked on health policy for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
She also volunteered for many political campaigns. She served on the Board of the L.A. County Young Democrats for three years.
In 2012, Barragán took time off from her law firm. She moved to Florida to work on President Barack Obama's reelection campaign. She helped make sure every eligible voter could vote.
Hermosa Beach City Council Service
In 2013, Barragán ran for the Hermosa Beach City Council. She campaigned against a plan to drill for oil in Hermosa Beach. She won against six other candidates. She became the first Latina woman elected to the council. She was also the first woman elected in ten years.
Barragán left the council on July 31, 2015. She decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. House of Representatives Role
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Becoming a Representative
Barragán announced she would run for California's 44th congressional district in April 2015. The current representative, Janice Hahn, was leaving the seat.
Barragán shared her personal story during her campaign. She said, "The district is where only 60 percent graduate from high school. Only 10 percent go on to college. I am one of those 10-percenters who beat the odds. I have achieved the American dream. Now I’m coming home to make sure others have the same shot at the dream."
She received support from many groups and politicians. These included EMILY's List, the National Women's Political Caucus, and the California League of Conservation Voters. Many members of Congress also supported her.
In the November 2016 election, Barragán won. She defeated state senator Isadore Hall III. She was re-elected in 2018 and 2020.
Important Work in Congress
In July 2019, Barragán visited facilities at the Mexico–United States border. She went with other members of Congress.
She became the leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in January 2023. This group works to address issues important to Hispanic communities.
Committees and Groups
As a U.S. Representative, Barragán works on different committees. These committees study specific topics and create laws.
- She is on the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- This includes subcommittees on Environment, Manufacturing, and Health.
She is also part of several special groups, called caucuses:
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus (chair)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
- Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
Political Views
Protecting the Environment
Barragán supports banning a dangerous chemical called hydrofluoric acid (HF) at oil refineries. This chemical is used to make gasoline. She points out that storing it at refineries is risky. An explosion or natural disaster could release a toxic cloud. This could harm many people living nearby.
Other Votes
Barragán voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. She also voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Nanette Barragán loves baseball. In high school, she asked school leaders to let girls try out for the baseball team. Her favorite team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2017, she threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium.
Since 2017, Barragán has played in the annual Congressional Baseball Game. She also plays in the Congressional Women's Softball Game.
Barragán is Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Nanette Barragán para niños
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
