Nate Holden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nate Holden
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Holden in 2020
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| Member of the California Senate from the 30th district |
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| In office December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Lawrence E. Walsh |
| Succeeded by | Diane Watson |
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 10th district | |
| In office July 1, 1987 – June 30, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | David Cunningham |
| Succeeded by | Martin Ludlow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 19, 1929 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | May 7, 2025 (aged 95) |
| Children | Reggie and Chris |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Unit | Military Police |
Nathan N. Holden (born June 19, 1929 – died May 7, 2025) was an American politician. He came from Los Angeles County, California. He served as a state senator for four years. He also worked on the Los Angeles City Council for 16 years.
Contents
About Nate Holden
Early Life and Family
Nate Holden was born in Macon, Georgia. His father worked for the railroad. When Nate was 10, he moved with his mother and brothers to Elizabeth, New Jersey.
He left high school at age 16 to join the U.S. Army. There, he became a military policeman. After the army, he finished high school at night. He also studied design and engineering in the evenings.
Holden worked for Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. In 1955, he moved to California. He then worked as an aerospace engineer. Nate Holden had two sons: Chris Holden, who is a California State Assemblymember, and Reginald Holden. Nate Holden passed away on May 7, 2025, at 95 years old.
Personality and Interests
As a teenager, Nate Holden was an amateur boxer. Even in his sixties, he was very active. He completed the Los Angeles Marathon in both 1990 and 1991.
People often saw two sides to his personality. He could be a kind and caring person. But he also showed a tough side, especially when talking about challenges in his political career. A fellow councilman, John Ferraro, once said that Holden was "gruff and rough, but he has a big heart."
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
In California, Nate Holden became active in the Democratic Party. He was part of the "steering committee for the California Democratic Council's peace delegation." He also served as an officer for the Alta Loma Democratic Club.
Holden first ran for public office in 1968. He tried to win a seat in Congress but was not successful. In 1970, he became president of the California Democratic Council. That same year, he ran for Congress two more times.
State Senator Role
Nate Holden started his work as a state senator in 1974. He served for four years. After this, he decided to run for a Congressional seat. However, he did not win that election.
Los Angeles City Council
Nate Holden served on the Los Angeles City Council for many years. He supported a plan by Donald Trump to develop the Ambassador Hotel site. Holden once shared a story about a helicopter ride with Trump in 1990. He said the helicopter nearly crashed. Holden later clarified that no one on that flight discussed Kamala Harris.
Council Elections
Holden first won his seat on the 10th District in 1987. He won by a large margin. In 1989, he ran for mayor of Los Angeles but did not win. He was challenged in later elections but continued to win his council seat. In 1995, he won against J. Stanley Sanders in the final election.
Important Laws
During his time on the City Council, Nate Holden helped pass several important laws:
- 1987: He supported a law to stop the sale or making of toy guns that looked too real. This bill was passed.
- 1990: He proposed requiring people who buy Rolex watches to register their serial numbers with the police. This was meant to make it harder for criminals to sell stolen watches.
- 1999: He worked on a law to make cable companies remove sneakers that were tied together and left hanging from overhead lines.
Legacy
- The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles is named in his honor.
- He helped change rules that made it hard for women to get a mortgage without a man's signature.
- He wrote the law that led California to be the first state to recognize the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
