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| Senator Kevin de León | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kevin de León |
| Birth date | 12 June 1966 |
| Birth place | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Office | President pro tempore of the California State Senate |
| Term start | 2014 |
| Term end | 2018 |
Senator Kevin de León is an American politician and activist who served as a member of the California State Senate and as President pro tempore of the California State Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been active in urban policy, environmental legislation, labor alliances, and Latino political organizing across Los Angeles, California, and national forums including interactions with the United States Senate and advocacy groups in Washington, D.C.. His career spans work with community organizations, elected office in the California State Assembly, leadership in the California State Senate, a 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, and service on the Los Angeles City Council.
Born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Mexico, he grew up in the MacArthur Park and Echo Park areas of central Los Angeles County. He attended public schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District and graduated from East Los Angeles College before transferring to California State University, Los Angeles where he studied political science and ethnic studies amid student movements connected to organizations like the United Farm Workers and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. His early influences included community leaders associated with the Brown Berets, labor organizers from the AFL–CIO, and immigrant-rights advocates tied to the UnidosUS.
De León began as a community organizer working with civic groups in Los Angeles County. He collaborated with neighborhood organizations, faith-based groups affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and civic coalitions linked to the California Nurses Association and the Service Employees International Union. He participated in campaigns concerning immigration policy debates tied to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, local housing fights involving agencies such as the Los Angeles Housing Department, and environmental justice efforts connected to the California Environmental Protection Agency and advocacy groups like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Elected to the California State Assembly from a Los Angeles district, he served on committees addressing public safety, health policy, and environmental issues. In Sacramento he worked alongside legislators from the California State Legislature including members of the California Democratic Party and engaged with leadership such as the Speaker of the California State Assembly. During this period he advanced legislation intersecting with agencies like the California Department of Public Health, the California Air Resources Board, and labor standards enforcement in coordination with the California Department of Industrial Relations.
In the California State Senate he represented an urban district in Los Angeles County and rose to become President pro tempore of the California State Senate. As pro tem he negotiated budget and policy priorities with the Governor of California offices of Jerry Brown and later leaders in the California State Capitol complex. He championed climate and clean-energy measures referencing work with the California Air Resources Board, renewable initiatives associated with the California Public Utilities Commission, and legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in alignment with the AB 32 framework. He engaged with environmental organizations including 350.org, Greenpeace, and the Environmental Defense Fund while also working on criminal justice reforms that intersected with advocacy from the American Civil Liberties Union and reform coalitions tied to the Sentencing Project.
His tenure saw alliances with labor organizations such as the California Teachers Association, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the California Federation of Labor, and involved confrontations and negotiations with municipal officials from Los Angeles Mayor offices, county supervisors from Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and federal actors including delegations from California's congressional delegation in the United States House of Representatives.
De León launched a campaign in the 2018 U.S. Senate race in California to challenge the incumbent Dianne Feinstein. The campaign drew national attention from groups such as the Democratic National Committee, progressive organizations like Justice Democrats and MoveOn.org, and labor backers from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). He participated in debates influenced by media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and CNN, and navigated an electoral field shaped by California's top-two primary system and campaign finance dynamics involving the Federal Election Commission and independent expenditure committees tied to the National Rifle Association and environmental PACs. The race highlighted issues including climate policy, health-care debates referencing the Affordable Care Act, and immigration controversies tied to proposals from federal leaders and advocacy groups such as United We Dream.
After the Senate campaign he continued public service, seeking and serving roles in local governance including the Los Angeles City Council, where he engaged with municipal portfolios like transportation projects involving Los Angeles Metro, housing initiatives linked to the Los Angeles Housing Department, and public-safety collaborations with the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department. His later career involved partnerships with academic institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California, nonprofits like the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation and policy centers including the Public Policy Institute of California. He remains active in state and national policy debates, interacting with think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, advocacy coalitions like the National Immigration Law Center, and political organizations including the California Democratic Council and national progressive networks.
Category:California politicians Category:People from Los Angeles