Amanda Renteria

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Amanda Renteria
Image of Amanda Renteria
Elections and appointments
Last election

June 5, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

Stanford University

Graduate

Harvard University

Contact

Amanda Renteria (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of California. She lost in the primary on June 5, 2018.

Renteria was the political director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

  • Renteria worked with constituency groups to organize involvement with the Clinton campaign.
  • She is a former aide to Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
  • In 2014, she unsuccessfully ran to represent California's 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House.
  • Biography

    Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

    Prior to working in politics, Renteria worked for Goldman Sachs, the city of San Jose, and as a high school math teacher.

    Career

    Early career

    After graduating from Stanford University in 1997, Renteria accepted a position at Goldman Sachs as a senior financial analyst. In 2000, she began teaching math and economics at Woodlake High School.[1][2]

    In 2001, Renteria attended Harvard Business School earning her MBA; from there, Renteria served as a budget analyst and consultant for the city of San Jose, California.[1]

    U.S. Senate aide

    Her political career began in 2004, when Renteria became a legislative aide for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), for whom she worked for three years.[3][1][2] From 2006 to 2013, Renteria first served as legislative aide, then legislative director, and finally chief of staff for Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and was the first Latina in government to serve as a chief of staff.[4][5]

    National Journal reported that Renteria was a key player in getting a farm bill to pass through Congress in 2012, noting, "Renteria was instrumental in bridging the gap between not only the two parties, but the regional factions of members that grew up around the bill."[1]

    Elections

    2018

    See also: California gubernatorial election, 2018

    General election

    General election for Governor of California

    Gavin Newsom defeated John Cox in the general election for Governor of California on November 6, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of Gavin Newsom
    Gavin Newsom (D)
     
    61.9
     
    7,721,410
    Image of John Cox
    John Cox (R)
     
    38.1
     
    4,742,825

    Total votes: 12,464,235
    (100.00% precincts reporting)
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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    Nonpartisan primary election

    Nonpartisan primary for Governor of California

    The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of California on June 5, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of Gavin Newsom
    Gavin Newsom (D)
     
    33.7
     
    2,343,792
    Image of John Cox
    John Cox (R)
     
    25.4
     
    1,766,488
    Image of Antonio Villaraigosa
    Antonio Villaraigosa (D)
     
    13.3
     
    926,394
    Image of Travis Allen
    Travis Allen (R)
     
    9.5
     
    658,798
    Image of John Chiang
    John Chiang (D)
     
    9.4
     
    655,920
    Image of Delaine Eastin
    Delaine Eastin (D) Candidate Connection
     
    3.4
     
    234,869
    Image of Amanda Renteria
    Amanda Renteria (D)
     
    1.3
     
    93,446
    Image of Robert Newman
    Robert Newman (R)
     
    0.6
     
    44,674
    Image of Michael Shellenberger
    Michael Shellenberger (D)
     
    0.5
     
    31,692
    Image of Peter Liu
    Peter Liu (R)
     
    0.4
     
    27,336
    Image of Yvonne Girard
    Yvonne Girard (R)
     
    0.3
     
    21,840
    Image of Gloria La Riva
    Gloria La Riva (Peace and Freedom Party)
     
    0.3
     
    19,075
    Juan Bribiesca (D)
     
    0.3
     
    17,586
    Image of Josh Jones
    Josh Jones (G)
     
    0.2
     
    16,131
    Image of Zoltan Gyurko Istvan
    Zoltan Gyurko Istvan (L)
     
    0.2
     
    14,462
    Albert Caesar Mezzetti (D)
     
    0.2
     
    12,026
    Image of Nickolas Wildstar
    Nickolas Wildstar (L)
     
    0.2
     
    11,566
    Robert Davidson Griffis (D)
     
    0.2
     
    11,103
    Image of Akinyemi Agbede
    Akinyemi Agbede (D)
     
    0.1
     
    9,380
    Thomas Jefferson Cares (D)
     
    0.1
     
    8,937
    Image of Christopher Carlson
    Christopher Carlson (G) Candidate Connection
     
    0.1
     
    7,302
    Image of Klement Tinaj
    Klement Tinaj (D)
     
    0.1
     
    5,368
    Image of Hakan Mikado
    Hakan Mikado (Independent)
     
    0.1
     
    5,346
    Johnny Wattenburg (Independent)
     
    0.1
     
    4,973
    Image of Desmond Silveira
    Desmond Silveira (Independent)
     
    0.1
     
    4,633
    Image of Shubham Goel
    Shubham Goel (Independent)
     
    0.1
     
    4,020
    Jeffrey Edward Taylor (Independent)
     
    0.1
     
    3,973

    Total votes: 6,961,130
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Withdrawn or disqualified candidates


    2014

    See also: California's 21st Congressional District elections, 2014

    In late 2013, Renteria, with the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), announced her candidacy for California's 21st Congressional District. The district was considered a tossup, but tilting Republican, according to Rothenberg & Gonzales.[6][7] The DCCC reserved $1 million dollars for ads in September in the district.[8] Renteria lost the race to Republican incumbent David Valadao by 16 percent.[1] The DCCC had planned to convince Renteria to run for the 21st district again for the 2016 election cycle, but Renteria declined.[1]

    Results

    U.S. House, California District 21 General Election, 2014
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Valadao Incumbent 57.8% 45,907
         Democratic Amanda Renteria 42.2% 33,470
    Total Votes 79,377
    Source: California Secretary of State


    U.S. House, California District 21 Primary, 2014
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Valadao Incumbent 63% 28,773
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngAmanda Renteria 25.6% 11,682
         Democratic John Hernandez 11.5% 5,232
    Total Votes 45,687
    Source: California Secretary of State

    Endorsements

    The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Amanda Renteria in their "Jumpstart" program. The program provided financial support to the candidate.[9] On July 20, 2014, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and representative Nancy Pelosi held a fundraiser to support Renteria's candidacy.[10] President Obama made a fundraising appearance with Renteria, calling her one of “two outstanding candidates and part of what it is that we’re just trying to build here and across the country."[11]

    Campaign donors, 2014

    Candidates for Congress were required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Renteria's reports.

    Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016

    See also: Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016

    In early 2015, Renteria was offered the position of political director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[1][18] A the time, The Wall Street Journal noted that her appointment "could send a powerful signal to Hispanics who want a presence at the top rungs of a campaign."[19] In a July 2015 article, the Los Angeles Times noted that Renteria's unsuccessful 2014 U.S. House race revealed important lessons to her for Clinton's presidential campaign. The paper reported, "The race in the heavily Latino district exposed blind spots in Democratic strategy with Latino voters, who largely stayed home. The message for Clinton in her 2016 presidential run was clear: The gains Democrats had been making among Latinos could stall anytime." As Clinton's political director, Renteria spoke with the paper at the National Council of La Raza conference, saying, "It is really time for Latinos to understand who is with them and who is not. ... One of the real opportunities in a presidential election is to truly have a message that can break through, even in the little towns where I grew up."[20]

    More on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign staff
    Staff overview
    Clinton staff overview

    Management and strategy
    Robby Mook, Campaign manager
    Joel Benenson, Chief strategist and pollster
    Amanda Renteria, Political director
    John Podesta, Campaign chairman
    Huma Abedin, Vice chair

    Communications
    Jennifer Palmieri, Communications director
    Jim Margolis, Media advisor

    Policy and outreach
    Jake Sullivan, Senior policy advisor
    Marlon Marshall, Director of state campaigns and political engagement
    Maya Harris, Senior policy advisor
    LaDavia Drane, Congressional liaison

    Puerto Rico trip

    In response to a potential outbreak of the Zika virus in Puerto Rico, Clinton sent top aides, including Renteria, to speak with health officials there about the threat of the outbreak. Clinton's campaign said, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking this threat seriously and it has been working closely with Puerto Rico. But I want to be sure that we are truly doing all we can to fight the Zika virus from spreading. ... Zika is an urgent problem and we need to act now."[21] After the visit, Renteria told NBC Latino of the experience:[22]

    The most important thing we can do is make sure there is funding in Congress. It did help that we went there, but even thinking about going down there, I had to get DEET, I had to make sure I had long pants — it makes it real for folks in Congress. Anything we can do to educate women on the island, especially in poorer communities —they are putting these packages together that have nets, they have (information), go buy the green (can) of DEET, not the orange (green has more DEET).[23]

    Comments on Donald Trump

    In a July 2016 interview with the New York Daily News, Renteria described what she considered to be "stakes" of the presidential election, commenting specifically on Donald Trump's immigration proposals. She said:[24]

    My 3-year-old, who probably speaks better Spanish than English, recently told me 'Donald Trump can't win. He is going to say bad things about me.’ Those are those really personal moments that keep me up at night. When I started this job I said it was a real honor to have it. Now I say it's a real responsibility. ... The gravity of what could happen in the negative keeps me up at night, 'if he wins,' and what his rhetoric might do. But what wakes me up is I believe we (will) win and we've solidified and validated the values of this country, and that includes Latino voices, small-town voices.[23]

    Voter turnout efforts

    Renteria was also part of the Clinton campaign's efforts to register Latino voters in swing states like Florida, Nevada, and North Carolina early in the presidential election cycle. According to Fox News Latino, the campaign's efforts focused on showing first-time and minority voters where to go to register and vote. Renteria said, "There are states with Voter ID laws that make the process difficult so that’s why we got into those states early. We’ve given the local offices the tools and now we let the states craft their own plan."[25]

    General election strategy

    In August 2016, Renteria discussed one of the campaign's general election strategies, detailing the Clinton campaign's intention to invest in what she called "expansion states." She said, "We call them expansion states for a reason: Because we believe we can expand the map, and we believe we can expand Democratic voices down the ballot as well." The targeted states included Arizona, Georgia, Utah, and one congressional district in Nebraska, which awards electoral votes by district.[26]

    See also

    California State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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    External links

    Footnotes

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 National Journal, "Hillary Clinton's Hill whisperer," May 7, 2015
    2. 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Amanda Renteria," accessed June 23, 2015
    3. Roll Call, "Democrats Ready to Land Recruit in Elusive California District," September 18, 2013
    4. Roll Call, "Renteria Doesn’t Blend In," October 16, 2008
    5. NBC, "Clinton Natl Political Director Amanda Renteria is a Latina "First"," April 15, 2015
    6. Rothenberg & Gonzales, "House ratings, 2013," accessed June 23, 2015
    7. Roll Call, "Democrats Ready to Land Recruit in Elusive California District," September 18, 2013
    8. Fresno Bee, "Obama recognizes 21st CD hopeful Renteria at Bay Area fundraiser," July 23, 2014
    9. Roll Call, "House Democrats Promote 3 Recruits," accessed October 24, 2013
    10. The Washington Post, "O’Malley plans fundraiser this month with Pelosi to help five congressional candidates," July 3, 2014
    11. The Hill, "OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: One step forward, two steps back for GOP," July 24, 2014
    12. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria Year-End," accessed February 10, 2014
    13. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria April Quarterly," accessed May 5, 2014
    14. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
    15. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria July Quarterly," accessed July 28, 2014
    16. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
    17. Federal Election Commission, "Amanda Renteria Pre-General," accessed November 24, 2014
    18. Roll Call, "Ex-House Candidate Will Take Top Role in Likely Clinton Campaign," February 26, 2015
    19. Wall Street Journal, "Hillary Clinton Taps Hispanics for Likely White House Campaign," March 15, 2015
    20. Los Angeles Times, "Hillary Clinton's political director brings key lessons from her own (losing) campaign," July 19, 2015
    21. Fortune, "Hillary Clinton Is Sending Aides to Puerto Rico to Take Zika Meetings," April 19, 2016
    22. NBC News, "Clinton Adviser Amanda Rentería Looks at Zika Prevention in Puerto Rico," April 28, 2016
    23. 23.0 23.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    24. New York Daily News, "Clinton’s Latina political director Amanda Renteria is key to getting the Hispanic community on board with her," July 2, 2016
    25. Fox News Latino, "DNC: Clinton surrogates urge Latinos to register to vote; hope high turnout will hurt Trump," July 28, 2016
    26. The Hill, "Top Clinton campaign official promises to expand electoral map," August 11, 2016