Lateefah Aaliyah Simon[1] (born January 29, 1977) is an American politician who is the member-elect for California's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Lateefah Simon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 12th district | |
| Assuming office January 3, 2025 | |
| Succeeding | Barbara Lee |
| San Francisco BART Board of Directors | |
| Assumed office 2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 29, 1977 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kevin Weston (m. 2012; died 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Mills College (BA) University of San Francisco (MPA) |
| Website | https://www.lateefahsimon.com |
She serves on the Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors, on the board of trustees of the California State University system, and as the president of MeadowFund, a donor-advised fund created by Patricia Quillin, the wife of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings.[2] Simon was previously the president of Akonadi Foundation, an organization focused on racial justice in Oakland, California.[3] In 2003, she received a MacArthur Fellowship for her leadership of the Center for Young Women's Development (now the Young Women's Freedom Center) from age 19.[4][5]
Early life
editSimon earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy at Mills College, where she was the 2017 commencement speaker,[6] a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, and was a 2014 Social Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Fellow at Stanford University.[7]
Career
editDuring the tenure of Kamala Harris as San Francisco District Attorney, Simon led the creation of the city's Back on Track program for young adults charged with low-level felony drug sales.[2] Simon also previously worked as the executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2016, Simon was appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown.[8]
Simon was elected to represent the seventh district on the Bay Area Rapid Transit District board of directors in 2016.[9] Her motivations for running included her reliance on BART, as someone who is legally blind and unable to drive.[10] In 2020, she was elected president of the board of directors.[9]
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In February 2023, Simon announced that she was running for California's 12th congressional district.[2] The current representative for the district, Barbara Lee, who did not seek re-election to the seat and instead ran as a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in California; Lee did not advance in the Senate primary. On November 2, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed Simon's candidacy.[11]
Personal life
editSimon is the mother of two children.[7] Simon's husband, Kevin Weston, was a recognized journalist and activist who died from leukemia in 2014.[12]
Awards
edit- 2003 MacArthur Fellows Program[5]
- 2007 Jefferson Award[13]
References
edit- ^ "Rep. Lateefah Simon - D California, 12th - Biography". LegiStorm. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Garofoli, Joe (February 28, 2023). "BART director, criminal justice reformer Lateefah Simon launches campaign for East Bay House seat". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Lateefah Simon, President". Akonadi Foundation. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Three Blacks Named MacArthur Fellows for 2003 Awarded $500,000 'Genius Grants'". Jet. October 27, 2003. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ a b "Lateefah Simon". MacArthur Foundation. October 5, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Civil Rights Advocate Lateefah Simon to Deliver Mills College Commencement Address". Mills College. March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ a b "About Lateefah". Lateefah for BART. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Lateefah Simon | CSU". The California State University. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "Lateefah Simon". Bay Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Lateefah Simon seeks inspiration in promises made". SFGate. January 6, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Gavin Newsom endorses Lateefah Simon in race to fill Barbara Lee's House seat". The Washington Examiner. November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Bay Area media pioneer Kevin Weston dead at 45". The Mercury News. June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "Jefferson Award, presented to Lateefah Simon". SFGate. October 19, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.