Luz Rivas
Member of the California Assembly
Assumed office
June 11, 2018
Preceded byRaul Bocanegra
Constituency39th district (2018–2022)
43rd district (2022–present)
Personal details
Born
Luz Maria Rivas

(1974-02-06) February 6, 1974 (age 50)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
Harvard University (MEd)
WebsiteCampaign website

Luz Maria Rivas (born February 6, 1974) is an American politician from the state of California. A member of the Democratic Party, she serves in the California State Assembly for California's 43rd State Assembly district, which includes San Fernando, Sylmar, and Pacoima.

Background

Rivas is from Los Angeles. She earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worked for Motorola, and then earned a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.[1] She founded a non-profit organization based in Pacoima, Los Angeles, to encourage school age girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.[2] She also served on Los Angeles' City Public Works Commission.[1]

Political career

Following Raul Bocanegra's resignation from the California Assembly, Rivas declared her candidacy in the special election to succeed him.[1] Rivas won the special election on June 5, 2018,[3] and was sworn into office on June 11.[4]

Rivas has opposed legislative proposals that would reduce the stringent regulations on affordable housing construction along California's coast (which includes many of the state's most affluent and segregated areas).[5][6] She has sought to limit the ability of religious institutions to build more housing.[7]

Rivas is a candidate in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections, running in California's 29th congressional district.[8]

2018 California State Assembly

See also: California State Assembly election, 2018
California's 39th State Assembly district election, 2018
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Rivas 20,453 43.9
Republican Ricardo Antonio Benitez 11,679 25.1
Democratic Patty López 6,783 14.6
Democratic Antonio Sanchez 4,705 10.1
Democratic Patrea Patrick 1,740 3.7
Democratic Bonnie Corwin 1,220 2.6
Total votes 46,580 100.0
General election
Democratic Luz Rivas (incumbent) 85,027 77.7
Republican Ricardo Antonio Benitez 24,468 22.3
Total votes 109,495 100.0
Democratic hold

2020 California State Assembly

2020 California's 39th State Assembly district election
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Rivas (incumbent) 37,867 77.1%
Republican Ricardo Benitez 11,237 22.9%
Total votes

References

  1. ^ a b c Kevin Modesti (January 8, 2018). "New candidate for Bocanegra's Assembly seat touts record of empowering women – Daily News". Dailynews.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "This MIT Grad Plans to Change the Lives of Thousands of Latina Girls". HuffPost. August 28, 2014.
  3. ^ Kevin Modesti (June 5, 2018). "Democrats Luz Rivas and Jesse Gabriel elected to Assembly from San Fernando Valley – Daily News". Dailynews.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Two Democrats sworn into office to replace California assemblymen accused of sexual misconduct". Los Angeles Times. June 11, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  5. ^ Christopher, Ben (July 6, 2023). "My house or my beach? How California's housing crisis could weaken its coastal protections". CalMatters.
  6. ^ Gardiner, Dustin; Korte, Lara; Govindarao, Sejal (August 17, 2023). "A sea change for housing". POLITICO.
  7. ^ Christopher, Ben (November 22, 2023). "Speaker Rivas shuffles the leadership deck and YIMBYs win". CalMatters.
  8. ^ Logan, Erin B. (November 20, 2023). "Assemblymember Luz Rivas will run to replace Tony Cárdenas in Congress". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2023.

External links

Members of the California State Assembly
Categories