State-by-State Breakdown
California
First elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999, Padilla was the first Latino and the youngest person elected president of the Los Angeles City Council. As a state senator, he was voted one of California’s “Most Effective Legislators” by Around the Capitol in 2013. Padilla is often noted for his commitment to bipartisanship and passion for the expansion of voting access. Padilla is a former member of the governing board of MIT and the…
Jacobs began her career working with the United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and at the Innovation Unit with UNICEF. She served as Conflict and Stabilization Policy Officer at the U.S. State Department and as a policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Jacobs worked with several nonprofits, serving as the founder and chair of San Diego for Every Child. In 2018, Jacobs lost to Mike Levin in the Democratic primary…
Before running for office, Kim worked for U.S. Rep Ed Royce for more than 20 years as the congressman’s community liaison and director of Asian affairs. During that time, she hosted her own television show, “LA Seoul with Young Kim,” and a radio show called “Radio Seoul” to discuss political issues of the Korean American community. Kim then served one term in the California State Assembly before running for U.S. Congress in 2018…
Obernolte began his career by founding FarSight Studios, a successful independent video game development company, in 1990. Obernolte’s first elected position was with the Big Bear City Airport Board in 2005. In 2010, Obernolte was elected to the Big Bear City Council, where he served as mayor. In 2014, Obernolte was elected to the California State Assembly, where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives….
Other than an early stint as a comptroller for a law firm, Steel has been active in public service. President Bush appointed Steel to his President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She also was appointed to the Commission in 2019 by President Trump. In 2006, Steel was elected to the California State Board of Equalization, the public agency charged with tax administration and collection. At the time, Steel was the highest-ranking…