Elizabeth Ortega-Toro (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Ortega; born August 26, 1977) is an American politician and labor executive who is a member of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

from the 20th district since 2022. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, her district includes the southern East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Ortega immigrated to the United States at age three and was raised in

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

. She has a bachelor of science from the University of Phoenix. She served as the statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299 before becoming the first Latina elected to serve as the executive secretary-treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, a central labor council that represents all labor unions in Alameda County. Ortega was first elected to the Assembly in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, defeating Dublin City Councilmember Shawn Kumagai. She assumed office on December 5, 2022.

Early life and education

Ortega was born in Mexico on August 26, 1977. Her family is from the

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

area. Ortega immigrated to the United States at age three with her mother and brother; her father had already immigrated to the United States. They crossed the border in San Diego and moved to the Fruitvale neighborhood of

, where Ortega was raised and attended public school. Ortega attended the University of Phoenix at its Oakland campus. She graduated with a bachelor of science in criminal justice administration in 2009.

Labor career

Ortega began her labor career as a receptionist for SEIU in 2001. She later became an education trainer for SEIU and was eventually promoted to assistant director of Education and Nursing Homes. In 2011, she became political director for the Alameda Labor Council, an AFL-CIO-affiliated central labor council that represents all labor unions in Alameda County, from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, Ortega joined AFSCME Local 3299 as its statewide political director. As statewide political director, she was based in Sacramento and lobbied the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

for the successful passage of legislation to protect essential service jobs at all University of California campuses. Ortega returned to the Alameda Labor Council in 2017 as its Executive Secretary-Treasurer. She was the first Latina to serve in that position.

California State Assembly

Tenure

Ortega was sworn in on December 5, 2022. She represents the 20th district, which includes the Alameda County communities of San Leandro, Union City, Hayward,

Castro Valley Castro Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Alameda County, California, United States. At the 2010 census, it was the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California and the twenty-third most populous in the United States. The popula ...

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

, Cherryland, Ashland, and parts of Dublin and

Pleasanton Pleasanton may refer to: Places * Pleasanton, California * Pleasanton, Iowa * Pleasanton, Kansas * Pleasanton, Nebraska * Pleasanton, New Mexico * Pleasanton, Ohio * Pleasanton, Texas * Pleasanton Township, Michigan Other * Pleasanton High School ...

Elections

2022

Personal life

Ortega is marred to Jason Toro have four children together and live in San Leandro.

Bankruptcy

In 2010, Ortega filed for personal bankruptcy in the Northern District of California. She claimed $431,450 in assets and $628,558 in liabilities, as well as student loan debts and debts to the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

and Chase Bank. In 2018, the State of California claimed a $16,614.23 tax lien against Ortega.

References

--> {{DEFAULTSORT:Ortega, Liz 1977 births American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees people American women trade unionists Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Living people Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in California Mexican emigrants to the United States American politicians of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American people in California politics Politicians from Guadalajara, Jalisco San Francisco Bay Area politicians Service Employees International Union people Trade unionists from California University of Phoenix alumni Women state legislators in California 21st-century American legislators 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century California politicians