Dave Cortese’s public life has included service with the East Side Union High School District, the San Jose City Council, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and regional transportation and government organizations. He spent eight years as a school trustee, eight years as a San Jose councilmember and vice mayor, and 12 years as a county supervisor before serving in the California Senate. His leadership positions have included board presidencies and chairmanships involving schools, transportation, county government and regional associations. He also ran for San Jose mayor, winning the primary before losing the general election to District 3 councilmember Sam Liccardo. His career has encompassed elected office and leadership roles in local, county, regional and state institutions.
ROOTS
David Dominic Cortese was born June 3, 1956. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory from 1970 to 1974, received his bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and attended Lincoln Law School from 1991 to 1995.
Public office was already present in the family. His father, Dominic L. Cortese, served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and in the California Assembly. His maternal grandfather, Ed Donovan, was a Santa Clara city councilman in 1949 and 1950. His paternal grandfather, Vince Cortese Sr., was an immigrant farmer from Sicily.
Cortese’s professional experience has included agriculture, property, construction and law. In 1986, following work as a professional financial manager, he became general manager for a collection of ranching and real estate enterprises. His work has also included the sale of agricultural produce, stewardship of a real estate portfolio, construction, ownership of a dining establishment and a private law practice. Cortese and his wife, Pattie, have four children.
THE LOCAL LADDER
Cortese served eight years on the East Side Union High School District board, including service as board president. The school board was one of several local institutions in which he held office.
He also served for eight years as a San Jose councilmember and vice mayor. His 12 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors included a term as board president. His record therefore includes service in a school district, a city and a county.
Cortese ran for San Jose mayor and won the primary, then lost the general election to Sam Liccardo, then the District 3 councilmember. His other leadership positions have included roles in county and regional institutions and the chairmanship of a California Senate committee.
THE GOVERNING MAP
Cortese’s leadership positions include several transportation and regional government bodies. He chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and served as president of the Valley Transportation Authority. He also served as president of the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Santa Clara County Cities Association. Those roles included leadership positions in transportation agencies and associations of regional and local governments.
Cortese is also the founder of the Joint Policy Collaborative for Economic Development. Outside his government roles, he was president of the San Jose East-Evergreen Rotary Club and served on the boards of the East Valley YMCA, The Tech Interactive, Parents Helping Parents and several other nonprofits. He is also a founding member of East Valley Girls Softball.
These positions document work in elected bodies, transportation agencies, government associations and community organizations.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
At the state level, Cortese chairs the California Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee.
His broader record includes transportation agencies, regional organizations, schools, economic development and county government. He chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and served as president of the Valley Transportation Authority. He also served as president of the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Santa Clara County Cities Association. His eight years with the East Side Union High School District and 12 years on the county Board of Supervisors add school and county government to that record.
His listed leadership roles span labor, public employment and retirement, schools, transportation, county government, regional and local government associations, and community organizations.
- State Senate · Senate District 15 · 2020–present
Dave Cortese’s public life has included service with the East Side Union High School District, the San Jose City Council, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and regional transportation and government organizations. He spent eight years as a school trustee, eight years as a San Jose councilmember and vice mayor, and 12 years as a county supervisor before serving in the California Senate. His leadership positions have included board presidencies and chairmanships involving schools, transportation, county government and regional associations. He also ran for San Jose mayor, winning the primary before losing the general election to District 3 councilmember Sam Liccardo. His career has encompassed elected office and leadership roles in local, county, regional and state institutions.
ROOTS
David Dominic Cortese was born June 3, 1956. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory from 1970 to 1974, received his bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and attended Lincoln Law School from 1991 to 1995.
Public office was already present in the family. His father, Dominic L. Cortese, served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and in the California Assembly. His maternal grandfather, Ed Donovan, was a Santa Clara city councilman in 1949 and 1950. His paternal grandfather, Vince Cortese Sr., was an immigrant farmer from Sicily.
Cortese’s professional experience has included agriculture, property, construction and law. In 1986, following work as a professional financial manager, he became general manager for a collection of ranching and real estate enterprises. His work has also included the sale of agricultural produce, stewardship of a real estate portfolio, construction, ownership of a dining establishment and a private law practice. Cortese and his wife, Pattie, have four children.
THE LOCAL LADDER
Cortese served eight years on the East Side Union High School District board, including service as board president. The school board was one of several local institutions in which he held office.
He also served for eight years as a San Jose councilmember and vice mayor. His 12 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors included a term as board president. His record therefore includes service in a school district, a city and a county.
Cortese ran for San Jose mayor and won the primary, then lost the general election to Sam Liccardo, then the District 3 councilmember. His other leadership positions have included roles in county and regional institutions and the chairmanship of a California Senate committee.
THE GOVERNING MAP
Cortese’s leadership positions include several transportation and regional government bodies. He chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and served as president of the Valley Transportation Authority. He also served as president of the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Santa Clara County Cities Association. Those roles included leadership positions in transportation agencies and associations of regional and local governments.
Cortese is also the founder of the Joint Policy Collaborative for Economic Development. Outside his government roles, he was president of the San Jose East-Evergreen Rotary Club and served on the boards of the East Valley YMCA, The Tech Interactive, Parents Helping Parents and several other nonprofits. He is also a founding member of East Valley Girls Softball.
These positions document work in elected bodies, transportation agencies, government associations and community organizations.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
At the state level, Cortese chairs the California Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee.
His broader record includes transportation agencies, regional organizations, schools, economic development and county government. He chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and served as president of the Valley Transportation Authority. He also served as president of the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Santa Clara County Cities Association. His eight years with the East Side Union High School District and 12 years on the county Board of Supervisors add school and county government to that record.
His listed leadership roles span labor, public employment and retirement, schools, transportation, county government, regional and local government associations, and community organizations.
The record
4,381 events, each with its sourceConsent Calendar 2nd AB875 Muratsuchi et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB920 Caloza et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB977 Ramos et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1119 Patel
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1139 Rogers
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1155 Fong By Umberg
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1308 Hoover et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1375 Hoover et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1412 Jeff Gonzalez et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1495 Valencia
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1509 M. & V.A. (Schiavo)
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1510 P. E. & R. (McKinnor)
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1512 ELECTIONS (Pellerin)
Special Consent SB85 Umberg
Special Consent SB387 Rubio
Special Consent SB394 Allen et al
Special Consent SB459 Grayson
Special Consent SB602 Cortese
Special Consent SR50 Archuleta et al
Senate 3rd Reading SR51 Becker et al
Senate 3rd Reading SR53 Rubio et al. By Cortese
Special Consent SR54 Choi et al
Senate 3rd Reading SR58 Blakespear et al
Assembly 3rd Reading ACR30 Jackson et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR11 Cervantes
Special Consent SCR25 Blakespear et al
Special Consent SCR48 Cervantes et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR101 Choi et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR85 Archuleta et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR93 Ochoa Bogh et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR95 Choi et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR96 Wahab et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR100 Arreguín
Assembly 3rd Reading AJR3 Schiavo et al. By Arreguín
Consent Calendar 2nd AJR7 Addis et al
Senate 3rd Reading SJR5 Becker
Senate 3rd Reading SJR8 Arreguín et al
Assembly 3rd Reading AB604 Aguiar-Curry et al. By Gonzalez Urgency Clause
Unfinished Business SB280 Cervantes et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading ACA8 Rivas et al. By McGuire
Senate 3rd Reading SCR28 Grove et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR61 Archuleta et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR80 Niello et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB14 Hart et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB17 Alanis
Assembly 3rd Reading AB104 Gabriel By Wiener
Assembly 3rd Reading AB138 BUDGET (Gabriel) By Wiener
Consent Calendar 2nd AB359 Ramos
Consent Calendar 2nd AB463 Michelle Rodriguez
Consent Calendar 2nd AB493 Harabedian et al. Urgency Clause