John Laird’s public life runs through institutions familiar to Santa Cruz: the county administration, City Council, the mayor’s office, Cabrillo College and the local organizations built around the coast, credit, AIDS services and LGBTQ+ politics. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1974, when he joined the staff of the county administrator and later worked in personnel and social services. Voters first sent him to the City Council in 1981; four decades later, they elected him to the state Senate. His district now includes all of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties and most of San Luis Obispo County. Re-elected in November 2024 with 67.4% of the vote, he was sworn in Dec. 2 for his final Senate term under term limits.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Laird was born March 29, 1950, and raised in Vallejo, where he attended public schools. Both his parents were educators. He graduated in 1972 from Adlai Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz with an A.B. in politics; his undergraduate thesis examined the history of water development in California.
Before entering Santa Cruz County government, Laird spent two years on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jerome Waldie. In the summer of 1974, he worked for Florida Rep. Bill Gunter’s U.S. Senate campaign. That year he moved to Santa Cruz and began the local government work that preceded his own campaigns.
His community résumé included service as vice chair of the City Charter Review Committee, a role as a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and membership on the board of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and served as its executive director from 1991 to 1994. He lives in Santa Cruz with his spouse, John Flores, and is fluent in Spanish.
THE PATH THROUGH GOVERNMENT
Laird won a City Council seat in 1981 and was re-elected as the top vote-getter in 1985. The council chose him for one-year terms as mayor in 1983–84 and 1987–88. He served until term limits ended his council tenure in 1990. During those years, he worked with Save Our Shores against proposed offshore oil drilling. He was also a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and its successor, the Democratic Socialists of America.
From 1994 to 2002, Laird served as an elected Cabrillo College trustee. He then ran unopposed in the 2002 Democratic Assembly primary, won the seat and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Before terming out in 2008, he authored 82 bills signed into law.
His first Senate campaign ended differently. In 2010, he lost the special primary for the 15th District to Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee by 7.59 percentage points, then lost the special general election by 3.93 points. On Jan. 5, 2011, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him California secretary for natural resources. Laird remained there through 2019, overseeing a $10 billion budget and 25 statewide departments, commissions and conservancies.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Laird announced his campaign for the 17th Senate District in January 2019 and defeated Republican Vicki Nohrden in November 2020, 64.7% to 35.3%. During his first term, he authored 59 bills signed into law. Those measures included legislation concerning fentanyl overdose-reversal drugs and support for older Californians living with HIV.
The clearest policy signature is natural resources and the coast. The record begins with his college thesis on California water development, continues through the Santa Cruz fight against offshore oil drilling and reaches the state’s central machinery for managing natural resources: eight years supervising its departments, commissions, conservancies and budget. His legislative and community records identify other constituencies as well. He was a founding member and later executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, chaired the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, was a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials and served as an original board member of BAYMEC. He also worked as a Lavender Reader columnist and a commentator on “Closet Free Radio” at KZSC.
The map has expanded since his City Council years, but the documented interests remain specific: natural resources and coastal protection, LGBTQ+ institutions, HIV services and public health. Those are the organizations, agencies and measures through which Laird’s public work has operated.
- State Senate · Senate District 17 · 2020–present
John Laird’s public life runs through institutions familiar to Santa Cruz: the county administration, City Council, the mayor’s office, Cabrillo College and the local organizations built around the coast, credit, AIDS services and LGBTQ+ politics. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1974, when he joined the staff of the county administrator and later worked in personnel and social services. Voters first sent him to the City Council in 1981; four decades later, they elected him to the state Senate. His district now includes all of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties and most of San Luis Obispo County. Re-elected in November 2024 with 67.4% of the vote, he was sworn in Dec. 2 for his final Senate term under term limits.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Laird was born March 29, 1950, and raised in Vallejo, where he attended public schools. Both his parents were educators. He graduated in 1972 from Adlai Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz with an A.B. in politics; his undergraduate thesis examined the history of water development in California.
Before entering Santa Cruz County government, Laird spent two years on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jerome Waldie. In the summer of 1974, he worked for Florida Rep. Bill Gunter’s U.S. Senate campaign. That year he moved to Santa Cruz and began the local government work that preceded his own campaigns.
His community résumé included service as vice chair of the City Charter Review Committee, a role as a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and membership on the board of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and served as its executive director from 1991 to 1994. He lives in Santa Cruz with his spouse, John Flores, and is fluent in Spanish.
THE PATH THROUGH GOVERNMENT
Laird won a City Council seat in 1981 and was re-elected as the top vote-getter in 1985. The council chose him for one-year terms as mayor in 1983–84 and 1987–88. He served until term limits ended his council tenure in 1990. During those years, he worked with Save Our Shores against proposed offshore oil drilling. He was also a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and its successor, the Democratic Socialists of America.
From 1994 to 2002, Laird served as an elected Cabrillo College trustee. He then ran unopposed in the 2002 Democratic Assembly primary, won the seat and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Before terming out in 2008, he authored 82 bills signed into law.
His first Senate campaign ended differently. In 2010, he lost the special primary for the 15th District to Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee by 7.59 percentage points, then lost the special general election by 3.93 points. On Jan. 5, 2011, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him California secretary for natural resources. Laird remained there through 2019, overseeing a $10 billion budget and 25 statewide departments, commissions and conservancies.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Laird announced his campaign for the 17th Senate District in January 2019 and defeated Republican Vicki Nohrden in November 2020, 64.7% to 35.3%. During his first term, he authored 59 bills signed into law. Those measures included legislation concerning fentanyl overdose-reversal drugs and support for older Californians living with HIV.
The clearest policy signature is natural resources and the coast. The record begins with his college thesis on California water development, continues through the Santa Cruz fight against offshore oil drilling and reaches the state’s central machinery for managing natural resources: eight years supervising its departments, commissions, conservancies and budget. His legislative and community records identify other constituencies as well. He was a founding member and later executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, chaired the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, was a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials and served as an original board member of BAYMEC. He also worked as a Lavender Reader columnist and a commentator on “Closet Free Radio” at KZSC.
The map has expanded since his City Council years, but the documented interests remain specific: natural resources and coastal protection, LGBTQ+ institutions, HIV services and public health. Those are the organizations, agencies and measures through which Laird’s public work has operated.
The record
4,930 events, each with its sourceUnfinished Business SB761 Ashby et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB34 Richardson Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB34 Richardson Motion to Reconsider Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB34 Richardson Motion to Reconsider Concurrence Reconsider
Unfinished Business SB34 Richardson Motion to Reconsider Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB547 Pérez et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB27 Umberg Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB415 Reyes et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB24 McNerney et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB22 Laird Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB11 Ashby Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB553 Cortese Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB629 Durazo et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB378 Valencia et al. By Cervantes
Unfinished Business SB7 McNerney et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB888 Calderon et al. By Grayson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB881 Petrie-Norris et al. By Stern
Unfinished Business SB838 Durazo Concurrence
Assembly 2nd Reading AB870 Hadwick By Seyarto
Assembly 3rd Reading AB366 Petrie-Norris et al. By Archuleta
Assembly 3rd Reading AB847 Sharp-Collins et al. By Arreguín
Senate 3rd Reading SCR105 Wahab et al
Unfinished Business SB429 Cortese et al. Concurrence
Assembly 2nd Reading AB825 Petrie-Norris et al. By Becker
Unfinished Business SB635 Durazo et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB808 Addis By Weber Pierson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB789 Bonta et al. By Cabaldon
Assembly 3rd Reading AB299 Gabriel et al. By Pérez Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB732 Macedo By McNerney
Assembly 2nd Reading AB715 Zbur et al. By Wiener
Assembly 3rd Reading AB695 Fong et al. By Rubio Urgency Clause
Unfinished Business SB414 Ashby Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB45 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Menjivar
Assembly 3rd Reading AB234 Calderon et al. By Caballero Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB226 Calderon et al. By Umberg Urgency Clause
Assembly 2nd Reading AB596 Ortega By Cervantes
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1454 Rivas et al. By Weber Pierson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB572 Kalra et al. By Cortese
Unfinished Business SB404 Caballero et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB403 Blakespear Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1388 Bryan By Arreguín
Unfinished Business SB400 Cortese Urgency Clause Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB720 Ashby et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB645 Umberg Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB787 McNerney et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB646 Weber Pierson Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1376 Bonta et al. By Arreguín
Unfinished Business SB378 Wiener Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB364 Strickland et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB641 Ashby et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence