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
4,641 events, each with its sourceAssembly 3rd Reading AB1319 Schultz et al. By Limón
Unfinished Business SB471 Menjivar Urgency Clause Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB702 Limón et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB398 Umberg et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1172 Nguyen et al. By Grayson
Unfinished Business SB518 Weber Pierson et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1152 Patterson By Valladares
Unfinished Business SB660 Menjivar et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1069 Bains et al. By Limón
Unfinished Business SB524 Arreguín et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1064 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Ashby
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1050 Schultz et al. By Grayson
Unfinished Business SB410 Grayson Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB530 Richardson et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB640 Cabaldon et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB961 Ávila Farías et al. By Grayson
Unfinished Business SB634 Pérez et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB631 Richardson Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB889 Hadwick et al. By Limón
Unfinished Business SB413 Allen Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB70 Aguiar-Curry By Grayson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB419 Connolly By Pérez
Assembly 3rd Reading AB422 Jackson By Hurtado
Assembly 3rd Reading AB858 Lee et al. By Durazo
Assembly 3rd Reading AB851 McKinnor By Pérez Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB798 Calderon et al. By Limón
Assembly 3rd Reading AB777 Celeste Rodriguez By Stern
Unfinished Business SB610 Pérez et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB766 Sharp-Collins et al. By Weber Pierson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB740 Harabedian et al. By Stern
Assembly 3rd Reading AB518 Ward et al. By Limón
Unfinished Business SB786 Arreguín et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB454 McNerney et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB86 Boerner By Ashby
Unfinished Business SB437 Weber Pierson et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB246 Bryan et al. By Wahab
Assembly 3rd Reading AB250 Aguiar-Curry By Laird
Assembly 3rd Reading AB258 Connolly et al. By Laird
Unfinished Business SB504 Laird et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB260 Aguiar-Curry et al. By Limón Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB263 Rogers et al. By McGuire
Assembly 3rd Reading AB82 Ward et al. By Wiener
Assembly 3rd Reading AB287 Lackey et al. By Umberg
Assembly 3rd Reading AB288 McKinnor et al. By Umberg
Assembly 3rd Reading AB289 Haney et al. By Cortese
Unfinished Business SB514 Cabaldon Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB374 Nguyen et al. By Cervantes