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 SB386 Limón Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB411 Pérez et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB419 Caballero et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB437 Weber Pierson et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB454 McNerney et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB504 Laird et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB514 Cabaldon Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB551 Cortese et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB567 Limón Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB597 Cortese Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB625 Wahab et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB642 Limón et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB676 Limón et al. Concurrence
Be re-referred to the Committee on [Rules]
Unfinished Business SB701 Wahab et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB704 Arreguín et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB734 Caballero Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB778 Limón Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB786 Arreguín et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB827 Gonzalez et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB15 Gipson et al. By Richardson
Unfinished Business SB785 Caballero Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB546 Caloza et al. By Limón Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB449 Jackson By Durazo
Assembly 3rd Reading AB535 Schiavo et al. By Cervantes
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1531 E.M. (Ransom) By Padilla
Assembly 3rd Reading AB50 Bonta By Ashby Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB506 Bennett et al. By Umberg
Assembly 3rd Reading AB499 Ortega By Richardson
Unfinished Business SB783 Rubio et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB55 Bonta et al. By Caballero
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1423 Irwin By McNerney
Assembly 3rd Reading AB57 McKinnor et al. By Smallwood-Cuevas
Unfinished Business SB358 Becker Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB62 McKinnor et al. By Smallwood-Cuevas
Unfinished Business SB362 Grayson Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1378 Rogers et al. By Arreguín
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1348 Bains By Pérez
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1340 Wicks et al. By Cortese
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1329 Ortega By Caballero
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1326 Ahrens By Becker
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1318 Bonta et al. By McNerney Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1312 Schiavo By Pérez
Unfinished Business SB639 Ashby Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1303 Valencia et al. By Gonzalez
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1296 Bonta et al. By Cabaldon
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1269 Bryan et al. By Smallwood-Cuevas Urgency Clause
Unfinished Business SB221 Ochoa Bogh et al. Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading AB1123 Muratsuchi By Limón