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Portrait of Lena Gonzalez

Lena Gonzalez

Democratic

State Senate · Senate District 33

In office
2019–present
BiographyReporting (Tier 3) · reviewed

Gonzalez’s documented local-government work included working for then-Councilman Robert Garcia and serving on the Long Beach City Council. She represented District 1 in Downtown Long Beach from 2014 to 2019. Since a June 2019 special election, she has represented the 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Southeast Los Angeles and includes Lakewood and Long Beach. Her Sacramento assignments have included chairing the Senate Transportation Committee, serving as Majority Whip and serving as Majority Leader from February 2024 to December 2025. Her legislation has included environmental standards, public health and insurance protections for HIV-positive people.

ROOTS AND THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB

Gonzalez was born in Torrance on January 26, 1981, the daughter of immigrants from Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father worked as a cargo truck driver; her mother worked in the aerospace technology industry. Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Her work has included local government and a corporate-affairs role at Microsoft. Before serving on the Long Beach City Council, she worked for Garcia when he was a councilman. At Microsoft, she was a corporate affairs manager responsible for the company’s philanthropy and civic engagement.

Gonzalez lives in Long Beach with Adam Carillo and three sons in a blended family. Gonzalez and Carillo met while playing softball. They married in 2019 at the new Long Beach City Hall building.

FROM CITY COUNCIL TO SENATE LEADERSHIP

Gonzalez served on the City Council for five years, from 2014 until 2019. Her move to the Senate came through the special election held to succeed Ricardo Lara.

As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Gonzalez became the first Latina to lead the committee and the only woman to do so in the previous 20 years. She was appointed Majority Whip on February 12, 2021. She was also one of several California lawmakers to attend the COP15 Summit.

In 2024, Gonzalez was appointed Senate Majority Leader, succeeding President Pro Tem Mike McGuire. She served as majority leader from February 2024 to December 2025. Her documented roles include service on the Long Beach City Council, an elected state Senate seat, a committee chairmanship and the posts of Majority Whip and Majority Leader.

THE POLICY SIGNATURE

Gonzalez’s Senate record includes legislation concerning environmental standards, public health, fossil fuels and access to insurance.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed The Equal Insurance HIV Act, which prohibits life and disability income insurance companies from denying coverage to HIV-positive individuals solely based on their HIV status.

Gonzalez has authored numerous bills concerning environmental standards and public health. In 2022, she introduced legislation requiring CalPERS and CalSTRS to engage in fossil-fuel divestment to align with the state’s climate-action goals. That same year, Newsom signed her bill to ban new oil and gas wells near homes and schools.

Gonzalez also introduced Senate Joint Resolution 2 with Assemblyman Ash Kalra. Upon its adoption, California became the largest economy endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

The documented measures concern HIV-positive people applying for life or disability income insurance, new oil and gas wells near homes and schools, public-pension investment policy, and environmental and public-health standards. They include insurance regulation, limits on new well locations, proposed fossil-fuel divestment by CalPERS and CalSTRS, and a state resolution endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

Record of service
  • State Senate · Senate District 33 · 2019–present
BiographyReporting (Tier 3) · reviewed before publication

Gonzalez’s documented local-government work included working for then-Councilman Robert Garcia and serving on the Long Beach City Council. She represented District 1 in Downtown Long Beach from 2014 to 2019. Since a June 2019 special election, she has represented the 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Southeast Los Angeles and includes Lakewood and Long Beach. Her Sacramento assignments have included chairing the Senate Transportation Committee, serving as Majority Whip and serving as Majority Leader from February 2024 to December 2025. Her legislation has included environmental standards, public health and insurance protections for HIV-positive people.

ROOTS AND THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB

Gonzalez was born in Torrance on January 26, 1981, the daughter of immigrants from Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father worked as a cargo truck driver; her mother worked in the aerospace technology industry. Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Her work has included local government and a corporate-affairs role at Microsoft. Before serving on the Long Beach City Council, she worked for Garcia when he was a councilman. At Microsoft, she was a corporate affairs manager responsible for the company’s philanthropy and civic engagement.

Gonzalez lives in Long Beach with Adam Carillo and three sons in a blended family. Gonzalez and Carillo met while playing softball. They married in 2019 at the new Long Beach City Hall building.

FROM CITY COUNCIL TO SENATE LEADERSHIP

Gonzalez served on the City Council for five years, from 2014 until 2019. Her move to the Senate came through the special election held to succeed Ricardo Lara.

As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Gonzalez became the first Latina to lead the committee and the only woman to do so in the previous 20 years. She was appointed Majority Whip on February 12, 2021. She was also one of several California lawmakers to attend the COP15 Summit.

In 2024, Gonzalez was appointed Senate Majority Leader, succeeding President Pro Tem Mike McGuire. She served as majority leader from February 2024 to December 2025. Her documented roles include service on the Long Beach City Council, an elected state Senate seat, a committee chairmanship and the posts of Majority Whip and Majority Leader.

THE POLICY SIGNATURE

Gonzalez’s Senate record includes legislation concerning environmental standards, public health, fossil fuels and access to insurance.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed The Equal Insurance HIV Act, which prohibits life and disability income insurance companies from denying coverage to HIV-positive individuals solely based on their HIV status.

Gonzalez has authored numerous bills concerning environmental standards and public health. In 2022, she introduced legislation requiring CalPERS and CalSTRS to engage in fossil-fuel divestment to align with the state’s climate-action goals. That same year, Newsom signed her bill to ban new oil and gas wells near homes and schools.

Gonzalez also introduced Senate Joint Resolution 2 with Assemblyman Ash Kalra. Upon its adoption, California became the largest economy endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

The documented measures concern HIV-positive people applying for life or disability income insurance, new oil and gas wells near homes and schools, public-pension investment policy, and environmental and public-health standards. They include insurance regulation, limits on new well locations, proposed fossil-fuel divestment by CalPERS and CalSTRS, and a state resolution endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

The record

4,493 events, each with its source
VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on SJR 18

Senate 3rd Reading SJR18 McNerney et al

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1571

Do pass and be ordered to the Consent Calendar

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1734

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Education]

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1864

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1910

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1949

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 1956

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 2011

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 2041

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on AB 2706

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 431

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1614

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1625

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1944

Do pass

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2453

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources and Water]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 126

Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 137

Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 142

Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 169

Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SCR 155

Be adopted, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SJR 16

Be adopted. Ordered to third reading

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 34

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Environmental Quality] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 412

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2448

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Health]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2458

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2476

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2518

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2561

Do pass

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SR 104

Consent Calendar 2nd SR104 Becker et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 129

Consent Calendar 2nd ACR129 Haney et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 164

Consent Calendar 2nd ACR164 Bains et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 166

Consent Calendar 2nd ACR166 Ávila Farías et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 96

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 402

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1126

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1204

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1235

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1346

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Military and Veterans Affairs] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1486

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Environmental Quality] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1555

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1641

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1659

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1672

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1713

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1829

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1860

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1876

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1920

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 1943

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 2056

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar