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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

4,810 events, each with its source
Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1268

Outdoor public recreation spaces: equitable access.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1279

Speed safety systems.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1284

Medi-Cal benefits: employer reports.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1291

Mutual water companies.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1332

State civil service: employment disqualification: disclosure.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1349

Taxation: tax expenditures: Legislative Analyst’s Office: assessment, report, and recommendation.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1362

DREAM grant program.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1394

State holidays: Cesar Chavez Day: Farmworkers Day.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1411

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: funding conditions: high-speed rail.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1422

Medi-Cal: eligibility: immigration status.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 2299

California Antihunger Response and Employment Training Act of 2026.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 2318

Law enforcement: facilitating medical care.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 2349

State Air Resources Board: regional air quality incident response program.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1211

Criminal procedure: postconviction investigation.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1255

Postsecondary education: Designation of California Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1259

Refineries: decommissioning and remediation: cost estimates.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SCR 129

Rusty Areias Highway.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SCR 130

Child Abuse Prevention Month.

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 107

Assembly 3rd Reading AB107 Gabriel By Laird

VoteYea
Voted Yea on AB 117

Assembly 3rd Reading AB117 BUDGET (Gabriel) By Laird

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SR 78

Senate 3rd Reading SR78 Cabaldon et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 112

Special Consent ACR112 Gallagher et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 116

Special Consent ACR116 Jackson et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 118

Special Consent ACR118 Mark González et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 120

Special Consent ACR120 Ávila Farías et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 121

Special Consent ACR121 Tangipa et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on ACR 122

Special Consent ACR122 Ahrens et al

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SCR 89

Senate 3rd Reading SCR89 Smallwood-Cuevas

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 2156

Holidays: Farmworkers Day.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1141

Public contracts: University of California executives: conflicts of interest: prohibition.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1146

Advertisement claims: health-related consumer products and services: digital replicas and synthetic performers.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1149

Employees: bereavement leave.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1167

Vehicles: electric bicycles.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1125

Water Rate Assistance Program.

VoteYea
Voted Yea on SR 72

Senate 3rd Reading SR72 Wahab et al

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1077

CalFresh: federal government shutdowns.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1105

Law enforcement.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SCR 125

Ramadan.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AJR 26

Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on SR 73

Special Consent SR73 Choi et al

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on ACR 71

Special Consent ACR71 Kalra et al. By Cortese

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on ACR 115

Special Consent ACR115 Bennett et al. By Weber Pierson

VoteAbsent
Voted Absent on ACR 117

Special Consent ACR117 Sharp-Collins

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 1896

Public employment: disqualifications.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 1900

Guaranteed Health Care for All.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1048

State Seal of Climate Literacy.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1052

State Council on Developmental Disabilities: appointing authorized representatives.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SR 80

Relative to César Chávez Day.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored AB 1790

Corporations Tax Law: water’s-edge election: global intangible low-taxed income.

Cosponsored
Cosponsored SB 1026

Bail Fugitive Recovery Agent Reform Act.