Liz Ortega’s route to Sacramento ran through the Alameda Labor Council and the unions where she worked before voters sent her to the Assembly. She began as a receptionist for SEIU in 2001, then moved through labor education, nursing-home work and political leadership. At AFSCME Local 3299, she lobbied the Legislature for the successful passage of legislation protecting essential service jobs at University of California campuses. She returned to the Alameda Labor Council in 2017 as its executive secretary-treasurer, the first Latina to hold that position. In 2022, Ortega defeated Dublin City Councilmember Shawn Kumagai for the 20th Assembly District seat. She took office on December 5 of that year, carrying a labor résumé into a district made up of Alameda County communities.
ROOTS
Elizabeth Ortega-Toro was born August 26, 1977, in Guadalajara, Mexico. She came to the United States at age three with her mother and brother; her father had immigrated earlier. They crossed the border in San Diego and settled in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, where Ortega was raised and attended public school.
She later attended the Oakland campus of the University of Phoenix. In 2009, she earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice administration. Her career has included positions at SEIU, AFSCME Local 3299 and the Alameda Labor Council.
Ortega is married to Jason Toro, and they have four children. Her biography includes immigration, Oakland public schools, higher education completed during her labor career and family life. Those particulars sit alongside the institutions where she worked before entering elected office: SEIU, AFSCME Local 3299 and the Alameda Labor Council.
THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB
Ortega’s labor career began at the front desk. After working as an SEIU receptionist, she became an education trainer and later assistant director of Education and Nursing Homes. The jobs moved from administration to training and management before she took on an explicitly political role.
From 2011 to 2013, Ortega served as political director for the Alameda Labor Council. In 2013, she joined AFSCME Local 3299 as statewide political director. Based in Sacramento, she lobbied the California State Legislature for the successful passage of legislation to protect essential service jobs at all University of California campuses.
In 2017, she returned to the Alameda Labor Council as executive secretary-treasurer. She was the first Latina to lead the council in that position. The post followed years spent working at SEIU, serving as political director of the Alameda Labor Council and leading statewide political work for AFSCME Local 3299. By the time she ran for the Assembly, Ortega had lobbied state legislators in Sacramento and held political and leadership positions in Alameda County labor institutions.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Ortega was first elected to the Assembly in 2022. She defeated Shawn Kumagai, a Dublin City Councilmember, and was sworn into the California State Assembly on December 5, 2022. She represents the 20th district and is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.
The election moved Ortega from labor leadership into the chamber where she previously had worked as a lobbyist. Her career before the election included work at SEIU, political leadership at the Alameda Labor Council, statewide political work for AFSCME Local 3299 and leadership of the county labor council. Before taking office, she had already worked in Sacramento to lobby for legislation protecting essential service jobs throughout the University of California system.
THE THROUGH LINE
Ortega’s documented career combines labor leadership with state politics. While serving as statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, she was based in Sacramento and lobbied the Legislature for the successful passage of legislation protecting essential service jobs at UC campuses.
Her labor work included education and nursing-home responsibilities at SEIU, political leadership at AFSCME Local 3299 and two periods at the Alameda Labor Council. She served as the council’s political director from 2011 to 2013 and returned in 2017 as its executive secretary-treasurer.
Her election to the Assembly in 2022 changed her place in the legislative process, from lobbying lawmakers to serving as one. She entered office with experience in labor education, union political work, county labor leadership and lobbying for legislation protecting essential service jobs. That labor career preceded her election to represent the 20th district.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 20 · 2022–present
Liz Ortega’s route to Sacramento ran through the Alameda Labor Council and the unions where she worked before voters sent her to the Assembly. She began as a receptionist for SEIU in 2001, then moved through labor education, nursing-home work and political leadership. At AFSCME Local 3299, she lobbied the Legislature for the successful passage of legislation protecting essential service jobs at University of California campuses. She returned to the Alameda Labor Council in 2017 as its executive secretary-treasurer, the first Latina to hold that position. In 2022, Ortega defeated Dublin City Councilmember Shawn Kumagai for the 20th Assembly District seat. She took office on December 5 of that year, carrying a labor résumé into a district made up of Alameda County communities.
ROOTS
Elizabeth Ortega-Toro was born August 26, 1977, in Guadalajara, Mexico. She came to the United States at age three with her mother and brother; her father had immigrated earlier. They crossed the border in San Diego and settled in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, where Ortega was raised and attended public school.
She later attended the Oakland campus of the University of Phoenix. In 2009, she earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice administration. Her career has included positions at SEIU, AFSCME Local 3299 and the Alameda Labor Council.
Ortega is married to Jason Toro, and they have four children. Her biography includes immigration, Oakland public schools, higher education completed during her labor career and family life. Those particulars sit alongside the institutions where she worked before entering elected office: SEIU, AFSCME Local 3299 and the Alameda Labor Council.
THE JOB BEFORE THE JOB
Ortega’s labor career began at the front desk. After working as an SEIU receptionist, she became an education trainer and later assistant director of Education and Nursing Homes. The jobs moved from administration to training and management before she took on an explicitly political role.
From 2011 to 2013, Ortega served as political director for the Alameda Labor Council. In 2013, she joined AFSCME Local 3299 as statewide political director. Based in Sacramento, she lobbied the California State Legislature for the successful passage of legislation to protect essential service jobs at all University of California campuses.
In 2017, she returned to the Alameda Labor Council as executive secretary-treasurer. She was the first Latina to lead the council in that position. The post followed years spent working at SEIU, serving as political director of the Alameda Labor Council and leading statewide political work for AFSCME Local 3299. By the time she ran for the Assembly, Ortega had lobbied state legislators in Sacramento and held political and leadership positions in Alameda County labor institutions.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Ortega was first elected to the Assembly in 2022. She defeated Shawn Kumagai, a Dublin City Councilmember, and was sworn into the California State Assembly on December 5, 2022. She represents the 20th district and is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.
The election moved Ortega from labor leadership into the chamber where she previously had worked as a lobbyist. Her career before the election included work at SEIU, political leadership at the Alameda Labor Council, statewide political work for AFSCME Local 3299 and leadership of the county labor council. Before taking office, she had already worked in Sacramento to lobby for legislation protecting essential service jobs throughout the University of California system.
THE THROUGH LINE
Ortega’s documented career combines labor leadership with state politics. While serving as statewide political director for AFSCME Local 3299, she was based in Sacramento and lobbied the Legislature for the successful passage of legislation protecting essential service jobs at UC campuses.
Her labor work included education and nursing-home responsibilities at SEIU, political leadership at AFSCME Local 3299 and two periods at the Alameda Labor Council. She served as the council’s political director from 2011 to 2013 and returned in 2017 as its executive secretary-treasurer.
Her election to the Assembly in 2022 changed her place in the legislative process, from lobbying lawmakers to serving as one. She entered office with experience in labor education, union political work, county labor leadership and lobbying for legislation protecting essential service jobs. That labor career preceded her election to represent the 20th district.
The record
4,010 events, each with its sourceAB 574 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 583 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
ACR 21 Flora Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 238 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1150 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1154 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 391 Michelle Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 414 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 420 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1008 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 482 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 59 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 516 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1523 Judiciary Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
SJR 4 Laird Senate Third Reading By Fong
AB 87 Boerner Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 571 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 31 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Alvarez
SB 62 Menjivar Senate Third Reading By Bonta
SB 40 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Bains
SB 92 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 230 Laird Senate Third Reading By Berman
AB 696 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 221 Ochoa Bogh Senate Third Reading
SB 358 Becker Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 362 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 439 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Flora
SB 489 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Alvarez
SB 499 Stern Senate Third Reading By Ransom
SB 513 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Kalra
SB 551 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 639 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Gallagher
SB 653 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Pellerin
SB 782 Pérez Third Reading Urgency By Harabedian
SB 808 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 862 Health Senate Third Reading By BONTA
HR 66 Aguiar-Curry Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 64 Hoover Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 98 Pérez Third Reading Urgency By Muratsuchi
SJR 9 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Mark González
SCR 61 Archuleta Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 617 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Ortega
SB 853 Labor, Public Employment Senate Third Reading By McKINNOR
SB 443 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
HR 52 Harabedian Consent Calendar Second Day
AB 977 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SCR 28 Grove Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
SB 81 Arreguín Third Reading Urgency By Ortega
AB 49 MURATSUCHI Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 255 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By Lackey