Susan Rubio worked as a public school teacher and Baldwin Park elected official before entering the California Legislature in 2018. She began her teaching career in the Baldwin Park Unified School District, became Baldwin Park’s elected city clerk and a council member, and won a State Senate seat in 2018. She represents the 22nd District in eastern Los Angeles County, including Alhambra, Arcadia and Baldwin Park. In Sacramento, her assignments include insurance, housing, health, transportation and utilities. Her legislative record includes domestic violence measures addressing the statute of limitations in certain cases, police training, hotline information on student identification cards and evidence of coercive control.
ROOTS AND THE CLASSROOM
Rubio was born Dec. 25, 1970, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Her parents came to the United States twice without proper documentation. The family first settled in Texas and was deported in 1975 after about two years. They returned to the United States in 1977, again without legal status, and settled in Los Angeles.
Rubio became a U.S. citizen in 1994 after being sponsored by her youngest sister, Sylvia, who was born in El Paso. Rubio has Jewish ancestry and is a member of both the Latino Legislative Caucus and the Legislative Jewish Caucus.
She attended East Los Angeles College and earned an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in education from Azusa Pacific University. Rubio began her teaching career in the Baldwin Park Unified School District and taught in the Monrovia Unified School District for 17 years.
FROM BALDWIN PARK TO SACRAMENTO
Rubio’s first elected office was Baldwin Park city clerk, a post she won in 2005. She was elected to the City Council in 2009 and reelected in 2013. In 2018, after finishing second in the State Senate primary, she defeated former Assemblyman Mike Eng in the November runoff.
Rubio is chair of the Senate Insurance Committee and Senate assistant majority whip. She serves on committees covering Energy, Utilities and Communications; Health; Transportation; and Governmental Organization. She is also a member of the Senate Housing Group and co-chair of the Wildfire Working Group.
She chairs the Senate Select Committee on Domestic Violence. Her other select-committee assignments include children’s well-being, Asian Pacific Islander affairs, mental health, California-Mexico cooperation, and California, Armenia and Artsakh mutual trade, art and cultural exchange. Her caucus memberships include the Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley and Legislative Women’s caucuses, along with the Latino and Jewish caucuses.
THE RECORD
In December 2024, a plea agreement was unsealed revealing that somebody fitting Rubio’s description was part of a cannabis-involved corruption investigation in 2018. Rubio was not specifically named and denied wrongdoing. The Los Angeles Times reported that she was the only person who fit the description in the agreement. Assemblyman Bill Essayli called for an ethics investigation against her, sending the request to the leaders of the California Assembly and Senate.
Rubio divorced former Assemblyman Roger Hernández in 2016 after winning a restraining order due to allegations of several domestic violence incidents during their marriage. Her sister, Blanca Rubio, is a California state assemblywoman.
Rubio remains a registered voter in Baldwin Park and lives in Sacramento, where she owns property.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Domestic violence is a recurring part of Rubio’s legislative record. In February 2019, she introduced SB 273, the Phoenix Act. Signed into law, it lengthened the statute of limitations from three years to five in certain domestic violence cases and required additional police training on dealing with such cases.
Rubio also passed SB 316, requiring the National Domestic Violence Hotline number to be printed on the back of student identification cards. In 2020, she passed SB 1141, allowing domestic violence victims to use evidence of psychologically damaging or abusive behavior, commonly called coercive control, in Family Court or criminal proceedings.
Together, the measures lengthened the statute of limitations in certain domestic violence cases, required additional police training, placed hotline information on the back of student identification cards and allowed evidence of psychologically damaging or abusive behavior in Family Court or criminal proceedings.
- State Senate · Senate District 22 · 2018–present
Susan Rubio worked as a public school teacher and Baldwin Park elected official before entering the California Legislature in 2018. She began her teaching career in the Baldwin Park Unified School District, became Baldwin Park’s elected city clerk and a council member, and won a State Senate seat in 2018. She represents the 22nd District in eastern Los Angeles County, including Alhambra, Arcadia and Baldwin Park. In Sacramento, her assignments include insurance, housing, health, transportation and utilities. Her legislative record includes domestic violence measures addressing the statute of limitations in certain cases, police training, hotline information on student identification cards and evidence of coercive control.
ROOTS AND THE CLASSROOM
Rubio was born Dec. 25, 1970, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Her parents came to the United States twice without proper documentation. The family first settled in Texas and was deported in 1975 after about two years. They returned to the United States in 1977, again without legal status, and settled in Los Angeles.
Rubio became a U.S. citizen in 1994 after being sponsored by her youngest sister, Sylvia, who was born in El Paso. Rubio has Jewish ancestry and is a member of both the Latino Legislative Caucus and the Legislative Jewish Caucus.
She attended East Los Angeles College and earned an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in education from Azusa Pacific University. Rubio began her teaching career in the Baldwin Park Unified School District and taught in the Monrovia Unified School District for 17 years.
FROM BALDWIN PARK TO SACRAMENTO
Rubio’s first elected office was Baldwin Park city clerk, a post she won in 2005. She was elected to the City Council in 2009 and reelected in 2013. In 2018, after finishing second in the State Senate primary, she defeated former Assemblyman Mike Eng in the November runoff.
Rubio is chair of the Senate Insurance Committee and Senate assistant majority whip. She serves on committees covering Energy, Utilities and Communications; Health; Transportation; and Governmental Organization. She is also a member of the Senate Housing Group and co-chair of the Wildfire Working Group.
She chairs the Senate Select Committee on Domestic Violence. Her other select-committee assignments include children’s well-being, Asian Pacific Islander affairs, mental health, California-Mexico cooperation, and California, Armenia and Artsakh mutual trade, art and cultural exchange. Her caucus memberships include the Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley and Legislative Women’s caucuses, along with the Latino and Jewish caucuses.
THE RECORD
In December 2024, a plea agreement was unsealed revealing that somebody fitting Rubio’s description was part of a cannabis-involved corruption investigation in 2018. Rubio was not specifically named and denied wrongdoing. The Los Angeles Times reported that she was the only person who fit the description in the agreement. Assemblyman Bill Essayli called for an ethics investigation against her, sending the request to the leaders of the California Assembly and Senate.
Rubio divorced former Assemblyman Roger Hernández in 2016 after winning a restraining order due to allegations of several domestic violence incidents during their marriage. Her sister, Blanca Rubio, is a California state assemblywoman.
Rubio remains a registered voter in Baldwin Park and lives in Sacramento, where she owns property.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Domestic violence is a recurring part of Rubio’s legislative record. In February 2019, she introduced SB 273, the Phoenix Act. Signed into law, it lengthened the statute of limitations from three years to five in certain domestic violence cases and required additional police training on dealing with such cases.
Rubio also passed SB 316, requiring the National Domestic Violence Hotline number to be printed on the back of student identification cards. In 2020, she passed SB 1141, allowing domestic violence victims to use evidence of psychologically damaging or abusive behavior, commonly called coercive control, in Family Court or criminal proceedings.
Together, the measures lengthened the statute of limitations in certain domestic violence cases, required additional police training, placed hotline information on the back of student identification cards and allowed evidence of psychologically damaging or abusive behavior in Family Court or criminal proceedings.
The record
4,030 events, each with its sourceConsent Calendar 2nd SB1391 Wahab
Consent Calendar 2nd SB1426 HOUSING (Arreguín) Urgency Clause
Consent Calendar 2nd SB1433 JUD. (Umberg)
Senate 3rd Reading SR91 Gonzalez
Senate 3rd Reading SR98 Wiener
Special Consent ACR133 Johnson et al
Special Consent ACR135 Patel et al
Special Consent ACR136 Harabedian et al
Special Consent ACR138 Hadwick et al
Special Consent ACR139 Calderon et al
Special Consent ACR140 Patel et al
Special Consent ACR144 Hadwick
Special Consent ACR145 Caloza et al
Special Consent ACR146 Ransom et al
Special Consent ACR147 Lackey et al
Special Consent ACR148 Addis et al
Special Consent ACR151 Papan et al
Special Consent ACR153 Calderon et al
Special Consent ACR154 Patterson et al
Special Consent ACR156 Hoover et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR149 Valladares et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR150 Choi
Senate 3rd Reading SCR152 Reyes et al
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor, Public Employment and Retirement ]
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Rules]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor, Public Employment and Retirement ]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Business, Professions and Economic Development]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
[First] hearing set for [04-14-2026]: Failed passage in Committee. Reconsideration granted
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Education]
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Local Government]
Do pass as amended
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Local Government] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Do pass as amended
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar