American activist (born 1977)
Lateefah Aaliyah Simon [ 1] U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district since January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party , she is the first member of congress known to be congenital blind in both eyes, and the first Muslim member from California and outside of the Midwestern U.S.[ 2] [ 3]
She served on the Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors[ 4] California State University system.[ 5] Reed Hastings , and was president of Akonadi Foundation, an organization focused on racial justice in Oakland, California .[ 6] [ 7] MacArthur Fellowship for her leadership of the Center for Young Women's Development (now the Young Women's Freedom Center) in San Francisco at the age of 19.[ 8] [ 9]
Early life
Simon earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy at Mills College , where she was the 2017 commencement speaker,[ 10] Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco , and was a 2014 Social Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Fellow at Stanford University .[ 11]
Earlier political career
During the tenure of Kamala Harris as San Francisco District Attorney , Simon led the creation of the city's Back on Track program for young adults charged with low-level felony drug sales.[ 12]
In 2016, Simon was appointed to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown .[ 13]
Simon was elected to represent the seventh district on the Bay Area Rapid Transit District board of directors in 2016.[ 14] BART , as someone who is legally blind and unable to drive.[ 15] [ 14]
Lateefah Simon at the Oakland Pride Parade during her campaign for Congress
U.S. House of Representatives
2024 election
In February 2023, Simon announced that she was running for California's 12th congressional district .[ 12] Barbara Lee , who did not seek re-election to the seat and instead ran as a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in California . On November 2, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed Simon's candidacy.[ 16] CSU East Bay professor Jennifer Tran, a fellow Democrat, in the November general election.[ 17]
Caucus memberships
Personal life
Simon is the mother of two children.[ 11] [ 20] Muslim .[ 21]
Electoral history
California's 12th congressional district, 2024[ 22] [ 23]
Primary election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Lateefah Simon
86,031
55.9
Democratic
Jennifer Tran
22,999
14.9
Democratic
Tony Daysog
17,222
11.2
Republican
Stephen Slauson
9,710
6.3
Democratic
Glenn Kaplan
6,799
4.4
Democratic
Eric Wilson
4,252
2.8
Democratic
Abdur Sikder
2,857
1.9
Republican
Ned Nuerge
2,535
1.6
Democratic
Andre Todd
1,632
1.1
Total votes
154,037
100.0
General election
Democratic Lateefah Simon
185,176
65.4
Democratic
Jennifer Tran
97,849
34.6
Total votes
283,025
100.0
Democratic hold
Awards
References
^ "Rep. Lateefah Simon - D California, 12th - Biography" . LegiStorm . Retrieved November 6, 2024 .^ Michaels, Samantha. "Lateefah Simon, on track to be a new House Dem: "I've never shied away from any fight" . Mother Jones . Retrieved January 20, 2025 . ^ "CAIR Action Congratulates Lateefah Simon on Historic Victory as First Muslim Elected to Congress from California" . CAIR Action . Retrieved January 20, 2025 .^ "Board of Directors | Bay Area Rapid Transit" . web.archive.org . February 1, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024 .^ "Lateefah Simon" . web.archive.org . November 13, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2024 .^ "Lateefah Simon, President" . Akonadi Foundation. Retrieved March 21, 2017 .^ "This High Achiever Aims Higher Still | University of San Francisco" . www.usfca.edu . January 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025 .^ "Three Blacks Named MacArthur Fellows for 2003 Awarded $500,000 'Genius Grants' . Jet . October 27, 2003. Retrieved March 6, 2023 .^ a b "Lateefah Simon" . MacArthur Foundation. October 5, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2017 .^ "Civil Rights Advocate Lateefah Simon to Deliver Mills College Commencement Address" . Mills College. March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017 .^ a b "About Lateefah" . Lateefah for BART . Retrieved March 21, 2017 .^ a b Garofoli, Joe (February 28, 2023). "BART director, criminal justice reformer Lateefah Simon launches campaign for East Bay House seat" . San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved March 6, 2023 . ^ "Lateefah Simon | CSU" . The California State University. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .^ a b "Lateefah Simon" . Bay Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved March 21, 2017 .^ "Lateefah Simon seeks inspiration in promises made" . SFGate . January 6, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2017 .^ "Gavin Newsom endorses Lateefah Simon in race to fill Barbara Lee's House seat" . The Washington Examiner . November 2, 2023.^ https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-12th-congressional-district-lateefah-simon-jennifer-tran-2024-election/ ^ "Congressional Black Caucus" . cbc.house.gov . Retrieved January 15, 2025 .^ "Caucus Members" . Congressional Progressive Caucus . Retrieved January 15, 2025 .^ "Bay Area media pioneer Kevin Weston dead at 45" The Mercury News . June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .^ Kukura, Joe (March 6, 2024). "Lateefah Simon Commands Huge Lead in Primary Race for Barbara Lee's House Seat" . SFist . Retrieved January 1, 2024 . ^ "Statement of Vote" (PDF) . sos.ca.gov . Sacramento: Secretary of State of California . 2024. p. 82. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025 .^ "Statement of Vote" (PDF) . sos.ca.gov . Sacramento: Secretary of State of California . 2024. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025 .^ "Jefferson Award, presented to Lateefah Simon" . SFGate . October 19, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
External links
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