A longtime labor and community leader, Assemblymember Liz Ortega has spent 20 years advocating for working families and healthy and safe communities across California. She represents Assembly District 20, which includes Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, portions of Dublin and Pleasanton, and the unincorporated communities of Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, and San Lorenzo.
As Chair of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, Ortega is the voice for over 19 million workers in California. In addition, as Vice Chair of the California Legislative Latino Caucus, she also champions civil rights for Latinos and for all Californians.
Ortega grew up in Oakland, California, where her parents worked hard to contribute to their communities. Ortega had a passion for standing up for working people from a young age and built a career in the labor movement.
As the first Latina leader of the Alameda County Labor Council, Ortega brought together working people and community groups to win good wages, access to healthcare, and safe working conditions.
As a legislator, Ortega has focused on creating good jobs, expanding access to healthcare, and ensuring that every Californian who works hard can have a chance at a good life. Key achievements include:
- Provided California’s high school students with instruction about their rights in the workplace as well as how to form a union.
- Secured low-cost Narcan to save thousands of lives from being lost to the Fentanyl crisis.
- Saved St. Rose Hospital, Hayward’s only safety-net hospital and emergency room.
- Secured audit of Cal/OSHA, revealing significant issues with workplace safety enforcement.
As Chair of the Labor Committee, Ortega has focused on protecting employee rights, enforcing workplace safety laws, and cracking down on wage theft.
Ortega currently serves on the Assembly’s Standing Committees on Budget, Insurance, and Privacy and Consumer Protection.
Her contributions to the community have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Fighting for Poverty Award from the California Association of Food Banks of Santa Cruz County. Ortega holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix and lives in San Leandro with her family and their dog, Noah.