Ashleigh Aitken

Aitken was born at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California.^[1] She graduated from Rosary High School in Fullerton.^[2] Aitken earned a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and history from Boston College. She was a history teacher at North Quincy High School and then worked in the Washington, D.C. office of Dick Gephardt, the Democratic leader of the United States House of Representatives. She then attended the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law.^[1]

Aitken practices law for the law firm Aitken Aitken Cohn with her husband, father, and two brothers.^[3] In 2012 California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Aitken to the nine-member board of directors for the Orange County Fair.^[4]

Aitken ran for mayor of Anaheim in the 2018 election, losing to Harry Sidhu, 32.5% to 31.9%.^[5][6] She ran for the third district seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2020, challenging Donald P. Wagner,^[7] and lost.^[8] She won the 2022 Anaheim mayoral election and was sworn into office on December 6.^[9][10] Aitken is the first female mayor of Anaheim.^[2]

Aitken met her husband, Michael Penn, on a blind date. They married in 2002,^[1] and have three daughters.^[2]