Lena Gonzalez

Gonzalez was born in Torrance, California, the daughter of immigrants from Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father worked as a cargo truck driver and her mother worked in the aerospace technology industry.^[1] She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.^{[citation needed]}

Gonzalez previously worked for Microsoft as a corporate affairs manager in charge of the company's philanthropy and civic engagement.^[2]

She served on the Long Beach City Council from 2014 to 2019, representing District 1 in Downtown Long Beach.^{[citation needed]} Prior to this, she worked for then-Councilman Robert Garcia.

Gonzalez was first elected to the California State Senate in a June 2019 special election to succeed Ricardo Lara, who was elected California Insurance Commissioner.^[3]

She chaired the Senate Transportation Committee, becoming the first Latina to ever serve in this capacity and the only woman to serve in the last 20 years. On February 12, 2021, Senator Gonzalez was appointed as Majority Whip. She was one of several California lawmakers to attend the COP15 Summit.^[4]

She was appointed Majority Leader of the Senate in 2024, succeeding President Pro Tem Mike McGuire.^[5]

Legislation

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Gonzalez's “The Equal Insurance HIV Act” into law, which prohibits life and disability income insurance companies from denying coverage to HIV-positive individuals solely based on their HIV status.^[6]

Gonzalez has been a frequent critic of the 'Big Oil' lobby in California, authoring numerous bills protecting environmental standards and public health.^[7] She introduced legislation in 2022 to require CalPERS and CalSTRS to engage in fossil fuel divestment to align with the state's climate action goals. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill by Gonzalez that would ban new oil and gas wells near homes and schools in 2022.^[8] Gonzalez introduced Senate Joint Resolution 2 alongside Assemblyman Ash Kalra, which upon adoption made California the largest economy endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative^[9]

Gonzalez lives in Long Beach with husband Adam Carillo and three sons in a blended family. The pair met playing softball and were married in a 2019 ceremony at the new Long Beach City Hall building.^[10]