Lateefah Simon

Lateefah Simon is a Democratic U.S. Representative for California's 12th Congressional District, first elected in 2024 and assuming office in January 2025. A lifelong advocate for civil rights and social justice, she is the first Muslim woman elected to Congress from California and the first member of Congress born legally blind. Simon earned a B.A. in Public Policy from Mills College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. Her career began at age 16 with the Young Women’s Freedom Center, where she became the executive director at age 19, focusing on support for young women in the criminal justice and foster care systems. Simon has a extensive background in public service and philanthropy, including serving as the Chief of Reentry Services under then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, where she helped create the "Back on Track" anti-recidivism program. She later served as the executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and as the president of the Akonadi Foundation, a racial justice organization. In 2003, at age 26, she was named a MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, becoming the youngest woman at the time to receive the award. Prior to her election to Congress, Simon served as the President of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors and as a member of the California State University Board of Trustees. In the House of Representatives, she serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Small Business. She is also a Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Equality Caucus, focusing her legislative efforts on housing affordability, public transit, and civil rights protections.

Simon identifies as a progressive Democrat and supports a 'Healthcare for All' approach, advocating for a public option and an eventual transition to a single-payer system. Her platform includes expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing, lowering the eligibility age, and negotiating prescription drug prices. She is a staunch supporter of reproductive rights, including the codification of abortion access, contraception, and IVF. On immigration, Simon has publicly opposed increased funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, advocating instead for asylum protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents. Her economic priorities focus on the 'care economy,' housing affordability, and increasing federal support for small businesses. She also emphasizes environmental justice and climate resilience, as well as criminal justice reform through progressive policing models and comprehensive anti-recidivism programs.