Laura Richardson

Congresswoman Laura Richardson represented California’s 37th Congressional District California in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013 (110th-112th Congresses). Richardson set a record of distinction in having served all three levels of government-local, state, and federal-in less than a year. Richardson began her public service career in 2000 as a Long Beach City Councilwoman. In 2006, Richardson won a seat in the California Assembly in the 55th District, serving as Assistant Pro Tempore in the Assembly, before she was elected to Congress in 2007. Once in Congress, Richardson was assigned to serve on the influential Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science and Technology. She was the first South Bay representative, freshman, and African American woman to hold this prestigious position. Richardson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an MBA from Southern California.