Tony Mendoza (politician)

Antonio "Tony" Mendoza (born 1971) is a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 56th District. Prior to serving in the Assembly, Mendoza was a fourth grade teacher in East Los Angeles and also served as a mayor and city councilman in Artesia.

Career

Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Assemblymember Mendoza was a fourth grade teacher at Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles, and served as a member of the Artesia city council. He first won election to the Artesia city council in March 1997, when he became the youngest councilmember in the city's history. He subsequently won re-election to the Artesia city council in 2001 and 2005 (unopposed in the latter), until he resigned in November 2006 upon winning his election to the California State Assembly. In 1998 Mendoza served as the youngest mayor in Artesia's history. Mendoza was active in United Teachers Los Angeles, where he served on the Board of Directors and as a representative to the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association.

Legislative accomplishments

In his first year in the Assembly, Mendoza [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery/?sess=CUR&house=B&hits=All&member=mendoza introduced 26 bills] , with the most notable ones being Assembly Bill 97, which would eliminate trans fats in California restaurants, and Assembly Bills 1290 and 1291, which would require parents of at risk gang youth to take parenting classes.

56th Assembly District

The district includes the cities of Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Buena Park, Santa Fe Springs, South Whittier and parts of Lakewood and Whittier.

Personal life

Assemblyman Mendoza grew up in South Central Los Angeles. He is the first in his family of nine children to graduate from college. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach.

Mendoza and his wife Leticia live in Artesia and have three daughters and one son.

External links

* [http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a56/default.aspx Official website]
* [http://www.cityofartesia.us/City%20Council/antoniomendoza.html Former website on the City of Artesia website]