Laura Syril Friedman[1] (born December 3, 1966) is an American politician and former film producer who is the member-elect for California's 30th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented California's 44th State Assembly district from 2016 to 2024.
Laura Friedman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 30th district | |
| Assuming office January 3, 2025 | |
| Succeeding | Adam Schiff |
| Member of the California Assembly | |
| In office December 5, 2016 – November 30, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Gatto |
| Succeeded by | Nick Schultz |
| Constituency | 43rd district (2016–2022) 44th district (2022–2024) |
| Mayor of Glendale | |
| In office April 2011 – April 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Ara Najarian |
| Succeeded by | Frank Quintero |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 3, 1966 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Guillaume Lemoine |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Rochester (BA) |
Prior to her election to the Assembly in 2016, Friedman was a member of the Glendale City Council from 2009 to 2016,[2] where she served as Mayor of Glendale in 2011–2012.[3] She is the author of a landmark pro-housing bill to eliminate minimum parking requirements for housing near mass transit stations throughout the state of California; the bill was signed into law in 2022.[4]
In January 2023, Friedman launched her candidacy in the 2024 election in California's 30th congressional district.[5] The incumbent representative, Adam Schiff, vacated the seat in his successful bid in the 2024 United States Senate election in California.
Early life and career
editFriedman comes from a Jewish family in New York.[6] She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester in New York.[7] In 1992, Friedman moved to Hollywood, eventually relocating to Glendale in 2000 where she currently resides.
Between 1994 and 1997, Friedman was the vice president of development at Rysher Entertainment, where she oversaw the production of approximately ten feature films annually as well as extensive television programming.[8] In 1995, Friedman was the co-producer of the Warner Brothers release It Takes Two.[9] In 1996 she was associate producer of House Arrest; executive producer of Foxfire; executive producer of the family film Zeus and Roxanne; and associate producer of the independent film Aberration, which was released by LIVE Entertainment. Between 1998 and 1999, Friedman was the vice president of development at Cort/Madden Company. Since 2000, Friedman has owned and managed PlanetGlass.net, a web-based art glass dealership.
Political career
editIn April 2011, Friedman became the mayor of Glendale, California.[10]
California State Assembly
editAfter serving seven years on the Glendale City Council, including a term as the mayor of Glendale, Laura Friedman was elected to the California State Assembly in 2016. During her first term in office, Laura authored a package of bills to establish landmark water efficiency standards, strengthen environmental sustainability, improve access to higher education, health care, and transportation alternatives, and create new avenues for communities to tackle the affordable housing crisis. In addition, she secured $20 million in funding for the completion of the Glendale Riverwalk Project, which for the first time will provide a safe bicycle and pedestrian connection from Glendale to Griffith Park. She has been tapped for several leadership roles in the legislature and served as the Assistant Speaker pro Tempore for the Assembly in 2018. She has also served as Chair of Transportation Committee, Chair of Natural Resources, and the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. As the Chair of the Joint Rules Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response, she's led a historic bicameral and bipartisan reform of the legislature's response to sexual harassment that's become a model for other states and local governments.
She also introduced the California legislative bill, AB-44, which made the sale and manufacture of new fur products illegal in California. It was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 12, 2019.[11][12]
On September 7, 2021, she delayed the release of $4 billion of voter approved bonds for the California High-Speed Rail, stating that the California High-Speed Rail Authority has "not provided us any real details about what the money would go towards this year". The CHSRA Chief Financial Officer, Brian Annis, countered by stating that the CHSRA already presented to the legislature the expenditure plan in February 2021 and that this delayed release by Friedman could cause budget delays to snowball.[13]
Friedman is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.[14]
Electoral history
edit2016
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Laura Friedman | 33,276 | 31.9 | |
| Democratic | Ardy Kassakhian | 25,357 | 24.3 | |
| Republican | Mark MacCarley | 16,551 | 15.9 | |
| Democratic | Andrew J. Blumenfield | 13,309 | 12.8 | |
| Republican | Alexandra A. Bustamante | 6,524 | 6.3 | |
| Democratic | Dennis R. Bullock | 4,294 | 4.1 | |
| Democratic | Rajiv Dalal | 3,173 | 3.0 | |
| American Independent | Aaron Cervantes | 1,873 | 1.8 | |
| Total votes | 104,357 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Laura Friedman | 106,186 | 64.5 | |
| Democratic | Ardy Kassakhian | 58,561 | 35.5 | |
| Total votes | 164,747 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2018
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Laura Friedman (incumbent) | 58,310 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 58,310 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Laura Friedman (incumbent) | 125,568 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 125,568 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2020
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Laura Friedman (incumbent) | 88,541 | 75.6% | |
| Republican | Mike Graves | 24,258 | 20.7% | |
| No party preference | Robert J. Sexton | 4,264 | 3.6% | |
| Total votes | ||||
2022
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Laura Friedman (incumbent) | 80,209 | 73.2 | |
| Republican | Barry Curtis Jacobsen | 29,381 | 26.8 | |
| Total votes | 109,590 | 100% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Laura Friedman (incumbent) | 113,380 | 71.4 | |
| Republican | Barry Curtis Jacobsen | 45,519 | 28.6 | |
| Total votes | 158,899 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Personal life
editFriedman is married to Guillaume Lemoine, a professional landscape designer.[8] The couple has a daughter, Rachel, born in 2013.
References
edit- ^ "Rep. Laura Friedman - D California, 30th- Biography". LegiStorm. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Management Services: City Council". City of Glendale. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Levine, Brittany (April 9, 2012). "Mayor Laura Friedman baffled by colleagues' indecision". Glendale News-Press.
- ^ Parker, Jordan (September 23, 2022). "YIMBYs cheer 'landmark' law to eliminate parking mandates in housing near transit". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Mason, Melanie; Mehta, Seema (February 3, 2023). "As Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter launch Senate campaigns, the race to replace them begins". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Arom, Eitan (January 6, 2017). "Jewish state legislators ready to make an impact". Jewish Journal.
- ^ "Management Services: Laura Friedman". City of Glendale. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "Qualifications". VoteLauraFriedman.com. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- ^ Klady, Leonard (November 20, 1995). "It Takes Two". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ "Laura Friedman's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ "Bill Text - AB-44 Fur products: prohibition". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- ^ Kaur, Harmeet (October 13, 2019). "California becomes the first state to ban fur products". CNN.
- ^ Rudick, Roger (September 7, 2021). "Friedman Derails Bullet Train Budget". Streetsblog California. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "Legislative Progressive Caucus". assembly.ca.gov. California State Assembly. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 7, 2022" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "General Election - Statement of the Vote, November 8, 2022 - State Assembly" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.