Congratulations to Toni Atkins
California's Next Speaker of the Assembly!
Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins has been unanimously chosen by her Assembly Democratic colleagues to succeed Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez as the next Speaker of the Assembly.
With her selection as Speaker, Toni becomes only the second Democratic woman and second member of the LGBT community to hold the post.
Toni represents the coastal 78th Assembly District in San Diego and was elected to the Assembly in 2010 following eight years on the San Diego City Council. In 2005, she served for several months with distinction as Acting Mayor following the resignation of Mayor Dick Murphy.
A native of Appalachian Virginia, Toni moved to San Diego in 1985. She worked as Director of Clinic Services for of the WomanCare Health Center in Hillcrest, and later served on the staff of City Councilmember Christine Kehoe, San Diego's first LGBT elected official.
Atkins is known as a passionate supporter of affordable housing, assistance for the homeless, reproductive justice, access to health care, LGBT equality, and issues affecting veterans. She considers the San Diego Democrats for Equality as her political home, and served as the club's Executive Vice President in the early 1990's.
Atkins currently lives in the South Park/Golden Hill community of San Diego with her spouse Jennifer LeSar and their dogs, Haley and Joey.
In case you missed it, click here to read the profile of Toni published on the front page of the UT-San Diego last Sunday.