Elaine Alquist

• Biography:

  A policy maker for over 20 years, Senator Elaine K. Alquist (D-Santa Clara) is in her first Senate term representing the Heart of Silicon Valley in the 13th Senate District of Santa Clara County. The district covers 900,000 people living in the cities of San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, and Gilroy.

  As a new member of the Senate elected in November 2004, Senator Alquist is the first female Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, where she is leading the fight to provide a prosperous, safe, and secure environment for all California families and businesses. She also chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Aging & Long Term Care and the Select Committee on Emerging Technologies and Economic Competitiveness; and serves on the Committees on Appropriations, Education, Health, Human Services, and Revenue & Taxation; the Subcommittee on Stem Cell Research Oversight; and the Select Committees on Defense & Aerospace Industry, Mobile & Manufactured Homes, and School Safety.

  Elaine Kontominas Alquist grew up in St. Louis, MO, earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from MacMurray College in Illinois, and her master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Washington University in St. Louis.

  Her love of children and public service led her to teach math and be a counselor in public schools. Senator Alquist moved to Santa Clara County in 1978. She immediately became involved in her sons’ public schools, first as PTA President and then serving on the Board of Education of the Cupertino Union School District from 1983 through 1991, including two years as Board President. She continued her work advocating for education by serving on the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

  A former small business owner and financial analyst at Stanford University, Senator Alquist became the first Greek-American woman elected to the California State Legislature when she was elected to represent the 22nd Assembly District in 1996. Recognized as a leader by her peers, she served as the Co-President of the incoming freshman Assembly class in her first term.

  Reelected by huge margins in 1998 and 2000, she continued to represent the South Bay through 2002. In addition, Senator Alquist served as the Assembly’s representative on both the Seismic Safety Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women.

  A recognized leader on K-12 and higher education issues, Senator Alquist has helped implement the nation’s toughest educational standards, expand professional development for teachers, increase per-pupil funding, and expand the Cal-Grant student aid program.

  Making government work better is another passion of Senator Alquist’s. As the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Information Technology she blew the whistle on the disastrous Statewide Automated Child Support System (SACSS) and saved taxpayers millions of dollars.

  A passionate advocate for seniors, she established the standing Committee on Aging and Long-term Care and served as its first chair, authoring a landmark law on Osteoporosis Prevention and HMO coverage of Hospice Care costs. She also secured permanent funding for Alzheimer’s disease by creating a tax checkoff program.

  A lifetime champion of victims of crime, Senator Alquist is using her position as the first woman to chair the Senate Committee on Public Safety to build on her ground-breaking legislation that made it easier for law enforcement to crack down on child molesters.

  As a resident of the City of Santa Clara, Senator Alquist understands the transportation and housing challenges that she and the other residents of the 13th Senate District face. She was proud to have created the First-Time Homebuyers Down Payment Assistance Program and is working on solutions to ease traffic congestion and help more Californians buy their own homes.

  Knowing that Silicon Valley is an economic engine for the entire state, Senator Alquist is also fighting to create jobs and revitalize our economy.

  Senator Alquist is married to retired State Senator Al Alquist. Her family includes her sons Peter and Bryan White, daughter-in-law Anju Chowdhry White, and three-year-old granddaughter Jasmine.