Hector De La Torre
Hector De La Torre (born May 29, 1967) is an American politician from Los Angeles County, California who served in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010. A Democrat, he represented the largely Latino 50th Assembly district.
Hector De La Torre
Personal life and education[edit]
De La Torre's parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1960s.[1] He grew up in South Gate and taught at Edison Junior High in South Los Angeles.
De La Torre majored in diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles and attended graduate school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Christine, live in South Gate with their children, Elinor, Henrik, and Emilia.
Early career[edit]
Prior to his election to the Assembly, he worked as judicial administrator with the California Superior Court in Los Angeles for three years. He also served as legislative director for former California congressman Richard H. Lehman (D-CA) and on the staff of congressman Alan Wheat (D-MO). In 1995, he was appointed chief of staff to the deputy secretary of labor in the Clinton Administration.
Member of the California State Assembly[edit]
De La Torre served as Chair of the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee, responsible for overseeing the implementation of state programs and identifying potential savings.[10] In addition, he served on the following standing committees: Budget, Health, Housing and Community Development, Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services and Budget Subcommittee #4 on State Administration.[11]
Run for Congress[edit]
In 2002, De La Torre ran for the House of Representatives to represent California's 39th Congressional District. He came in second in a six-person Democratic primary, losing to Linda Sánchez by a 29-33 margin.[12]
Campaign for State Insurance Commissioner[edit]
In 2010, De La Torre ran for California Insurance Commissioner, a position vacated by Republican Steve Poizner, who ran unsuccessfully for governor. He ran on a platform of increasing access to health care and ensuring that patients get the best care from insurance companies. He was endorsed by the California Nurses Association, the CA Professional Firefighters, the California Medical Association, and the California League of Conservation Voters. De La Torre lost in the Democratic primaries on June 8, 2010 to Dave Jones.[13]
California Air Resources Board[edit]
In October, 2011, California governor Jerry Brown appointed De La Torre to the California Air Resources Board, filling the position vacated by Lydia Kennard.[14]