Liz Ortega proudly represents District 20, one of the most ethnically diverse districts in the state. It includes Hayward, San Leandro, most of Union City, portions of Dublin and Pleasanton, and several unincorporated communities."
Liz Ortega is a longtime labor leader and activist from an immigrant family who has dedicated her career to fighting for the working-class people of Alameda County. Her undocumented mother brought three-year-old Liz and her family to California to build a better life. Her family’s struggles shaped the values that guide her work.
As Statewide Political Director for AFSCME Local 3299, the University of California’s largest employee union, Liz secured the passage of state legislation to maintain and protect essential service jobs at every UC campus. The first Latina to be elected Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Alameda Labor Council, Liz has been an East Bay leader in the fight for equitable wages, health care, and safe, secure jobs.
Liz, her husband Jason (a former School Board Member), and daughter Yamara live in San Leandro, where Yamara attends local public schools.