John Laird is a Democrat representing California State Senate District 17, which encompasses Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey Counties, as well as most of San Luis Obispo County, and portions of Santa Clara County. Elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024, he chairs the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the Select Committee on Older LGBTQ+ Californians, among other roles. Notable achievements include serving as Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency under Governor Jerry Brown , authoring 82 bills signed into law during three Assembly terms , and 59 bills in his first Senate term on topics like environmental protection, sea level rise, healthcare access, education, sustainable agriculture, and electoral reform. He was one of the first openly gay mayors in the U.S. and a founding executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1972; taught environmental policy there.
• Political Experience:
  • Santa Cruz City Council .
  • Cabrillo College Board of Trustees .
  • California State Assembly, District 27 .
  • State Integrated Waste Management Board .
  • California Natural Resources Agency Secretary .
  • California State Senate, District 17 .