Monique Limón is a Democrat representing California State Senate District 21, which includes Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. Born on October 30, 1979, in Santa Barbara, she is 46 years old, married with one child, and serves as Senate President pro Tempore, the first woman of color and mother to lead the California Senate. A lifelong Central Coast resident and educator, she has focused on education, worker rights, environmental protection, and consumer safeguards, with legislation earning 87% bipartisan support.

Notable achievements include authoring a law requiring salary ranges in job postings for pay equity, expanding higher education access and addressing student hunger, establishing Native American studies curriculum, advancing paid family leave and early childhood education, regulating oil and gas wells, and leading on climate initiatives like Cap-and-Trade.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley; Master's in Education from Columbia University.
• Early Roles: Assistant Director, McNair Scholars Program at UC Santa Barbara ; Santa Barbara County Commission for Women; Santa Barbara Unified School Board .
• *Assembly *: Vice Chair, Legislative Women’s Caucus; Chair, Banking and Finance Committee; served on Health, Natural Resources, Budget/Education Financing, Housing, Community Development, and Transportation committees; authored key bills on family leave , early education workforce .
• *Senate *: Chair, Senate Democratic Caucus and Senate Working Group on Cap-and-Trade; Chair, Banking and Finance and Select Committee on Nonprofit Sector; Senate President pro Tempore .