Rick Chavez Zbur

Rick Chavez Zbur is a Democratic member of the California State Assembly representing District 51, which encompasses Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood Village, and Santa Monica in Los Angeles County. He is an American attorney and a prominent civil rights advocate known for his work in LGBTQ+ advocacy and environmental protection.

Zbur is a longtime executive leader in social justice movements. He served as Executive Director of Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, where he advanced civil rights and social justice for diverse communities including communities of color, communities of faith, immigrants, women, and people living with HIV. He is notable as the first openly gay non-incumbent U.S. congressional primary candidate to win an election, achieving this distinction when he won the Democratic primary in California's 38th congressional district in 1996, though he lost the subsequent general election to Republican incumbent Steve Horn.

Education

Zbur is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School. He is a licensed attorney with extensive professional experience in the legal field.

Political Experience

Before his election to the State Assembly in November 2022, Zbur had a distinguished career spanning civil rights and environmental advocacy. He practiced environmental law for approximately three decades at the law firm Latham & Watkins before retiring in 2014. He served as a board member and president of the California League of Conservation Voters for 20 years, holding the presidency for six years, and chaired the organization's board from 2011 to 2017.

In the Assembly, Zbur was appointed in July 2023 by Speaker Robert Rivas to serve as Democratic Caucus Chair, one of the Speaker's key leadership positions. He is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and serves on multiple committees including Natural Resources, Judiciary, Education, Utilities and Energy, and Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism. Among his legislative accomplishments, Zbur authored the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, which provides LGBTQ cultural competency training for teachers. He won reelection in 2024 with 75% of the vote in his safe Democratic district.