Holly J. Mitchell (born September 7, 1964) is an American politician currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Holly Mitchell
Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
December 6, 2020
Preceded byMark Ridley-Thomas
Chair of Los Angeles County
In office
December 7, 2021 – December 6, 2022
Preceded byHilda Solis
Succeeded byJanice Hahn
Chair pro tempore of Los Angeles County
In office
December 8, 2020 – December 7, 2021
Preceded byHilda Solis
Succeeded bySheila Kuehl
Member of the California State Senate
In office
September 26, 2013 – December 6, 2020
Preceded byCurren Price
Succeeded bySydney Kamlager
Constituency26th district (2013–2014)
30th district (2014–2020)
Member of the California State Assembly
In office
December 6, 2010 – September 26, 2013
Preceded byKaren Bass
Succeeded bySebastian Ridley-Thomas
Constituency47th district (2010–2012)
54th district (2012–2013)
Personal details
Born (1964-09-07) September 7, 1964 (age 60)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of California, Riverside (BA)

A Democrat, Mitchell served as a State Senator for California's 30th senate district from 2013 to 2020, which is also part of Supervisorial District 2 and encompasses Culver City, Ladera Heights, Exposition Park, and parts of the Westmont, Florence, Crenshaw, Del Rey, Marina del Rey, Downtown Los Angeles. She previously represented the 26th Senate District after replacing then-Senator Curren Price in a 2013 special election. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, she served in the California State Assembly representing the 54th Assembly District.

Mitchell is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus. In 2016 Mitchell became the first African American to chair the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, where she has overseen the passage and adoption of two consecutive state budgets.

Early career

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Before working in the Legislature, she served for seven years as CEO of the nonprofit Crystal Stairs.[1] She also served as a Consultant to the Senate Health Committee, and as a legislative advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.[citation needed]

California State Senate

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Mitchell as a State Senator.

In 2018, Mitchell was named vice chair of the Joint Legislative Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response, formed in response to the #MeToo movement and several instances where accusations had forced some lawmakers to resign. Mitchell was the first African-American to serve as Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, overseeing the passage of state budgets totaling over $200 billion.[2]

In 2019, Mitchell drafted and sponsored the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act (SB 188), a California law which prohibits discrimination based on hair style and hair texture by extending protection under the FEHA and the California Education Code. It is the first legislation passed at the state level in the United States to prohibit such discrimination. The Act passed unanimously in both chambers of the California Legislature by June 27, 2019, and was signed into law on July 3, 2019.[3] The law has since inspired similar laws across the country.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

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Mitchell faced Los Angeles City Councilmember Herb Wesson in the 2020 race for District 2 of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She defeated Wesson by a wide margin. Her election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2020 marks the first time the board is composed entirely of women.[4] Mitchell generated controversy when she said, "Law enforcement and the District Attorneys Association and the Sheriffs’ Association, who just when you look at who represents them in Sacramento, is clearly such White supremacist organizations."[5]

References

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  1. ^ Swann, Jennifer (2020). "After a Decade in Sacramento, Holly Mitchell is Ready to Take on Los Angeles". theLAnd. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Short biography of LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell | LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell".
  3. ^ "California becomes first state to ban discrimination against natural hair". CBS News. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  4. ^ Cosgrove, Jaclyn (November 5, 2020). "L.A. County makes history with all female Board of Supervisors". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Ruiz, Michael (March 31, 2021). "California Democrat suggests police, prosecutors and sheriffs groups are 'White supremacist organizations'". Fox News. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
from the 2nd district

2020–present
Incumbent
Preceded by Chair of Los Angeles County
2021–2022
Succeeded by
Chair pro tempore of Los Angeles County
2020–2021
Succeeded by