Lateefah Simon

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Lateefah Simon
Image of Lateefah Simon

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House California District 12

U.S. House California District 12
Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

0

Predecessor
Prior offices
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors District 7
Successor: Victor Flores
Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Mills College

Graduate

University of San Francisco

Personal
Profession
Nonprofit executive
Contact

Official website

Official Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Personal TikTok 

float:right;
border:1px solid #FFB81F;
background-color: white;
width: 250px;
font-size: .9em;
margin-bottom:0px;

} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }

Lateefah Simon (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 12th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2025. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Simon (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 12th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]

Biography

Lateefah Simon earned her bachelor's degree in public policy from Mills College and her M.P.A. from the University of San Francisco. Born legally blind, Simon relies extensively on public transportation in her daily life. Her career experience includes working as a nonprofit executive at YWFC, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and the Rosenberg Foundation. In 2003, Simon became the youngest woman to receive the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award. Simon was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) to the California State University board of trustees. In 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Simon to be a senior advisor on police reform.[1]

Elections

2026

See also: California's 12th Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House California District 12

Incumbent Lateefah Simon is running in the general election for U.S. House California District 12 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Lateefah Simon
Lateefah Simon (D)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

   .ballot-measure-endorsements p {
       display: inline;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements td {
       width: 35% !important;
   }
   .endorsements-header {
       margin-top: 10px !important;
       margin-bottom: 5px !important;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements ul {
       margin-top: 0 !important;
       margin-bottom: 0 !important;
   }
   .split-cols-bm {
       columns: 2;
       -webkit-columns: 2;
       -moz-columns: 2;
   }
   @media screen and (max-width: 792px) {
       .split-cols-bm {
           columns: 1;
           -webkit-columns: 1;
           -moz-columns: 1;
       }
   }

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: California's 12th Congressional District election, 2024

California's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 12

Lateefah Simon defeated Jennifer Tran in the general election for U.S. House California District 12 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lateefah Simon
Lateefah Simon (D) Candidate Connection
 
65.4
 
185,176
Image of Jennifer Tran
Jennifer Tran (D) Candidate Connection
 
34.6
 
97,849

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 283,025
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 12

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 12 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lateefah Simon
Lateefah Simon (D) Candidate Connection
 
55.9
 
86,031
✔
Image of Jennifer Tran
Jennifer Tran (D) Candidate Connection
 
14.9
 
22,999
Image of Tony Daysog
Tony Daysog (D) Candidate Connection
 
11.2
 
17,222
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Stephen Slauson (R)
 
6.3
 
9,710
Image of Glenn Kaplan
Glenn Kaplan (D) Candidate Connection
 
4.4
 
6,799
Image of Eric Wilson
Eric Wilson (D)
 
2.8
 
4,252
Image of Abdur Sikder
Abdur Sikder (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.9
 
2,857
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Ned Nuerge (R)
 
1.6
 
2,535
Image of Andre Todd
Andre Todd (D)
 
1.1
 
1,632

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 154,037
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

   .ballot-measure-endorsements p {
       display: inline;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements td {
       width: 35% !important;
   }
   .endorsements-header {
       margin-top: 10px !important;
       margin-bottom: 5px !important;
   }
   .ballot-measure-endorsements ul {
       margin-top: 0 !important;
       margin-bottom: 0 !important;
   }
   .split-cols-bm {
       columns: 2;
       -webkit-columns: 2;
       -moz-columns: 2;
   }
   @media screen and (max-width: 792px) {
       .split-cols-bm {
           columns: 1;
           -webkit-columns: 1;
           -moz-columns: 1;
       }
   }

Simon received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Simon's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here.

2020

See also: City elections in San Francisco, California (2020)

General election

General election for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors District 7

Incumbent Lateefah Simon defeated Sharon Kidd in the general election for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors District 7 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Lateefah Simon
Lateefah Simon (Nonpartisan)
 
64.1
 
101,519
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Sharon Kidd (Nonpartisan)
 
35.9
 
56,848
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
113

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Total votes: 158,480
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Lateefah Simon has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Lateefah Simon, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 21,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info.

2024

Candidate Connection

Lateefah Simon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Simon's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I have spent my career fighting for justice — fighting for folks without a voice. Now, as a 25-year veteran organizer and nationally recognized advocate for civil rights and social justice, I am running to take this fight to congress. I began my career in advocacy at age 16 as an outreach coordinator for the Young Women’s Freedom Center. At age 18, I gave birth to my eldest daughter, Aminah, and quickly learned as a young single mother that the government wasn’t working for people like myself. A year later, I became Executive Director of the YWFC and spent the next decade earning national acclaim for my advocacy on behalf of marginalized young women. In recognition of that work, I won a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and at age 26, I became the youngest woman to receive this prestigious award. I was tapped by then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris to lead the creation of Back on Track — a highly effective, first-of-its-kind anti-recidivism initiative for young adults charged with low-level offenses. In 2016, galvanized by the death of Oscar Grant, I ran and was elected to the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors. Born legally blind, I relied solely on public transportation to go about my day and sought to make BART more affordable for working families and transit-dependent people like herself. I’ve spent my life fighting for folks without a voice. I will take the shared stories and experiences of this community to the halls of Congress.
  • For over 30 years, I have been an advocate for public safety. I started the nationally recognized Back-on-Track program in then-DA Harris’ office to prevent recidivism. As a BART Director I created a new ambassador program of uniformed, unarmed, personnel trained in de-escalation to promote community safety on BART trains. In Congress, I will support comprehensive policing reform to ensure that policing reflects community values and upholds civil rights and reinvests resources in communities. I will champion legislation that addresses the housing crisis and funds affordable housing, closes loopholes in federal gun laws, and provides resources for mental health, addiction treatment, and programs geared towards preventing recidivism.
  • A lifelong resident of the Bay, I have dedicated myself to fighting for racial and social justice in Oakland and my community. As a Black woman and a single mother of two, I have seen firsthand how the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities, often immigrant communities and communities of color, are the first to have their civil and social rights be put on the chopping block by conservative legislators. I will champion comprehensive policing reform, expand voting rights, codify protections for reproductive care, and work to create a fair and humane immigration system that would disentangle the criminal system from the immigration system and expand legal pathways to work authorization and citizenship.
  • As a Congresswoman, I will always prioritize protecting housing as a human right. I will seek tenant protections, lift up tenant unions, and create an equitable playing field for renters. I know the impact that Rent Relief legislation will have by creating a refundable tax credit for renters paying over 30% of their income in rent. In CA-12, I encouraged collaboration between BART and the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), supported SB 567, the Homelessness Prevention Act, and advocated for the revitalization of public housing. Having been a part of the public housing system, I’ve seen how this vital piece of infrastructure has been overlooked and underfunded for far too long.
Public transportation has always been one of my top priorities. Through my experience on the BART Board of Directors, my daily commutes on public transportation, and being born legally blind, I know first hand how transportation touches every person’s life. Economic Justice, Public Safety, and Access to affordable, high-quality healthcare as a fundamental human right are also public policy areas where I have worked my whole life to make more accessible and equitable. These policies all go hand in hand, and success of one has a profound effect on the success of another - especially in CA-12. That is why I will take them head on, equipped with an arsenal of cross culture, cross faith, and cross industry collective of experts and partners.
I believe elected officials should be held to the highest standards and held accountable by everyone - supporters who casted their vote for them, voters who voted a different way, organizations or unions who have endorsed them - everyone. That means being available, open, and proactive in building relationships with stakeholders and thought leaders who represent every aspect of their district. I believe this characteristic of being a true coalition builder and organizer is the most important characteristic for an elected official. Once in office, we are not only beholden to our supporters - We are responsible for and represent everyone. Throughout my campaign, I've been intentional about meeting folks where they are at - where they live, where they do business, and where they raise their families - to understand how I can best represent them and bring home the necessary funding to improve their lives. As the next Congresswoman for CA-12, I will continue this coalition building and be a true representative for my entire district.

In line with being a representative for the entire district, I think another important characteristic for an elected official is lifting up the voices of their constituents. Everyone has a story to tell about how their lives could be improved, where the government is missing in action, or where an inadequate public service could be better equipped to serve the needs of the people. It's the job of an elected official to take those stories and experiences with them to Congress and give the voices of their constituents a national platform.
The core responsibilities for someone elected to Congress are to bring home federal resources to improve their district, take positions and votes that reflect the priorities of the constituency, and be a leading voice in Congress to not only advocate for the policy priorities of the district, but to lead and develop new and sensible legislation that continuously pushes the envelope on how the government can better provide for folks who need the most help.
My very first job was at age 16 as an outreach coordinator for the Young Women’s Freedom Center (YWFC). 3 years later, I became Executive Director of YWFC and spent the next decade advocating on behalf of marginalized young women. In recognition of that work, I was honored with the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and became the youngest woman to receive this prestigious award at 26.
I support term limits. As we’ve seen with the United States Supreme Court, offices that do not have term limits allow for an extended and uninterrupted abuse of power without a process of checks and balances through democratic methods. It is not the duty of elected and appointed officials to hold office power for as long as they can - their duty is to serve and represent the people. And as time progresses, the democratic process should continue to function to allow new and fresh voices into positions of power.
After spending the last 30 years as an organizer and coalition builder, I’ve learned first hand how integral compromise is to successful and productive relationships. In Washington, I won’t always agree with every single member of Congress on their policies or decision making, but I will always be open to working with proactive individuals if it means pushing through equitable and effective legislation based in sensible policy that will benefit my folks in CA-12 and families across the country.
Since announcing my campaign I have been endorsed by several statewide and nationally elected Democratic leaders including Governor Gavin Newsom, Representative Barbara Lee, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler. I have also received endorsements from a variety of organizations including EMILY's List, Giffords PAC, Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the East Bay Young Democrats.
From day one I’ve known that I would join the Transportation and Infrastructure committee. I understand how crucial safe, comfortable, and reliable public transportation is, not only in my district but for the rest of the country too. As someone who is legally blind and has never driven a car, public transportation has always been an incredibly important part of my life and my advocacy. It’s why I joined the BART board and led the board as president through the pandemic, securing the funding necessary to keep the service alive for our essential workers, despite the sudden drop in ridership.
As a member of Congress, I will aim to reduce the influence of big money interest in politics by eliminating secret corporate spending in elections, promoting transparency and accountability in government, and supporting a ban on stock trading and ownership for members of Congress and the Federal Judiciary. In an age of partisan judiciaries, politicization of judicial interpretation of laws, and a Supreme Court that has exposed itself to be vulnerable to external lobbying and gift-giving, I will work to provide sorely needed reform to the Supreme Court and the lower courts. I will support expanding the number of justices on the bench, implementing term limits, and creating new judgeships across the federal system. I will also support and help impose an enforceable code of conduct on the Supreme Court, including instituting accountability measures and restrictions on gifts and requiring judicial disclosures and recusal.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Lateefah Simon did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Lateefah Simon campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2026* U.S. House California District 12Candidacy Declared general$0 N/A**
2024* U.S. House California District 12Won general$2,231,456 $1,945,801
Grand total$2,231,456 $1,945,801
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Lateefah Simon
EndorseeElectionStageOutcome
Laura Friedman  source  (D) U.S. House California District 30 (2024) PrimaryWon General

See also

2026 Elections

Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
What's on the ballot?
U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress special elections
State executives
State legislatures
State courts
Ballot measures
Municipal government
School boards
Election analysis hub

Government

Seal of California.png
Who represents me?
U.S. Congress
State executives
State legislators
State courts
Ballot measures
Municipal government
School boards

Newsletters

Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
The Daily Brew
The Weekly Brew
The Ballot Bulletin
Checks and Balances
Economy and Society
Hall Pass
Number of the Day
Robe & Gavel
Union Station


External links

   .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
   .external_links_table { width: auto !important; }
   @media (max-width:600px) {
       .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;}
       .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}  
   }

Officeholder

U.S. House California District 12

  • Website
  • Twitter
    		•

    Personal

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Lateefah Simon's campaign website, "Meet Lateefah," accessed September 18, 2024

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Barbara Lee (D)     		U.S. House California District 12
    2025-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    -     		Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors District 7
    2016-2024    		 Succeeded by
    Victor Flores


    California's current delegation to the United States Congress
    Senators
    Alex Padilla (D)
    Adam Schiff (D)
    Representatives
    District 1
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    District 5
    District 6
    Ami Bera (D)
    District 7
    District 8
    District 9
    District 10
    District 11
    District 12
    District 13
    Adam Gray (D)
    District 14
    District 15
    District 16
    District 17
    Ro Khanna (D)
    District 18
    District 19
    District 20
    District 21
    Jim Costa (D)
    District 22
    District 23
    District 24
    District 25
    Raul Ruiz (D)
    District 26
    District 27
    District 28
    Judy Chu (D)
    District 29
    Luz Rivas (D)
    District 30
    District 31
    District 32
    District 33
    District 34
    District 35
    District 36
    Ted Lieu (D)
    District 37
    District 38
    District 39
    District 40
    Young Kim (R)
    District 41
    District 42
    District 43
    District 44
    District 45
    District 46
    District 47
    Dave Min (D)
    District 48
    District 49
    District 50
    District 51
    District 52
    Democratic Party (45)
    Republican Party (9)


    Flag of California
    v • e
    State of California
    Sacramento (capital)
    Elections

    What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

    Government

    Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lateefah_Simon&oldid=10197215"