Political Update

     Assemblyman Rich Gordon represents the heart of the Silicon Valley. He was first elected in November 2010 and represents the 24th Assembly District on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

     Assemblyman Gordon is chair of the Assembly's Rules Committee, the Select Committee on Water Consumption and Alternative Sources, the Select Committee on Waste Reduction and Recycling in 21st Century California, and the Bay Area Caucus.  He is a member of the Environmental and LGBT Caucuses.

     Prior to being elected to the California Assembly he served for 13 years on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. He was actively involved in the creation of the Children's Health Initiative, which guarantees health care coverage for children. In 2008, he served as President of the California State Association of Counties, which represents all 58 counties.

     Assemblyman Gordon also served as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Education for five years. Prior to public service, he was a minister in the United Methodist Church, and for twenty years he worked in the non-profit sector where he was the founder and Executive Director of Youth and Family Assistance.

     Assemblyman Gordon is a fourth generation Californian - born and raised in San Mateo County. He completed high school in Orange County, and graduated from the University of Southern California. He has a Masters in Divinity from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University. He resides in an unincorporated neighborhood in Menlo Park with his husband, Dr. Dennis McShane. Assemblyman Gordon and Dr. McShane have been in a committed relationship since 1982 and were married on August 16, 2008.