Anthony Rendon

Anthony Rendon (born March 4, 1968) is an American politician who served as the 70th speaker of the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the fifth-longest-serving speaker in California history (and the longest-serving speaker to serve his first term after the adoption of California's term limits). Since 2022, he has represented the 62nd district, located in the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, including the cities of South Gate, Lynwood, and Paramount. He previously represented the 63rd district from 2012 to 2022. Early life and career Rendon was born on March 4, 1968 in Silver Lake, a neighborhood in central Los Angeles. His grandparents immigrated from Mexico to the United States during the 1920s. He grew up in a working class family that frequently moved around the Los Angeles area. His father, Tom Rendon, worked multiple jobs, including for a mobile home company, and his mother, Gloria Rendon, was a teacher's aide at a Catholic school. Rendon attended California High School, Whittier, graduating in 1986. He has stated that he was a "terrible student." At the age of 20, he enrolled in and attended Cerritos College, a community college in Norwalk, California, before earning a bachelor's degree and master's degree from California State University, Fullerton. After receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, Rendon earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Riverside, graduating in 2000. He completed post-doctoral work at Boston University. Prior to becoming a member of the California State Assembly, Rendon was the executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, an organization that provides child development and social and medical services throughout Los Angeles County. He was also the interim executive director of the California League of Conservation Voters, a lobbying organization dedicated to environmental issues. He worked with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in early childhood education efforts. From 2001 to 2008, he was an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at California State University, Fullerton.