Meet 3 legislators who got their start at UC

Public service is core to our mission at the University of California. So we’re proud to highlight the many UC alums who’ve been elected to public office.

They come from around the state and across the country, representing millions of people and a huge diversity of communities, concerns and priorities. But they share a common connection to the nation’s largest public university, which was founded on a bold idea: people from all walks of life should have access to a world-class education and be engaged in civic life.

More than 66 UC alumni currently serve in the U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature — some of whom are taking their seats in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., for the first time this year. Read on to meet a few legislative newcomers who are bringing University of California values to their vital new roles.

UC in the 119th U.S. Congress

California holds 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of January 3, when the 119th Congress was sworn in, 17 members of California’s Congressional delegation — or nearly 1 in 3 — are UC alumni. (Six UC alums currently serve in other states’ delegations, along with two U.S. Senators, New York’s Kristin Gillibrand and Vermont’s Peter Welch.) Altogether, California’s House members hold degrees from six UC campuses.

“My time at UCLA was truly impactful, not only because of the world-class education but also the professors, experiences, and most importantly, the students I met while in Westwood,” says Representative Vince Fong, who earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 2001. Fong serves California’s 20th Congressional district, encompassing parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties. A member of the Republican Party, Fong was elected to his first full Congressional term in November, following his May 2024 special election win to serve the remainder of former Representative Kevin McCarthy’s term. He is no stranger to Congress, having worked for two members and the House Ways and Means Committee, prior to serving almost eight years in the California State Assembly.

“As a political science major, there were many discussions and debates at UCLA that furthered my interest in public policy in addition to a UCDC internship with Congressman Bill Thomas on Capitol Hill,” Fong says. “That experience led to an opportunity to work for Rep. Bill Thomas and then Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Later, mentors encouraged and inspired me to run for the California State Assembly and then U.S. Congress. When I think back to my time in college, I can attribute my passion for public service to the opportunities fostered at UCLA. I send my prayers to my UCLA family right now as many in the community, including students, are affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.”

UC alums in the California State Legislature

UC alums also make up a substantial portion of California’s state legislature. Twenty-five out of 80, or nearly a third of state assemblymembers, and 16 out of 40, or 40 percent of state senators graduated from the University of California. Together, California State legislators hold degrees from nine UC campuses.

Eleven of these alums are new to their offices in Sacramento this year. They include Democrat Maggy Krell, who represents Sacramento County as the Assemblymember for California’s 6th district. Krell graduated from UC San Diego in 2000 and earned her law degree from UC Davis in 2003.

“UC taught me to break barriers,” says Krell, who previously served as Deputy Attorney General, leading a case that led to the shutdown of the world’s largest online platform for human trafficking. “I attended Thurgood Marshall College at UC San Diego and the King Hall School of Law at UC Davis — I think the names of those schools are emblematic of the values that the UC imparted on me, and of the way my experience there pushed me toward public service,” Krell says.

Krell’s colleague in the California State Senate is Christopher Cabaldon, a UC Berkeley alumnus who was elected to California’s 3rd State Senate District in November, serving parts of Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, Yolo and Sacramento Counties.

“I grew up at UCLA, first lending a hand to my mom doing her PhD research in economics,” says Cabaldon. “I fed thousands of punch cards into a mainframe computer.  And then, as a high school scholar completing my senior year on campus, I studied language, speech, and civilization.

“Entering Cal as a freshman, I dove into activism, protest, and policy advocacy. I ran for student government office, first losing, then winning, then losing, then winning again. Becoming student body president, I led our lobbying work in the State Capitol.

“That UC blend of inside-plus-outside politics, aspirational but practical policymaking, and applying scholarly research to policy challenges led me to run for office. It drives how I do the work to strengthen democracy and fight to improve lives.”