Anthony Rendon (politician)

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. In the spring of 2025, Rendon was a fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.

Political career

During his first term in office, Rendon was chair of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife and authored Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion state water bond, which voters approved in the November 2014 election.

In 2013, Rendon authored Assembly Bill 711, a statewide ban on lead hunting ammunition, that was signed into law.

In 2015, Rendon was named chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.

On September 3, 2015, Rendon was selected to be the next Assembly Speaker. The formal vote electing Rendon as Speaker occurred on January 11. The vote was unanimous, with the Republican leader seconding the motion.

Rendon brought back the tradition of past California Assembly speakers of carrying no legislation himself, but focusing on empowering the members of the chamber. Despite this, he has made certain priorities of his known, including wildfire planning, and continuing to address poverty and educational deficits in California.

On February 19, 2021, The Sacramento Bee reported that nonprofit organizations associated with Rendon's wife, Annie Lam, had received over $500,000 in donations and event sponsorships from over a dozen companies that had business interests at stake with the legislature. In 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported that she received an unusually large income ($600,000 in 2022) from her job as a consultant, much of it from organizations with business before the legislature, and reported that others in government were concerned about ethical considerations.

In November 2022 due to a rift in the Assembly Democratic Caucus between its progressive and moderate members, the caucus voted to replace Rendon with Assemblymember Robert Rivas as the next speaker of the California State Assembly. With Rendon to remain as Speaker until June 30, 2023.

Rendon is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.

Electoral history

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

Personal life

Rendon resides in Lakewood, California. In December 2014, Rendon married Annie Lam in a ceremony officiated by former California State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez.

References

References

1. (2023-06-29). "California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon is stepping down. He's not happy about how it happened".
2. (29 June 2023). "Goodbye to the Rendon era".
3. "Anthony Rendon". JoinCalifornia.
4. Mason, Melanie. (January 9, 2016). "Punk rock and Plato are touchstones for incoming Assembly speaker". [[Los Angeles Times]].
5. Berestein Rojas, Leslie. (October 20, 2015). "Incoming Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon sees himself as bridge between East and Westside on environment concerns". [[KPCC (radio station).
6. (March 7, 2016). "Rendon Sworn In as Assembly Speaker". California State Assembly Democratic Caucus.
7. Skelton, George. (November 2, 2015). "As next Assembly speaker, academic late-bloomer Anthony Rendon aims to focus on education". [[Los Angeles Times]].
8. Gutierrez, Melody. "Anthony Rendon becomes new Assembly speaker". [[San Francisco Chronicle.
9. Gallegos, Sami. (March 31, 2016). "From humble roots to the height of California politics". [[KXTV.
10. (March 30, 2020). "Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon Zooms Into Political Science Class". [[The Daily Titan]].
11. (March 8, 2016). "Anthony Rendon sworn-in as Assembly speaker". The Downey Patriot.
12. Seiler, Kristin. (November 16, 2015). "UCR Alumnus Named Speaker-Designee of the California State Assembly". [[University of California, Riverside]] Alumni Blog.
13. (March 7, 2016). "California's New Assembly Speaker Takes Oath". [[KPBS (TV).
14. Jennewein, Chris. (March 7, 2016). "Toni Atkins Passing Speaker's Gavel to Anthony Rendon". [[Times of San Diego]].
15. White, Jeremy B.. (January 3, 2016). "Educating youngest kids tops next California Assembly speaker's agenda". [[The Sacramento Bee]].
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17. "California Proposition 1, Water Bond (2014) - Ballotpedia".
18. "Capitol Alert: Jerry Brown signs lead ammo ban, vetoes bill to ban semi-automatic rifles - sacbee.com".
19. "California Assembly announces committee chairs".
20. "Anthony Rendon selected next Assembly speaker".
21. "Anthony Rendon selected next Assembly speaker".
22. (9 January 2016). "Los Angeles Times Profile of Anthony Rendon".
23. (5 January 2020). "Priorities o Anthony Rendon". Calmatters.
24. (February 25, 2021). "Since California speaker rose to power, corporate money flowed to nonprofits tied to his wife". [[The Sacramento Bee]].
25. (2023-06-08). "As Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon's power grew, so did his wife's income".
26. (11 November 2022). "California Assembly elects new leader after showdown over speaker post".
27. "Legislative Progressive Caucus". California State Assembly.
28. "Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 7, 2022".
29. "General Election - Statement of the Vote, November 8, 2022 - State Assembly".
30. Koseff, Alexei. (December 15, 2016). "AM Alert: Did he do that? Urkel announces cow art exhibition". [[The Sacramento Bee.