Gil Cedillo

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Gil Cedillo bigraphy, stories - American politician

Gil Cedillo : biography

March 25, 1954 –

Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954 in Barstow, California) is an American politician, currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council for District 1, succeeding Ed Reyes after his election on May 21, 2013. Cedillo was a Democratic member of both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.

Cedillo was a candidate for California’s 32nd congressional district seat, vacated by Hilda Solis. A California’s 32nd Congressional District Special Election, 2009 was held on May 19, 2009. Cedillo lost the Democratic primary against Board of Equalization Member Judy Chu.

Early years and education

Cedillo grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles and is a lifelong resident of the 22nd District. His father worked as a mechanic at American Can in Vernon and was a member of the United Steelworkers of America. His mother was a garment worker at Sears and Times-Mirror Press. Cedillo attended Lorena Street and Euclid Avenue Elementary, Stevenson Junior High and Roosevelt High where he met and became close friends with Antonio Villaraigosa, now Mayor of Los Angeles. At Roosevelt, he was varsity quarterback and excelled academically as well, receiving a full academic scholarship to the University of California, Los Angeles.

Cedillo graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in 1977 and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Peoples College of Law, a law school in Los Angeles, in 1983. http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member.aspx Member Search

Career

Private sector

Cedillo worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Los Angeles County’s largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. In his years as general manager, he protected youth programs and played a critical role in securing $364 million in federal assistance to ensure that the Los Angeles County Health Care system remained afloat. President Bill Clinton stated that his decision to provide funding "was reached after critical consultations with SEIU".

Politics

Cedillo won a special election on January 13, 1998, to the California State Assembly’s 46th district, and served there until 2002. In 2002, he was elected to the State Senate. While he is most widely known for his attempts to reinstate driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and as the author of the California DREAM Act, Cedillo has also worked on increasing and expanding access to health care, developing regional solutions to combat homelessness, and encouraging economic development in his Downtown Los Angeles district. Gil Cedillo is a member of the Council of La Raza.

Cedillo was reelected in 2006 in a landslide, defeating South Pasadena City Councilman Mike Ten, a Republican. Cedillo received 71,199 votes, Ten received 18,581 votes, and Murray Levy, the Libertarian candidate, received 3,469 votes. He is Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy and is a member of the Senate standing committees on Appropriations, Health, Public Safety, Rules, and Transportation and Housing.

On September 28, 2006, Cedillo was arrested along with approximately 200 others for blocking Century Blvd. in front of LAX, during a protest supporting the right for employees to unionize at the LAX hotels. Several people missed their flights because of the protest.

Congressional candidate

Cedillo officially announced his candidacy for the 32nd Congressional District seat on January 8, 2009, which was vacated by Congresswoman Hilda Solis. Congresswoman Solis accepted an appointment from President-elect Barack Obama for United States Labor Secretary. Cedillo lost to Judy Chu, a former Monterey Park assemblywoman and vice-chairman of the State Board of Equalization. Despite Cedillo’s longtime relationship with organized labor, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, voted to endorse Chu. Cedillo received a majority of other major endorsements, including eight members of California’s Congressional Delegation, LA Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, and more than 100 current and former public officials, including Senator Gloria Romero, Senator Ron Calderon, and Assemblymember Ed Chavez, who all dropped out of the race and endorsed Cedillo.Cedillo for Congress PAC book