Simon, Lateefah

Lateefah Simon is serving her first term in the U.S. House representing California's 12th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of the East Bay including Oakland, Berkeley, and surrounding communities. Born in San Francisco in 1977, Simon brings over three decades of experience in community organizing, advocacy, and nonprofit leadership to Congress. She is the first member of Congress known to be born legally blind and the first Muslim representative from California outside the Midwest.

Simon serves on multiple House committees including Oversight and Government Reform, Small Business, and committees focused on health care, financial services, and federal law enforcement. Her legislative priorities center on addressing the housing affordability crisis, expanding access to public transit, supporting criminal justice reform, and protecting vulnerable communities. She serves as Deputy Whip for Policy and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and holds membership in the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Before entering Congress, Simon built a distinguished career in civil rights and social justice. At age 19, she became executive director of the Young Women's Freedom Center, where she developed innovative programs for at-risk youth. In 2003, at age 26, she became the youngest woman to receive a MacArthur Fellowship for this work. She later led the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and served as president of the Akonadi Foundation. From 2016 to 2024, she represented District 7 on the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board, where she served as president and championed accessibility improvements and progressive public safety reforms.

In Congress, Simon has introduced legislation including the Connecting Communities Through Transit Planning Act, the RIDER Safety Act, and the Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act. She has been vocal on issues ranging from environmental justice and climate action to opposition to military interventions and support for LGBTQ+ rights. Her advocacy reflects her long commitment to advancing equity for marginalized communities and holding systems accountable to those most impacted by structural inequities.