Connie Leyva for State Senate District 20

Connie Leyva is committed to get California working again, with schools, jobs and opportunities that provide every family and community with the chance to prosper. As a senior in high school, Leyva got a job at the Alpha Beta market where her father worked. There she met a young clerk named Albert, now her husband of 25 years. To create more opportunities for their family, Connie began taking college courses at the University of Redlands after work. As Leyva was finishing her degree and about to have twins, a corporate takeover of the local grocery market left her without a job. She and her husband got through those tough times. Later, Leyva went to work at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1428, helping grocery workers gain a stronger voice for fair wages and benefits. Leyva gained the respect of her peers and was elected president of the local union. She engaged the community to fight against corporate attempts to take affordable health care away from grocery workers forced to go on strike. Leyva’s commitment to workers and the needs of her community earned her acclaim, and in 2004 she was elected as the first woman to be president of the California State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, representing over 2.1 million workers statewide. Leyva runs a fundraising drive coordinated with local Stater Bros. stores to raise funds for Leukemia research; partnered with the United Way to open a food pantry; has helped thousands of needy children through the Shoes That Fit program and Kingsley Elementary; and organizes an annual day of service for veterans that provides meals, care packages, haircuts, and building maintenance. As a parent, she has always made volunteering with her daughters' school and softball teams a priority. Leyva is running for State Senate to continue fighting for the things that every family and community deserves: quality jobs, better schools and safer neighborhoods, the basics needed to get California working again.