Shirley Weber
Shirley Weber | |
---|---|
![]() Weber in 2012 | |
31st Secretary of State of California | |
Assumed office January 29, 2021 | |
Governor | Gavin Newsom |
Preceded by | Alex Padilla |
Member of the California State Assembly from the 79th district | |
In office December 3, 2012 – January 28, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Ben Hueso (redistricted) |
Succeeded by | Akilah Weber |
Personal details | |
Born | Shirley Nash September 20, 1948 Hope, Arkansas, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Daniel Weber
(m. 1973; died 2002) |
Children | 2, including Akilah |
Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA, MA, PhD) |
Website | Government website |
Shirley Weber (née Nash; born September 20, 1948) is an American academic and politician serving as the secretary of state of California. She was previously a member of the California State Assembly for the 79th Assembly District,[1] which includes portions of San Diego, Chula Vista, and National City and all of Lemon Grove and La Mesa.
Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2012, Weber served on the San Diego Board of Education, and as a Professor of African-American Studies at San Diego State University. A member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, she is the first African American to be elected to the California State Legislature south of Los Angeles.[2]
In December 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom used his power to appoint Weber to succeed Alex Padilla—his appointee to succeed Vice President Kamala Harris as California's junior senator—as California's secretary of state. Weber is the first African American to serve as California's secretary of state and the fifth to serve in a statewide position.
Early life and education[]
Weber was born in Hope, Arkansas and raised in Los Angeles. Her father was a farmer and left school after sixth grade but encouraged Weber and her seven siblings to prioritize their education. At three years old, she and her family fled their farm and moved west after her father refused to back down in a dispute with a white farmer and a lynch mob threatened his life. The family relocated to the Pueblo Del Rio housing projects in South Los Angeles where Weber grew up.[3] She earned a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and PhD in communication from the University of California, Los Angeles.[2][4]
Career[]
Academics[]
Weber is a professor emerita of Africana studies at San Diego State University. She helped to establish that department in 1972 and became its chair, teaching there for 40 years. She was president of the National Council for Black Studies from 2002 to 2006.[5]
Early political career[]
She served as a board member and later president of the San Diego Board of Education from 1988 to 1996. She also served as Chairwoman of the San Diego Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission.[2]
California State Assembly[]
In Fall 2011, she was recruited to run for office in the California State Assembly by Toni Atkins.[2] In November 2012, Weber won election to the state assembly with 61.7% of the vote, defeating her Republican opponent, Mary England.[6]
During her time in the assembly, Weber was a member of the California Assembly's Committee on Higher Education.[7] She promoted the development of a state university location in Chula Vista as a satellite or extension campus of the California State University system.[7] In 2020, Weber authored Senate Bill 3121, which created a reparations task force to study how to redress slavery in California; the task force met for the first time in 2021.[8][9]
California Secretary of State[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Shirley_Weber_speaking_at_the_signing_of_AB392.jpg/220px-Shirley_Weber_speaking_at_the_signing_of_AB392.jpg)
On December 22, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Weber to the position of Secretary of State of California to replace newly-appointed Senator Alex Padilla, effective upon confirmation by the California State Legislature.[10] Weber is the first African American to serve as Secretary of State. Weber was sworn in on January 29, 2021, having been confirmed unanimously by the state senate the day before.[11][12] As secretary of state, Weber played a central role in administering the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election that targeted Governor Newsom.[13][14]
Personal life[]
Weber's husband, Judge Daniel Weber, died in 2002. She has two children and three grandchildren.[15][16] Her daughter, Akilah Weber, is a surgeon and was a member of the La Mesa City Council from 2018 to 2021.[17] On April 19, 2021, Akilah was sworn in by her mother to succeed her in the California State Assembly after winning in a special election.[18]
Electoral history[]
2012[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shirley Weber | 20,293 | 30.5 | |
Republican | Mary England | 19,313 | 29.1 | |
Republican | Matt Mendoza | 8,857 | 13.3 | |
Democratic | Rudy Ramirez | 7,533 | 11.3 | |
Democratic | Patricia Ann Washington | 5,404 | 8.1 | |
Democratic | Sid Voorakkara | 5,060 | 7.6 | |
Total votes | 66,460 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Shirley Weber | 94,170 | 61.7 | |
Republican | Mary England | 58,424 | 38.3 | |
Total votes | 152,594 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
2014[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 35,886 | 99.7 | |
American Independent | George R. Williams (write-in) | 115 | 0.3 | |
Total votes | 36,001 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 49,264 | 61.9 | |
American Independent | George R. Williams | 30,266 | 38.1 | |
Total votes | 79,530 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
2016[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 64,395 | 67.7 | |
Republican | John Moore | 30,711 | 32.3 | |
Total votes | 95,106 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 92,285 | 64.56 | |
Republican | John Moore | 50,687 | 35.4 | |
Total votes | 142,972 | 100.0 |
2018[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 51,395 | 63.7 | |
Republican | John Moore | 29,324 | 36.3 | |
Total votes | 80,719 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 103,533 | 66.8 | |
Republican | John Moore | 51,548 | 33.2 | |
Total votes | 155,081 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
2020[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 74,121 | 65.7 | |
Republican | John Moore | 19,619 | 17.4 | |
Republican | Carmelita "C.L." Larrabaster | 19,080 | 16.9 | |
Total votes | 112,820 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Shirley Weber (incumbent) | 147,994 | 65.4 | |
Republican | John Moore | 78,367 | 34.6 | |
Total votes | 226,361 | 100 |
References[]
- ^ "Democrats Win Supermajority in California Assembly". NBC San Diego. November 15, 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Mark (November 18, 2012). "Shirley Weber forges path with historic win". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "About".
- ^ Calefati, Jessica (August 31, 2017). "Chased out of Arkansas as a child, Shirley Weber won't back down in California Capitol". CalMatters.
- ^ "Department of Africana Studies: Faculty". San Diego State University. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "State Assemblymember" (PDF). November 6, 2102 General Election. Secretary of State, State of California. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ^ a b Bowler, Matthew (August 4, 2014). "Assemblywoman Shirley Weber Wants To Make Chula Vista University A Reality". KPBS. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ "California's slavery reparations task force is convening. Here's what happens next". June 2021.
- ^ Botts, Jackie (9 June 2021). "California reparations committee confronts harms of slavery, debates direct payments". Calmatters.
- ^ "Gov. Newsom nominates Shirley Weber as California's first Black secretary of state". KCRA. 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
- ^ "Calif Senate Confirms Asm. Shirley Weber as Secretary of State, 1st Black Person to Hold Title". NBC 7 San Diego (in American English). Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ "Shirley Weber Sworn in as California's First Black Secretary of State". Times of San Diego (in American English). 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ Hoeven, Emily (September 2021). "Recall puts elections chief in political pickle". Calmatters.
- ^ "Shirley Weber, Appointed by Gov. Newsom, Now Oversees His Recall Election".
- ^ Calefati, Jessica (2017-08-31). "Chased out of Arkansas as a child, Shirley Weber won't back down in California Capitol". CALmatters (in American English). Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ^ "Biography". Office of California State Assemblymember Shirley Weber. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "La Mesa, CA - Official Website". www.cityoflamesa.us. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ "Daughter succeeds California elections chief in Legislature". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shirley Weber. |
- Pages using Party stripe with other party
- 1948 births
- 2020 United States presidential electors
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- African-American state legislators in California
- African-American women in politics
- California Democrats
- Living people
- Members of the California State Assembly
- People from Hope, Arkansas
- Politicians from San Diego
- San Diego State University faculty
- Secretaries of State of California
- University of California, Los Angeles alumni
- Women state legislators in California
- Women in California politics
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American politicians
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