December 7th, 2015
PITTSBURG, CA— Mae Cendaña Torlakson announced today that she had earned the endorsement of Kevin de León, the President pro Tem of the California State Senate.
De León is the highest ranking Latino elected official in California, and the first Latino to serve as President of the State Senate in 130 years.
“Mae Cendaña Torlakson has a passion for the issues that matter most to Californians. She’ll work to create jobs, protect our state’s environment, and fight for a world-class education,” said de León. “My daughter goes to school in Contra Costa County, and I’m proud to support a leader in Contra Costa County who will fight to improve the quality of life and expand open space for the whole region. I urge you to support Mae Cendaña Torlakson for State Assembly.”
Last week, Torlakson was endorsed by the California Legislative Democratic Woman’s Caucus. She has quickly built up a strong early lead in endorsements. For a full list of her endorsements, click here.
Torlakson, a Democrat, is seeking the 14th District seat held by Assembly member Susan Bonilla, who will leave office in 2016 due to term limits. Torlakson has pledged to use her skills building education partnerships with business and be a voice for college access and affordability, environmental protection and jobs development.
Torlakson is a manager at the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, which is administered by the University of California Office of the President. Torlakson helps educationally disadvantaged students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and has led in the creation of partnerships with businesses such as a successful mentoring program with Cisco.
A longtime advocate for community parks and open space, Torlakson chairs and is serving her third elected term on the board of the Ambrose Recreation and Park District, which provides recreation services and after school programs to 28,000 residents of Bay Point and Pittsburg.
Torlakson also serves as chair of the Friends of the Delta Trail, and led advocacy efforts that secured $4.5 million for the Great California Delta Trail, which will provide shoreline access and a continuous trail network through the five Delta counties.
Born in the Philippines, Torlakson immigrated to the United States in 1988 and became a U.S. citizen in 1994. Torlakson raised two children, both of whom graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.
Torlakson is married to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who represented the region in the State Assembly and Senate before winning statewide office in 2010. They live in the Contra Costa County community of Pittsburg.
The 14th Assembly District represents portions of Contra Costa County and Southern Solano County. It includes the cities of Benicia, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, Martinez, Suisun and Vallejo.