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Quick Facts
Personal Details

David Chiu is a Democratic member of the California State Assembly, representing District 17. He was first elected to the chamber in 2014. He currently serves as State Assembly Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore.

He previously served on the San Francisco, California Board of Supervisors, representing District 3 from 2008 to 2014. He was President of the Board from 2009 to 2014.

Chiu grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A., M.P.P, and J.D. from Harvard University. His professional experience includes working as a criminal prosecutor and as a civil rights attorney.

Education

  • JD, Harvard University Law School, 1992-1995
  • Master's, Public Policy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, 1991-1995
  • BA, Government, Harvard University, 1987-1991

Professional Experience

  • JD, Harvard University Law School, 1992-1995
  • Master's, Public Policy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, 1991-1995
  • BA, Government, Harvard University, 1987-1991
  • Former Law Clerk, Judge James R. Browning, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Former Aide, United States Senate Budget Committee, Senator Paul Simon
  • Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder, Grassroots Enterprise, 1999-2008
  • Staff Attorney, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, 1998-1999
  • Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco District Attorney's Office, 1997-1998
  • Democratic Counsel, United States Senate Constitution Subcommittee, 1995-1996

Political Experience

  • JD, Harvard University Law School, 1992-1995
  • Master's, Public Policy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, 1991-1995
  • BA, Government, Harvard University, 1987-1991
  • Former Law Clerk, Judge James R. Browning, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Former Aide, United States Senate Budget Committee, Senator Paul Simon
  • Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder, Grassroots Enterprise, 1999-2008
  • Staff Attorney, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, 1998-1999
  • Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco District Attorney's Office, 1997-1998
  • Democratic Counsel, United States Senate Constitution Subcommittee, 1995-1996
  • Assembly Member, California State Assembly, District 17, 2014-present
  • Former Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, California State Assembly
  • Former Chair, California State Assembly Democratic Committee, District 13
  • Former Member, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
  • Candidate, California State Assembly, District 17, 2018, 2020
  • President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 2009-2014

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Career Technical Education and Building a 21st Century Workforce Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Community College Affordability and Guided Pathways for Students Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Health Care Delivery Systems and Universal Coverage Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Health Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Improving Bay Area Transportation Systems Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Improving Bay Area Transportation Systems Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Local Government Committee, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Select Committee on End of Life Health Care, California State Assembly

Former Member, Select Committee on the Census, California State Assembly

Former Member, Subcommittee 1 on Health and Human Services, California State General Assembly

Former Member, Waste Reduction and Recycling in the 21st Century California Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Women in the Workplace Committee, California State Assembly

Former Member, Women in the Workplace Committee, California State General Assembly

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media

Member, Budget

Member, Business and Professions

Chair, Housing and Community Development

Member, Judiciary

Member, Select Committee on California's Clean Energy Economy

Member, Select Committee on Cybersecurity

Member, Select Committee on End of Life Health Care

Member, Select Committee on Gun Violence in Communities of Color

Member, Select Committee on Regional Transportation Solutions

Member, Select Committee on Student Debt

Member, Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color

Member, Select Committee on Women's Reproductive Health

Member, Select Committee on Youth Mental Health

Member, Subcommittee 4 on State Administration

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • JD, Harvard University Law School, 1992-1995
  • Master's, Public Policy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, 1991-1995
  • BA, Government, Harvard University, 1987-1991
  • Former Law Clerk, Judge James R. Browning, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Former Aide, United States Senate Budget Committee, Senator Paul Simon
  • Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder, Grassroots Enterprise, 1999-2008
  • Staff Attorney, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, 1998-1999
  • Assistant District Attorney, San Francisco District Attorney's Office, 1997-1998
  • Democratic Counsel, United States Senate Constitution Subcommittee, 1995-1996
  • Assembly Member, California State Assembly, District 17, 2014-present
  • Former Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore, California State Assembly
  • Former Chair, California State Assembly Democratic Committee, District 13
  • Former Member, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee
  • Candidate, California State Assembly, District 17, 2018, 2020
  • President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 2009-2014
  • Former Board Chair, Chinatown Community Development Center
  • Former President, Greater Bay Area Asian American Bar Association
  • Former Board Chair, Lower Polk Neighbors
  • Former Board Member, Partners Ending Domestic Abuse
  • Former Chair, Youth Leadership Institute Board

Other Info

— Awards:

  • "Best Attorneys under 40" by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; American Memorial Marshall Fellow; Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum; Recognitions for legislative work from the San Francisco Women's Political Committee, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club, Housing Action Coalition

Spouse's Occupation:

public interest lawyer

Policy Positions

California State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

Budget Stabilization:

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing California's budget.

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No Answer

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No Answer

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No Answer

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- Given today's healthy state budget, these proposals are not currently necessary.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- Yes

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

5. Do you support repealing California's nonpartisan blanket primary election system?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

3. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of California?
- Yes

7. Do you support expanding state public housing programs?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- b - We need comprehensive tax reform in California, where we should consider lowering and raising different taxes to promote economic growth.c - I support reducing unnecessary state government regulations on the private sector, not all state government regulations.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in California?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from California high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- a - Certainly not under the Trump Administration.b - I don't support additional state funding for charter schools over public schools.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- Yes

4. Do you support permanent statewide water usage restrictions?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through California's health care programs?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- Yes

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in California's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support greater efforts by California state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

4. Do you support California's "Sanctuary State" immigration policies?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Housing, transportation, and civil rights (including education), through a variety of possible funding sources.

State Bills
Events

2020

Oct. 3
Support SF Schools: Campaign Rally

Sat 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM PDT

Jul. 17
Town Hall for San Francisco Nonprofits

Fri 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PDT