John Laird’s public life runs through institutions familiar to Santa Cruz: the county administration, City Council, the mayor’s office, Cabrillo College and the local organizations built around the coast, credit, AIDS services and LGBTQ+ politics. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1974, when he joined the staff of the county administrator and later worked in personnel and social services. Voters first sent him to the City Council in 1981; four decades later, they elected him to the state Senate. His district now includes all of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties and most of San Luis Obispo County. Re-elected in November 2024 with 67.4% of the vote, he was sworn in Dec. 2 for his final Senate term under term limits.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Laird was born March 29, 1950, and raised in Vallejo, where he attended public schools. Both his parents were educators. He graduated in 1972 from Adlai Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz with an A.B. in politics; his undergraduate thesis examined the history of water development in California.
Before entering Santa Cruz County government, Laird spent two years on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jerome Waldie. In the summer of 1974, he worked for Florida Rep. Bill Gunter’s U.S. Senate campaign. That year he moved to Santa Cruz and began the local government work that preceded his own campaigns.
His community résumé included service as vice chair of the City Charter Review Committee, a role as a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and membership on the board of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and served as its executive director from 1991 to 1994. He lives in Santa Cruz with his spouse, John Flores, and is fluent in Spanish.
THE PATH THROUGH GOVERNMENT
Laird won a City Council seat in 1981 and was re-elected as the top vote-getter in 1985. The council chose him for one-year terms as mayor in 1983–84 and 1987–88. He served until term limits ended his council tenure in 1990. During those years, he worked with Save Our Shores against proposed offshore oil drilling. He was also a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and its successor, the Democratic Socialists of America.
From 1994 to 2002, Laird served as an elected Cabrillo College trustee. He then ran unopposed in the 2002 Democratic Assembly primary, won the seat and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Before terming out in 2008, he authored 82 bills signed into law.
His first Senate campaign ended differently. In 2010, he lost the special primary for the 15th District to Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee by 7.59 percentage points, then lost the special general election by 3.93 points. On Jan. 5, 2011, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him California secretary for natural resources. Laird remained there through 2019, overseeing a $10 billion budget and 25 statewide departments, commissions and conservancies.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Laird announced his campaign for the 17th Senate District in January 2019 and defeated Republican Vicki Nohrden in November 2020, 64.7% to 35.3%. During his first term, he authored 59 bills signed into law. Those measures included legislation concerning fentanyl overdose-reversal drugs and support for older Californians living with HIV.
The clearest policy signature is natural resources and the coast. The record begins with his college thesis on California water development, continues through the Santa Cruz fight against offshore oil drilling and reaches the state’s central machinery for managing natural resources: eight years supervising its departments, commissions, conservancies and budget. His legislative and community records identify other constituencies as well. He was a founding member and later executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, chaired the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, was a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials and served as an original board member of BAYMEC. He also worked as a Lavender Reader columnist and a commentator on “Closet Free Radio” at KZSC.
The map has expanded since his City Council years, but the documented interests remain specific: natural resources and coastal protection, LGBTQ+ institutions, HIV services and public health. Those are the organizations, agencies and measures through which Laird’s public work has operated.
- State Senate · Senate District 17 · 2020–present
John Laird’s public life runs through institutions familiar to Santa Cruz: the county administration, City Council, the mayor’s office, Cabrillo College and the local organizations built around the coast, credit, AIDS services and LGBTQ+ politics. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1974, when he joined the staff of the county administrator and later worked in personnel and social services. Voters first sent him to the City Council in 1981; four decades later, they elected him to the state Senate. His district now includes all of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties and most of San Luis Obispo County. Re-elected in November 2024 with 67.4% of the vote, he was sworn in Dec. 2 for his final Senate term under term limits.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Laird was born March 29, 1950, and raised in Vallejo, where he attended public schools. Both his parents were educators. He graduated in 1972 from Adlai Stevenson College at UC Santa Cruz with an A.B. in politics; his undergraduate thesis examined the history of water development in California.
Before entering Santa Cruz County government, Laird spent two years on the district staff of U.S. Rep. Jerome Waldie. In the summer of 1974, he worked for Florida Rep. Bill Gunter’s U.S. Senate campaign. That year he moved to Santa Cruz and began the local government work that preceded his own campaigns.
His community résumé included service as vice chair of the City Charter Review Committee, a role as a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and membership on the board of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and served as its executive director from 1991 to 1994. He lives in Santa Cruz with his spouse, John Flores, and is fluent in Spanish.
THE PATH THROUGH GOVERNMENT
Laird won a City Council seat in 1981 and was re-elected as the top vote-getter in 1985. The council chose him for one-year terms as mayor in 1983–84 and 1987–88. He served until term limits ended his council tenure in 1990. During those years, he worked with Save Our Shores against proposed offshore oil drilling. He was also a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and its successor, the Democratic Socialists of America.
From 1994 to 2002, Laird served as an elected Cabrillo College trustee. He then ran unopposed in the 2002 Democratic Assembly primary, won the seat and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006. Before terming out in 2008, he authored 82 bills signed into law.
His first Senate campaign ended differently. In 2010, he lost the special primary for the 15th District to Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee by 7.59 percentage points, then lost the special general election by 3.93 points. On Jan. 5, 2011, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him California secretary for natural resources. Laird remained there through 2019, overseeing a $10 billion budget and 25 statewide departments, commissions and conservancies.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Laird announced his campaign for the 17th Senate District in January 2019 and defeated Republican Vicki Nohrden in November 2020, 64.7% to 35.3%. During his first term, he authored 59 bills signed into law. Those measures included legislation concerning fentanyl overdose-reversal drugs and support for older Californians living with HIV.
The clearest policy signature is natural resources and the coast. The record begins with his college thesis on California water development, continues through the Santa Cruz fight against offshore oil drilling and reaches the state’s central machinery for managing natural resources: eight years supervising its departments, commissions, conservancies and budget. His legislative and community records identify other constituencies as well. He was a founding member and later executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project, chaired the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, was a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials and served as an original board member of BAYMEC. He also worked as a Lavender Reader columnist and a commentator on “Closet Free Radio” at KZSC.
The map has expanded since his City Council years, but the documented interests remain specific: natural resources and coastal protection, LGBTQ+ institutions, HIV services and public health. Those are the organizations, agencies and measures through which Laird’s public work has operated.
The record
5,398 events, each with its sourceAssembly 3rd Reading AB2313 Berman et al. By Ashby
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2318 Elhawary et al. By Gonzalez
Special Consent AB2326 AGRI. (Soria) By Caballero
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2369 Rogers By Becker
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2375 Blanca Rubio By Rubio
Special Consent AB2417 Zbur et al. By Pérez
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2433 Alvarez et al. By Arreguín
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2439 Blanca Rubio et al. By Grayson
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2518 Sharp-Collins et al. By Padilla
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2529 Johnson By Niello
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2532 Irwin By Ashby
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2539 Ramos By McGuire Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2540 Stefani et al. By Menjivar
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2562 Dixon By Blakespear
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2563 Pacheco et al. By Menjivar
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2598 Krell et al. By Cabaldon
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2631 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Reyes
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2633 Gipson et al. By Archuleta
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2664 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Becker
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2664 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Becker Reconsider
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2664 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Becker
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2689 Ávila Farías et al. By Caballero
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2713 Wicks et al. By Becker
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2779 Irwin By Allen Urgency Clause
Assembly 3rd Reading AB2782 JUD. (Kalra) By Umberg
Assembly 3rd Reading ACA7 Jackson et al. By Weber Pierson
Special Consent SB96 Umberg
Unfinished Business SB239 Arreguín Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB299 Cabaldon et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB490 Umberg et al. Concurrence
Special Consent SB505 Richardson
That the Assembly amendments be concurred in
Unfinished Business SB549 Allen et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB594 Padilla et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB667 Archuleta Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB700 Grayson Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB747 Wiener et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB758 Umberg et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB769 Caballero et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB772 Cabaldon et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB802 Ashby et al. Concurrence
Special Consent SB837 Reyes
Special Consent SB845 Pérez et al
Unfinished Business SB849 Weber Pierson et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB894 Allen et al. Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB913 Becker et al. Concurrence
Special Consent SB916 Ashby
Unfinished Business SB920 Archuleta Concurrence
Unfinished Business SB923 Becker Concurrence
Special Consent SB936 Blakespear et al