Mialisa "Mia" Tania Bonta (née Villafañe; born January 26, 1972) is an American politician serving as a member of the California State Assembly. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents the 18th Assembly District, which consists of Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville.[1][2]
Mia Bonta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 18th district | |
| Assumed office September 7, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Bonta |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mialisa Tania Villafañe January 26, 1972 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Rob Bonta |
| Children | 3, including Reina |
| Education | Yale University (BA, JD) Harvard University (MEd) |
Early life and education
editBonta was born to Puerto Rican parents.[3] Some of her ancestors came to Puerto Rico from Ghana via the Atlantic slave trade.[4] She is the daughter of a divorced working mother in the Bronx. She attended Yale University, where she met Rob Bonta as a freshman.[5] Bonta earned a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education before attending Yale Law School with Rob Bonta.[6][7][8]
Career
editMia Bonta is the CEO of Oakland Promise, a nonprofit cradle-to-college support program focused on the city's low-income students.[9] In 2018, she was elected to the Alameda School Board. In 2021 she was elected as a member of the California State Assembly from the 18th district.[10]
During her special election campaigns, Bonta's opponents claimed that she benefited from her husband's position and name, and pointed to money she has received from gambling interests that may be intended to influence Rob Bonta.[11] In the primary, Bonta finished first place with 38% of the vote, and in the runoff, she defeated human rights attorney Janani Ramachandran by 56% to 44%.
Bonta is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.[12]
Personal life
editShe has three children with her husband, Rob Bonta.[9] Their daughter, Reina, is a filmmaker and plays soccer for Brazilian club Santos FC and the Philippines national team.[13][14]
Elections
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Mia Bonta | 22,558 | 38.0 | |
| Democratic | Janani Ramachandran | 14,036 | 23.7 | |
| Democratic | Malia Vella | 10,053 | 16.9 | |
| Republican | Stephen Slauson | 5,725 | 9.6 | |
| Democratic | Victor Aguilar | 3,938 | 6.6 | |
| Democratic | James Aguilar | 1,039 | 1.8 | |
| Democratic | Eugene Canson | 1,029 | 1.7 | |
| No party preference | Joel Britton | 750 | 1.3 | |
| N/A | Nelsy Batista (write-in) | 13 | 0.0 | |
| N/A | Other write-in candidates | 187 | 0.3 | |
| Total votes | 59,328 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Mia Bonta | 43,460 | 56.8 | |
| Democratic | Janani Ramachandran | 33,012 | 43.2 | |
| Total votes | 76,472 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Mia Bonta (incumbent) | 69,142 | 100% | |
| Republican | Mindy Pechenuk (write-in) | 31 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 69,173 | 100% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Mia Bonta (incumbent) | 120,863 | 89.9 | |
| Republican | Mindy Pechenuk | 13,504 | 10.1 | |
| Total votes | 134,367 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Mia Bonta Sworn in to State Assembly District 18 and the Newest Member of the California Legislative Black Caucus". Los Angeles Sentinel. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ Ruggiero, Angela (April 14, 2021). "Wife of East Bay Assemblyman Rob Bonta announces run for his seat". The Mercury News. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ "Californian Reina Bonta on playing for Brazil's Santos FC and the Philippines: 'Experiencing something very special'". May 23, 2023.
- ^ Barrow, Genoa (May 4, 2023). "Leader 'Identifies' Opportunities For Collaboration". The Sacramento Observer. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- ^ Rosenhall, Laurel (February 19, 2020). "For California lawmakers, charity can begin at home". CalMatters. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ "Courage California Voter Guide". progressivevotersguide.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ "Mia Bonta". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Cowan, Jill (March 25, 2021). "Meet Rob Bonta, California's New Attorney General". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Garofoli, Joe (June 13, 2021). "Mia Bonta explains how a name shaped her - and it isn't Bonta". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ DeBolt, David (September 1, 2021). "Updated: Mia Bonta declares victory in East Bay state Assembly race". The Oaklandside. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Garofoli, Joe (June 23, 2021). "'Legalized corruption' and a 'tinge of sexism.' Strong words fly in East Bay Assembly race". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Legislative Progressive Caucus". assembly.ca.gov. California State Assembly. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Arevalo, Donnabelle (September 29, 2022). "'Lahi': Reina Bonta Talks About How The Multi-Generational Fil-Am Experience Inspired Directorial Debut". Asian Journal. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Guban, Danica Maglian (October 4, 2022). "Filipinas footballer Reina Bonta's debut film screens in Hawai'i Int'l Film Fest". GoodNewsPilipinas.com. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ "Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 7, 2022" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "General Election - Statement of the Vote, November 8, 2022 - State Assembly" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved June 20, 2024.