Angelique Ashby
Angelique V. Ashby is an American politician and a member of the California State Senate since 2023. A Democrat, she represents the 8th district. Before joining the legislature, she was elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2010, where she served for 12 years. Early life 
Ashby graduated from Sacramento High School. Her father was formerly the head of the state's foster care program. She became a single mom at 20, before receiving her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. She founded a consulting firm to create programs to assist parolees, foster children and incarcerated women. Political career 
Ashby was elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2010, representing the first district. She served as the vice mayor or mayor pro tem nine times during her 12 years on the council. She was the only female councilmember for over six years and the first to give birth while in office. Ashby focused on homelessness, school funding and climate change. 2022 state elections 
In the 2022 state elections, Ashby contested the 8th district in the California State Senate. The race between her and the former insurance commissioner Dave Jones was one of the closest and most expensive in the region, with $14.5 million spent on the race according to Cal Matters. Both candidates ran as Democrats, with Ashby seen as the moderate candidate and Jones as the progressive. She was endorsed by the previous state senator for the area, Richard Pan, Governor Gavin Newsom, former governor Jerry Brown and the organization EMILY's List. During the race, Jones successfully sued the California Secretary of State to remove Ashby's ballet designation as a "women's advocate". She amended it to "city councilwoman". Ashby came second to Jones in the primary election on June 7, 2022, with 41% of the vote to Jones' 46%. She won the general election on November 8, 2022, with 51% of the vote. Jones conceded on November 29. She and fellow state senator Stephanie Nguyen were the first women elected to the state legislature from Sacramento County in 20 years. Personal life 
Ashby's husband is an emergency room nurse. References

External links 
 Official website
 Angelique Ashby at Ballotpedia
 Campaign Website

Living people
Politicians from Ashland, Oregon
Sacramento City Council members
Women city councillors in California
Democratic Party California state senators
Women state legislators in California
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century American politicians
University of California, Davis alumni
McGeorge School of Law alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)