Nanette Barragán

Nanette Diaz Barragán (; born September 15, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 44th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she used to be a Hermosa Beach City Councillor from 2013 to 2015.

Early life and education
Barragán was born in Harbor City, Los Angeles; she grew up the youngest of eleven siblings, raised by immigrants from Mexico in Torrance and the surrounding area, where she attended North Torrance High School and played softball. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2000 and her Juris Doctor at the University of Southern California in 2005. There, where she was part of the Interdisciplinary Law Journal.

During college and until 2003, Barragán worked as the executive director of the Gillian S. Fuller Foundation (formerly the Fuller Foundation); she was in charge of giving money to worthy nonprofits focused on education, the environment, and youth programs. Funded organizations included Heal the Bay, the Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Para Los Niños, Proyecto Pastoral, and Literacy Partners.

Legal career
In 2003, Barragán was as an extern to Justice Carlos Moreno at the California Supreme Court. In 2004, she worked as an extern at the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation, a law firm for low-income people in Los Angeles. There she helped pro per workers who needed help filing claims for unpaid overtime and meal breaks.

In 2005, Barragán got an externship at the United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California where she worked with lawyers in the Organized Crime and Terrorism section. While there Barragán helped on a money laundering trial team, in investigations, and in prosecuting Central Violations Bureau cases.

Barragán then joined Latham & Watkins LLP, where she worked on cases from land use to securities. While at Latham, Barragán was the lead lawyer in an immigration asylum case for a mother and child from Guatemala that took three years. After Hurricane Katrina, Barragán and her colleague Blake Megdal flew to Biloxi, Mississippi to provide pro bono help to victims of the hurricane withinsurance claims. She also served as a child advocate and was the Spanish-speaking adoption lawyer for low income families seeking adoptions.

Early political career 
Barragán started her political work with the Clinton White House in the Office of Public Liaison. She was doing African American outreach, and helped the President with African American groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1999, Barragán worked with the NAACP's Washington Bureau. Afterwards, she volunteered for many federal and local candidates while on the Board of the L.A. County Young Democrats for three years prior to attending law school.

In 2012, Barragán took a break from her law firm to move to Florida to work on President Barack Obama's campaign with the voter protection team. She worked as the out-of-state volunteer lawyer director and recruited other lawyers across the country to volunteer in Florida to make sure every eligible voter had the chance to vote.

Hermosa Beach City Council 
In 2013, after working in Florida for Obama, Barragán ran for Hermosa Beach City Council, fighting an oil company's proposal to drill 34 oil and water injection wells in Hermosa Beach and into the Santa Monica Bay. Barragán beat six candidates and was the top vote-getter. She became the first Latina ever elected and the first woman in ten years.

She resigned from office on July 31, 2015 to run for Congress in the state's 44th district.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2016 
Barragán announced her candidacy for California's 44th congressional district on Equal Pay Day in mid-April 2015. The seat was held by Democrat Janice Hahn, who decided to run for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2016.

In June 2015, a local newspaper said that her reason for running was that "The district is one where only 60 percent graduate from high school and 10 percent go on to college. That's how people live. I'm one of those 10-percenters who beat the odds. (…) I've achieved the American dream. Now I’m coming home to make sure others have the same shot at the dream."

After announcing her candidacy, Barragán received major endorsements, including EMILY's List， National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC)， the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV)， the Latino Victory Project， South Gate Mayor Henry Gonzalez (ret.), South Gate Council members Bill De Witt, Maria Davila and Belen Bernal， Carson Commissioner Janice Schaffer, and many of congressional members including Rep. Linda Sanchez, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Eric Swalwell, Raul Ruiz, Ruben Gallego, Joaquin Castro, and Lois Frankel.

In the November 8 general election, Barragán beat state senator Isadore Hall III to replace Hahn.

Committee assignments 
 Committee on Homeland Security
 Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
 Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency
 Committee on Natural Resources
 Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
 Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans

Caucus membership 
 Congressional Hispanic Caucus
 Congressional Progressive Caucus
 Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
 Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
 Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

References

Other websites
 Congresswoman Nanette Barragán official US House website
 Campaign website
 
 
 

1976 births
21st-century American politicians
Living people
United States representatives from California
US Democratic Party politicians
Lawyers from Los Angeles
Politicians from Los Angeles