Anthony Rendon (born March 4, 1968) is an American politician who served as the 70th speaker of the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party he is the second-longest serving speaker in California history (and the longest-serving speaker to serve his first term after the adoption of California's term limits).[1] Since 2022, he has represented the 62nd district, located in the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, including the cities of South Gate, Lynwood, and Paramount. He previously represented the 63rd district from 2012 to 2022.
In 2023, POLITICO reported that Rendon's speakership was "one of California's most consequential speakerships", and that he "has presided over a progressive policy bonanza", as California "hiked the minimum wage, gave farmworkers overtime, enacted ambitious climate laws, expanded early childhood education, and delivered landmark labor wins".[2]
Rendon was born on March 4, 1968[3] in Silver Lake,[4] a neighborhood in central Los Angeles. His grandparents immigrated from Mexico to the United States during the 1920s.[5] He grew up in a working class family that frequently moved around the Los Angeles area.[4] His father, Tom Rendon,[6] worked multiple jobs, including for a mobile home company, and his mother, Gloria Rendon,[6] was a teacher's aide at a Catholic school.[7]
Rendon attended California High School, Whittier, graduating in 1986.[7] He has stated that he was a "terrible student."[8] At the age of 20, he enrolled in and attended Cerritos College, a community college in Norwalk, California, before earning a bachelor's degree and master's degree from California State University, Fullerton.[9][10] After receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship,[11] Rendon earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Riverside,[7] graduating in 2000.[12] He completed post-doctoral work at Boston University.[12]
Prior to becoming a member of the California State Assembly, Rendon was the executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, an organization that provides child development and social and medical services throughout Los Angeles County.[13] He was also the interim executive director of the California League of Conservation Voters, a lobbying organization dedicated to environmental issues.[14] He worked with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in early childhood education efforts.[15] From 2001 to 2008, he was an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at California State University, Fullerton.[11]
During his first term in office, Rendon was chair of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife and authored Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion state water bond, which voters approved in the November 2014 election.[16]
In 2013, Rendon authored Assembly Bill 711, a statewide ban on lead hunting ammunition, that was signed into law.[17]
In 2015, Rendon was named chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.[18]
On September 3, 2015, Rendon was selected to be the next Assembly Speaker.[19] The formal vote electing Rendon as Speaker occurred on January 11. The vote was unanimous, with the Republican leader seconding the motion.[20]
Rendon brought back the tradition of past California Assembly speakers of carrying no legislation himself, but focusing on empowering the members of the chamber.[21] Despite this, he has made certain priorities of his known, including wildfire planning, and continuing to address poverty and educational deficits in California.[22]
On February 19, 2021, The Sacramento Bee reported that nonprofit organizations associated with Rendon's wife, Annie Lam, had received over $500,000 in donations and event sponsorships from over a dozen companies that had business interests at stake with the legislature.[23] In 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported that she received an unusually large income ($600,000 in 2022) from her job as a consultant, much of it from organizations with business before the legislature, and reported that others in government were concerned about ethical considerations.[24]
In November 2022 due to a rift in the Assembly Democratic Caucus between its progressive and moderate members, the caucus voted to replace Rendon with Assemblymember Robert Rivas as the next speaker of the California State Assembly. With Rendon to remain as Speaker until June 30, 2023.[25]
Rendon is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.[26]
Rendon resides in Lakewood, California. In December 2014, Rendon married Annie Lam in a ceremony officiated by former California State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez.[29]