Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

Zoe Lofgren has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents the 19th District of California, based in the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” San Jose. A lifelong Bay Area resident and the daughter of a truck driver, Zoe attended public schools in Palo Alto and attended Stanford University on a scholarship, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1970. She attended, with the help of a scholarship, Santa Clara University School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1975. She served as a member of Congressman Don Edwards’ staff for eight years in both his San Jose and Washington DC offices. While practicing and teaching immigration law, she was first elected to the San Jose Evergreen Community College Board in 1979. In 1980, she was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors where she served for 14 years. Following Congressman Don Edwards’ retirement in 1994 after 32 years in Congress, Zoe was elected to the House of Representatives. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, and the Committee on House Administration As the highest ranking Democrat and former chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, and a longtime immigration attorney and law professor, Zoe is recognized as an established champion of comprehensive immigration reform and a national leader in immigration policy. During the 113th Congress she played a key role in negotiating a comprehensive reform bill in the House Representatives as part of an eight-person bipartisan working group. Interview by Daniel Kunkel Produced by Scott Bolin Song by Joel Adam Russell