Biography

Assemblymember Tom Torlakson represents California's 11th Assembly District, which includes the northern half of Contra Costa County.

Tom was elected on November 4, 2008, to a final term as a member of the California State Assembly. He previously served in the California State Senate from 2000-2008 and the State Assembly from 1996-2000.

While a member of the State Senate, Tom ended his term as the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He previously chaired the Senate Majority Caucus, Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, and Senate Local Government Committee. He served as a member of the Education Committee and the Transportation and Housing Committee. Tom also chaired the Senate Select Committee on Schools and Community.

An avid runner, bicyclist, and triathlete, Tom is the Chair and Founder of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness, a group seeking to raise the profile of health and fitness in the public schools and in the workplace.

Tom's career in public service began as a science teacher in 1972. He was elected to the Antioch City Council in 1978, and then served on the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors for 16 years.

Tom was born in San Francisco in 1949. He served as a Merchant Marine during the Vietnam War. He earned a B.A. in History in 1971, a Life Secondary Teaching Credential, and an M.A. in Education in 1977 from UC-Berkeley.