Assemblymember Hector De La Torre was elected to the 50th Assembly District in November 2004 and represents eight cities in southeast Los Angeles County, including Downey, and two unincorporated areas.

De La Torre serves on the following standing committees: Budget, Health, Local Government, Public Safety, and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

He served nearly 8 years on the city council of his native City of South Gate, including 2 years as mayor. First elected in 1997, then-Councilmember De La Torre fought for honest and effective government, leading South Gate residents in a grassroots campaign to recall corrupt elected officials, stabilize the city’s financial condition, and rebuild public trust.

As a city councilmember, Assemblymember De La Torre worked to enhance the quality of life in South Gate by building new parks, investing in local infrastructure, attracting economic development, and improving communications between the police and the community. In order to alleviate overcrowding, De La Torre fought for new and better school facilities.

De La Torre has worked to bring health care solutions to the residents of the 50th Assembly District and is honored to serve on the Select Committee on the Los Angeles Health Care Crisis. He has fought to re-invest in our educational system and tackle local infrastructure needs during his legislative tenure.

Assemblymember De La Torre majored in Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles and attended graduate school at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. While in our nation's capital, he interned on the education staff of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee and served on the staffs of two Members of Congress. Later, he was appointed the Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration.

Upon returning to South Gate, Assemblymember De La Torre accepted a position as a corporate project manager in communications. Most recently, he served as a judicial administrator with the Superior Court in Los Angeles County.

Assemblymember De La Torre and his wife, Christine, live in South Gate with their children Elinor, Henrik, and Emilia.