Jackie Speier

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Representative, California State Assembly
Jackie Speier
California State Senator Jackie Speier
County Supervisor
In office 1980 – 1986
Constituency	San Mateo County, California
In office 1986 – Unknown
Senator, California State Senate
In office 1998 – 2006
Succeeded by	Leland Yee^[1]

Born	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Barry Dennis
Children	2
Residence	California
Website	2006 Lt. Governor candidate

Jackie Speier is a former Democratic member of the California State Senate representing San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.

1 Education
2 Jonestown
3 Political Career
4 Family
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Education

Born in San Francisco
Earned a B.A. from the University of California, Davis
Earned a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1976.

[edit] Jonestown

Jackie Speier was a congressional staff person for Congressman Leo Ryan, she was part of the November 18, 1978, fact-finding mission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by the Reverend Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple followers in Jonestown^[2]. While the investigative team was boarding the plane to leave, they were fired at by Jones' followers. Five people died, including Ryan. Speier was shot five times, waited for 22 hours for help to arrive and survived^[3]. That same day many of the remaining members of Jim Jones' cult committed mass suicide/murder. Over 900 people died that day and it remains the most massive cult mass suicide and murder (as some victims were children and others were forced to participate). The investigative trip was initiated by the father of a child member as well as other concerned family of members.

Speier's political career began with an unsuccessful run to fill the vacancy left by Congressman Ryan after his murder in Jonestown^[2]. The Jonestown experience left her with a commitment to serve and she has remained in political office since then.

[edit] Political Career

[edit] San Mateo County

Speier was first elected in 1980 as a San Mateo County Supervisor. She was re-elected in 1984 and served as Chair of San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. She was the youngest member to serve on the Board of Supervisors, beating out a 20-year incumbent^[3].

[edit] California State Assembly

After two terms as San Mateo County Supervisor, she won her bid to the California State Assembly by several hundred votes in 1986. In 1994, she was nominated in a dual party nomination by both Republicans and Democrats for the State Assembly. A Dual nomination has only occurred twice in California history. This dual party nomination was a tribute to her popularity and taking on issues that were of concern to California's citizens such as breast feeding and privacy rights.

Speier was serving in the State Assembly when her husband Dr. Steven Sierra was killed in an automobile accident. At the time of his death she was pregnant with their second child. She was the first member of the California Legislature to give birth while in office. After being termed out she worked two jobs in the private sector, to support her two children. She had been making a bid for Secretary of State at that time.

[edit] California State Senate

Caltrain Locomotive Named after Jackie Speier

Speier returned to public service, and was elected in 1998 as a California State Senator.

In 2006 Speier ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant governor of California against insurance commissioner John Garamendi and state senator Liz Figueroa. At the June 6, 2006 elections, Speier was defeated by Garamendi in a close race. John Garamendi received 42.9%, Speier received 39.3%, Liz Figueroa received 17.8% of the vote.

As a state senator Speier was instrumental in securing $127 million funding for major service improvements to CalTrain, for which the commuter rail agency named a new locomotive (no. 925) for her.

Senator Speier was termed out of the California State Senate in 2006. Speier served as assistant president pro tempore of the California State Senate during her last term.