Caroline Menjivar

Caroline Menjivar is an American politician and United States Marine Corps veteran. She has served as a member of the California State Senate since 2022. A Democrat, she represents the 20th district. She became the first LGBTQ legislator to represent San Fernando Valley.

Early life
Menjivar's parents were immigrants from El Salvador, who moved to the United States during the country's civil war and met at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, California. The family moved to the San Fernando Valley, where Menjivar was born and raised. She attended Encino Charter Elementary School. Her mother worked as a house cleaner and her father was a waiter at a country club in Studio City. They later opened a car dealership. When she was 14, Menjivar began working as a cashier at a restaurant. She graduated from Reseda High School. Her family was evicted from their home when she was 18, as a result of the 2008 financial crash.

Menjivar applied for a position with the Los Angeles Fire Department but was rejected and instead joined the U. S. Marine Corps, serving between 2009 and 2016, at a time when "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was in operation. She then began working as an EMT while earning her bachelor's degree in sociology from California State University, Northridge. While working for the Los Angeles Mayor's Gender Equity Office as a David Bohnett Fellow. She received a masters of social welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating, she worked for former Los Angeles Councilwoman Nury Martinez as a field deputy and for former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti where, as the East Valley representative, she organized the first LGBTQ+ Pride Car Parade in San Fernando Valley.

Political career
Menjivar decided to run for the 20th district of the California State Senate in the 2022 state elections. She ran against Daniel Hertzberg, the son of the previous senator for the area, Robert Hertzberg, who was endorsed by the legislature's LGBTQ caucus. Menjivar faced criticism during the election after an audio recording of her former boss, Martinez, making racist statements was leaked. She was endorsed in the election by state senator Henry Stern, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, California Environmental Voters and the Los Angeles Times.

In the primary election on June 7, 2022, Menjivar received 29.76% of the vote, coming in second place behind Hertzberg, who received 30.82%. She won the general election with 58.46% of the vote and was sworn in to the state senate on December 5, 2022. She became the first LGBTQ legislator to represent San Fernando Valley. She was appointed to the senate's budget subcommittee #3 on health and human services, and other committees focusing on health, human services and veterans affairs.

Personal life
Menjivar is married to Jocelyn Tapia, a marriage and family therapist. She is a member of the board of directors for the Los Angeles chapter of GLSEN.