Wendy Carrillo

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Wendy Carrillo

|image = Wendy Carrillo, 2017.jpg

|alt =

|office = Member of the California State Assembly

|constituency = 51st district (2017–2022)
52nd district (2022–2024)

|term_start = December 16, 2017

|term_end = November 30, 2024

|predecessor = Jimmy Gomez

|successor = Jessica Caloza

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|08|10}}

|birth_place = El Salvador

|death_date =

|death_place =

|nationality = American
Salvadoran (formerly)

|party = Democratic

|spouse =

|children =

|residence = Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California

|alma_mater = California State University, Los Angeles (BA)
University of Southern California (MA)

|occupation = Labor activist

|profession =

|religion =

|signature =

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Wendy Maria Carrillo Dono (born August 10, 1980) is a Salvadoran-born American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 2017 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented the 52nd State Assembly district, encompassing parts of northeastern Los Angeles and East Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-assembly-district-51-special-election-20171206-story.html|title=Labor activist Wendy Carrillo will be L.A.'s newest Assembly member|first=Javier Panzar, Ellis Simani, Michael|last=Livingston|website=Los Angeles Times|date=December 6, 2017 }} She was sworn into office by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon on December 16, 2017, after winning the special election to succeed Congressman Jimmy Gomez.{{Cite news|url=https://wendyforassembly.com/about|title=About Wendy – Wendy Carrillo for Assembly|work=Wendy Carrillo for Assembly|access-date=September 25, 2018|language=en-US}} Carrillo is the first Salvadoran immigrant and the first formerly illegal immigrant to be elected to the State Assembly.{{Cite web |url=https://laist.com/news/politics/2022-election-california-general-gomez-kim-canvasser-carrillo-porter |website=LAist |title=Canvasser Controversy Erupts In LA Congressional Race For District 34 |date=2022-11-04 |access-date=2023-04-12 |language=en-US |last=Huang |first=Josie}}

Early life and education

Wendy Carrillo was born in El Salvador on August 10, 1980, the oldest of five daughters. Her mother immigrated to the United States when Carrillo was a child, as she felt it was unsafe to remain in El Salvador due to civil war. Carrillo's mother worked as a babysitter. From this, she was able to save enough money to bring Carrillo, along with Carrillo's grandmother and aunt, to the United States.{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bogardandhoffman/2017/02/24/on-resilience-how-wendy-carrillo-went-from-fleeing-war-to-running-for-us-congress/#7d2ebb4b7695|title=On Resilience: How Wendy Carrillo Went From Fleeing War To Running For US Congress|last=Hoffman|first=Ally Bogard and Allie|work=Forbes|access-date=August 12, 2018|language=en}} She moved to Los Angeles at age 5, and grew up in Boyle Heights and City Terrace. She received residency at age 13 after her father petitioned for her. At age 21, she applied to become a naturalized citizen and was granted citizenship.

Carrillo attended Harrison Elementary, El Sereno Middle School and Roosevelt High. She is a graduate of both East Los Angeles College and Cal State Los Angeles. Carrillo earned a master's degree, with an emphasis in demography and politics, from the University of Southern California.

Earlier career

For ten years, she was the host and executive producer of a community based radio program called "Knowledge is Power" on KPWR 106 FM. Carillo also worked as a writer and producer for Nuvo TV. She was also a regular contributor to Pivot's Take Part Live, Huff Post Live, The Young Turks' The Point and Al Jazeera America. In 2014, she was the co-founder of now defunct Reported.ly, which was a social media startup that aimed at covering issues of conflict, human rights and political movements.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mediamoves.com/2014/12/wendy-carrillo-joins-startup-reported-ly.html|title=Wendy Carrillo joins startup reported.ly|date=December 17, 2014|work=Media Moves|access-date=September 25, 2018|language=en-US}} She was also a communications manager for labor union called Local 271, the Los Angeles affiliate of Service Employees International Union.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-assembly-district-51-special-election-20171206-story.html|title=Labor activist Wendy Carrillo will be L.A.'s newest Assembly member – Los Angeles Times|last=Livingston|first=Javier Panzar, Ellis Simani, Michael|website=Los Angeles Times|date=December 6, 2017 |access-date=September 25, 2018}}

In 2017, Carrillo announced her intention to run to replace then Congressman Xavier Becerra following his appointment to Attorney General of California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-wendy-carrillo-becerra-1480980235-htmlstory.html|title=Wendy Carrillo, whose mother brought her to the country from El Salvador illegally, enters race for Becerra seat|last=Wire|first=Sarah D.|website=Los Angeles Times|date=January 3, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2019}} Carrillo ultimately received 5% and lost to then State Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-robert-ahn-jimmy-gomez-1491441016-htmlstory.html|title=It's official: Robert Lee Ahn will face Jimmy Gomez in June runoff for L.A. congressional seat|last=Mai-Duc|first=Christine|website=baltimoresun.com|language=en-US|access-date=June 14, 2019}} Gomez defeated Lee Ahn, receiving 60.1% of the vote and was formally sworn in on July 11, 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/jimmy-gomez-wins-california-special-election-for-becerras-seat|title=Jimmy Gomez Wins California Special Election for Becerra's Seat|last=Bowman|first=Bridget|date=June 7, 2017|website=Roll Call|language=en|access-date=June 14, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/28/jimmy-gomez-house-congress-swearing-in-240043|title=Gomez to be sworn in to House on July 11|last=Cheney|first=Kyle|website=POLITICO|date=June 28, 2017 |language=en|access-date=June 14, 2019}}

California State Assembly

File:Wendy Carrillo @ Los Angeles Indigenous Peoples Day 2018 02.jpg in 2018.]]

Following Gomez's resignation to be formally seated in the United States House of Representatives, Carrillo announced that she would run to replace Gomez in the California State Assembly. On October 3, 2017, Carrillo received 22.2% of the vote and secured a spot in the general election.{{Cite web|url=https://laist.com/2017/10/04/ad_51_results.php|title=Wendy Carrillo And Luis López Will Likely Advance To Runoff For Jimmy Gomez's Old Assembly Seat|last=Wick|first=Julia|website=LAist|access-date=June 14, 2019|archive-date=July 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723132806/https://laist.com/2017/10/04/ad_51_results.php|url-status=dead}} Carrillo faced Planned Parenthood – Los Angeles board member Luis Lopez. On December 5, 2017, Carrillo defeated Lopez, receiving 53.5% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-luis-l-pez-concedes-assembly-election-to-1512544140-htmlstory.html|title=Luis López concedes to Wendy Carrillo in Assembly District 51 special election|last=Panzar|first=Javier|website=Los Angeles Times|date=April 13, 2018 |access-date=June 14, 2019}}

In 2018, Carrillo faced libertarian adjunct professor Christopher Stare. Carrillo easily defeated Stare as expected, receiving 86.6% of the vote. In 2020, Carrillo ran unopposed in both the primary and general election.

On October 22, 2022, Los Angeles City Councilmember-elect Eunisses Hernandez alleged that a female canvasser for Congressman Jimmy Gomez and Carrillo made anti-Asian comments about their challengers, David Kim, who is Korean-American, and Mia Livas Porter, who is Filipina-American, respectively, while visiting Hernandez's home. In late October 2022, a Highland Park voter made similar allegations except this time it involved two female canvassers. In response, both Gomez's and Carrillo's campaigns offered an apology to their challengers and reached out to Hernandez via Twitter and separate phone conversations assuring that they had taken action to ensure the canvasser(s)-in-question were no longer part of the campaign.

In June 2023, during a protest led by UNITE HERE Local 11, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Carrillo after she refused to disperse.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-06-22/l-a-city-council-members-arrested-as-hotel-workers-protest|title=L.A. City Council members, California assemblywoman arrested as hotel workers protest|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 22, 2023|last1=Wick|first1=Julia|last2=Childs|first2=Jeremy|last3=Martinez|first3=Christian}}

In April 2023, she announced her decision to run for the Los Angeles City Council district 14 against the incumbent Kevin de León, instead of running for reelection to the State Assembly.{{Cite news|url=https://boyleheightsbeat.com/wendy-carrillo-says-shes-running-for-cd-14|title=Wendy Carrillo says she’s running for CD 14|website=Boyle Heights Beat

|last=Boyle Heights Beat|date=April 28, 2023|accessdate=January 18, 2024}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-27/wendy-carrillo-kevin-de-leon-city-council|title=Column: Wendy Carrillo explains why she's running against her former ally, Kevin de León|website=Los Angeles Times|last=Arellano|first=Gustavo|date=April 27, 2023|accessdate=January 9, 2024}} Carillo lost the election held on March 5, 2024, garnering only 15% of the vote.[https://results.lavote.gov/#year=2024&election=4316 Presidential Primary Election, March 5, 2024]

Carrillo is a member of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus.{{cite web |title=Legislative Progressive Caucus |url=https://www.assembly.ca.gov/offices-caucuses/legislative-progressive-caucus |website=assembly.ca.gov |publisher=California State Assembly |access-date=11 April 2024}}

Personal life

In November 2023, Carrillo was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after crashing into two parked cars and testing over double the state’s legal alcohol limit.{{Cite news|first1=David|last1=Zahniser|first2=Richard|last2=Winton|first3=Dorany|last3=Pineda|first4=Hannah|last4=Wiley|date=3 November 2023|title='Double the legal limit': Assemblymember, L.A. council candidate arrested on suspected DUI|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-03/assembly-member-wendy-carrillo-arrested-on-suspicion-of-drunk-driving|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url-access=subscription|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215202624/www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-03/assembly-member-wendy-carrillo-arrested-on-suspicion-of-drunk-driving|archive-date=15 December 2023|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/assemblywoman-wendy-carrillo-arrested-on-suspicion-of-dui/ |website=CBSNews |title= assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo arrested on suspected DUI |date= November 3, 2023}}

Electoral history

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;" \|+ {{sronly\|Electoral history of Wendy Carrillo}} ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 \| Year ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 \| Office ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 \| Party ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 \| Primary ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 \| General ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 \| Result ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 \| Swing
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| Total ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| % ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| {{abbr\|P\|Position}}. ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| Total ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| % ! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| {{abbr\|P\|Position}}.
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| 2017 sp \| rowspan=4 \| State Assembly \| rowspan=4 style="background-color:{{party color\|Democratic Party (United States)}};" \| \| rowspan=4 \|Democratic \| 5,058 \| 22.2% \| 1st \| 11,110 \| 53.5% \| 1st \| {{yes2\|Won}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Democratic Party (United States)}};" \| \| Hold
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| 2018 \|42,547 \|100.00% \|1st \|102,276 \|86.6% \|1st \| {{yes2\|Won}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Democratic Party (United States)}};" \| \| Hold
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| 2020 \|73,578 \|100.00% \|1st \|127,026 \|100.00% \|1st \| {{yes2\|Won}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Democratic Party (United States)}};" \| \| Hold
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| 2022 \|43,040 \|49.2% \|1st \|65,039 \|56.9% \|1st \| {{yes2\|Won}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Democratic Party (United States)}};" \| \| Hold
style="background-color:#EAECF0;" \| 2024 \| City Council \| style="background-color:{{party color\|Nonpartisan}};" \| \| Nonpartisan \| 5,321 \| 15.14% \| 4th \| colspan=3 {{CNone}} \| {{no2\|Lost}} \| style="background-color:{{party color\|None}};" \| \| N/A

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"

|+ {{sronly|Electoral history of Wendy Carrillo}}

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Year

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Office

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 | Primary

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=3 | General

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" rowspan=2 | Result

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Swing

style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Total

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | %

! style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | {{abbr|P|Position}}.