Current Position: US Representative of CA District 18 since 1995 (formerly 19th) Affiliation: Democrat Other positions: Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship District: all of San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara and Monterey counties, including Salinas, Hollister, Watsonville, Gilroy, Soledad, and downtown and eastern San Jose. Upcoming Election:
Quotes:
A company can simultaneously be helping people get vaccinated & spreading misinformation. When it comes to Facebook, like President Biden, I am concerned about the latter.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren shares what she’s learned after witnessing every modern impeachment inquiry
Zoe Lofgren has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents the 18th District of California, which serves communities in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.
A lifelong Bay Area resident and the daughter of a truck driver and a cafeteria cook and, later, a secretary. Zoe attended public schools and attended Stanford University on a California State Scholarship, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1970. Prior to attending Stanford, Lofgren worked the night shift at the Eastman Kodak plant in Palo Alto to save money for non-tuition college expenses not covered by her scholarship. After graduating from Stanford, she attended Santa Clara University School of Law with the help of a scholarship, graduating cum laude in 1975. She served as a member of Congressman Don Edwards’ staff for eight years in both his San Jose and Washington DC offices from 1970 to 1978. She practiced and taught immigration law, and was a founder and first executive director of the nonprofit Community Housing Developers. She was first elected to the San Jose Evergreen Community College Board in 1979. In 1980, she was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, where she served for 14 years. Following Congressman Don Edwards’ retirement in 1994 after 32 years in Congress, Zoe was elected to the House of Representatives.
She is currently the Ranking Member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and serves on the House Judiciary Committee. Zoe is also the elected Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. It is the most diverse delegation in the House and outnumbers all other state House delegations.
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS LEADER
Zoe is known for her steadfast advocacy for immigrant communities and her expertise on U.S. immigration law and policy. She led Democrats on the House Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee during eight consecutive sessions of Congress. During the 116th Congress, Zoe led a group of bipartisan lawmakers in negotiations that resulted in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act – a comprehensive agricultural workforce reform bill that provides a path to legal status for an estimated 1.5 million farmworkers and improves the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program. The legislation was negotiated with input from farmers, agricultural stakeholders, labor organizations, and farmworker advocates. The sensible compromise is fully supported by the United Farmworkers of America and growers. The bill passed the House with overwhelming support in both the 116th and 117th Congresses. Zoe has consistently sought to cut through the divisive political rhetoric to advance commonsense immigration policy solutions, including efforts to address family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visa backlogs and to create a new visa program for immigrant entrepreneurs.
She is also a champion of top-to-bottom immigration reform, and her leadership includes extensive efforts during the 113th Congress as part of an eight-person bipartisan House working group and an original cosponsor and advocate for the U.S. Citizenship Act in the 117th Congress. Additionally, throughout her tenure in Congress, and especially during the Trump Administration, Zoe led colleagues in addressing a multitude of immigration-related crises, including increased instability in the Northern Triangle region, and calling out constitutional and other abuses of power, including Trump’s Muslim travel ban, the Migrant Protection Protocols (“Remain in Mexico” policy), and the “Zero Tolerance” policy that resulted in the separation of children from their parents at the border. Zoe also shepherded House passage of the American Dream and Promise Act for Dreamers and TPS and DED recipients, has been a constant advocate for those requiring humanitarian protection (including by promoting TPS for Ukraine, El Salvador, Haiti, Liberia, Cameroon, and Lebanon), and has worked to improve and safeguard institutions so immigrants receive humane treatment, benefits, fairness, and due process.
Zoe has been a longtime leader on anti-corruption, campaign finance, and pro-democracy reforms. She is a constitutional expert who is keenly focused on protecting Americans’ right to vote and the country’s tradition of having a peaceful transfer of power. Zoe shepherded H.R. 1, the For the People Act, through the legislative process in the 116th and 117th Congresses, culminating with its House passage twice. The sweeping package would put power back in the hands of the American people by limiting the dominance of big money in politics, making it easier – not harder – to vote, and ensuring that politicians actually serve the public interest.
Aerospace Caucus
Artificial Intelligence Caucus
California Aerospace Caucus
California Democratic Congressional Delegation (Chair)
Congressional Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus
Congressional Ahmadiyya Muslim Caucus
Congressional Animal Protection Caucus
Congressional Armenian Caucus
Congressional Autism Caucus
Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus
Congressional Bipartisan Affordable Childcare Caucus
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Congressional Caucus on Vietnam (Co-Chair)
Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Congressional Fusion Caucus
Congressional Hispanic-Serving Institution’s (HSI) Caucus
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans
Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus
Congressional Labor Caucus
Congressional Lupus Caucus
Congressional Lyme Disease Caucus
Congressional MS Caucus
Congressional Native American Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
Congressional Parkinson’s Caucus
Congressional Refugee Caucus (Co-Chair)
Congressional Sleep Health Caucus (Co-Chair)
Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease
Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome
Congressional Tourette Syndrome Caucus
Earth and Space Science Caucus
Expand Social Security Caucus
Foster Youth Caucus
FreeThought Caucus
General Aviation Caucus
Graduate Research and Development Caucus (Co-Chair)
Green Schools Caucus
HIV/AIDS Caucus
House High Speed and Passenger Rail Modernization Caucus
House Manufacturing Caucus
LGBT Equality Caucus
NASA Caucus
National Service Congressional Caucus
Planetary Science Caucus
Ports Opportunity, Renewal, Trade, and Security (PORTS) Caucus
Public Education Caucus
Research and Development Caucus
Safe Climate Caucus
Semiconductor Caucus (Co-Chair)
Specialty Crop Caucus
Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights
Urban Regional Studies Caucus
Voting Rights Caucus
Youth Challenge Caucus
Education is one of the most important issues Zoe deals with as a Member of Congress. The stakes are enormous and Zoe takes seriously her responsibility to ensure that the federal government plans and positions well in making resources available to local school districts to help educate our children.
Zoe knows that when it comes to energy policy, it is time to move away from the failed policies of the past to a new direction where protecting the environment and powering our society spur new U.S. industries that grow our economy.
As an active Member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Zoe understands the actions of all nations must be measured against the standards of international behavior to which they have agreed. Having laws alone does not guarantee that they will be enforced or respected.
As much of the United States has recovered from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in 2008, and unemployment levels have plunged, Zoe continues fighting to give Santa Clara families and businesses tools to grow their enterprises.
Zoe is the granddaughter of immigrants. She became an immigration lawyer and, before elected office, taught immigration law at the University of Santa Clara Law School. She knows that the country’s immigration laws must be reformed if the United States is to succeed in the 21st Century.
Innovation is the driving force behind a strong and growing economy, and nowhere is that better exemplified than in Silicon Valley, America’s hub of innovation. As a recognized leader and respected voice on technology issues, Zoe advocates strongly for Silicon Valley in Washington, D.C.
Zoe knows that when it comes to energy policy, it is time to move away from the failed policies of the past to a new direction where protecting the environment and powering our society spur new U.S
From an early age when Zoe spent time with her family outdoors in California’s many parks and natural places, she developed the belief that we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of the e
Our surveillance laws provide intelligence and law enforcement agencies with vast powers, but overbroad government surveillance is harmful to both civil liberties and business interests alike.
As the only advanced nation in the world that suffers from a seemingly unending string of mass shootings, it is clear Congress must take reasonable steps to address this public health crisis and ensure our communities are safe. Zoe supports the creation of a Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention in the House to examine our existing firearms purchaser background check system as well as other methods to prevent and reduce gun violence.
As an original member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Zoe knows that our national security does not need to violate our constitutionally protected rights.
Patents are a critical source of our economic vitality, but abusive patent litigation takes a tremendous toll on government and private sector resources.
California’s 18th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren. Since the 2022 election, the district is landlocked and includes all of San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara and Monterey counties, including Salinas, Hollister, Watsonville, Gilroy, Soledad, and downtown and eastern San Jose.
Due to the presence of Silicon Valley, the district had a median household income of $149,375, the second highest of any congressional district in the country. After redistricting, the district picked up agricultural areas of Monterey County, and its median household income dropped substantially, to $90,456.
In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins.[8] Returning to San Jose, she worked in Don Edwards’s district office while earning her J.D. degree. After two years as partner at a San Jose immigration law firm, she was elected to the board of San Jose City College. In 1981, she was elected to the Santa Clara CountyBoard of Supervisors, representing downtown San Jose and nearby communities, where she served for 13 years.[11]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 1994, Lofgren entered a six-way Democratic primary in what was then the 16th district, when Edwards retired after 32 years in Congress. The district, then as now, is a Democratic stronghold, and it was understood that whoever won the Democratic primary would be only the second person to represent this district since its creation in 1963 (it was numbered as the 9th district from 1963 to 1975, as the 10th from 1975 to 1993, the 16th from 1993 to 2013, and has been the 19th since 2013). A decided underdog, she managed to defeat the favorite, former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery, by just over 1,100 votes. She breezed to victory in November, and has been reelected every two years since with no substantive opposition.
During the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections, Lofgren’s campaign paid approximately $350,000 to two businesses her husband operates: Collins and Day and John Marshall Collins P.C. over a six-year period to support campaign efforts.[12]
Lofgren chairs the 46-member California Democratic Congressional Delegation. She serves on the Judiciary Committee and chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. In 2007, she co-sponsored[13] the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, which the ACLU characterized as “legislating against thought”.[14] In April 2011, she became the first member of Congress to call for federal investigation into the Secure Communities deportation program.[15]
In May 2016, Lofgren was publicly reprimanded during a House Judiciary Committee hearing after calling witness Gail Heriot of the United States Commission on Civil Rights an “ignorant bigot” because Heriot’s written testimony before the hearing had suggested that calling oneself a female does not cause one to be a female.[21] Following the oral warning from acting committee chairman Steve King, Lofgren responded, “I cannot allow that kind of bigotry to go into the record unchallenged”.[22]
Lofgren is pro-choice[39] and has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America, an organization that advocates for abortion rights and tracks congressional records on the topic.[40] In 2013, she was chosen as the lead House Democrat to argue against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after the mother was 20 weeks pregnant. Lofgren said, “Passage of the bill is wrong. It’s the wrong policy for the freedom of American women.”[39] She opposed the overturning ofRoe v. Wade, calling it “a bleak day” and vowing to keep abortion safe and accessible in California.[41]
Tech policy
Lofgren, whose district covers much of Silicon Valley, has been noted for her activity in tech industry regulation and privacy policy.[3] In 2012, she was one of two Democrats in Congress to oppose the Federal Trade Commission‘s (FTC) then-ongoing antitrust probe of Google.[42] Lofgren criticized the European Commission‘s decision to fine Google $2.7 billion in 2017 over alleged anti-competitive behavior, arguing that the fine was “unfair to the U.S. companies participating in European markets”.
In 2013, in the wake of the prosecution and subsequent suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz (who used a script to download scholarly research articles in excess of what JSTOR terms of service allowed), Lofgren introduced a bill, Aaron’s Law (H.R. 2454, S. 1196[43]) to exclude terms of service violations from the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and from the wire fraud statute.[44] By May 2014, Aaron’s Law had stalled in committee. Brian Knappenberger, author of a documentary on Swartz, alleges this occurred due to Oracle Corporation‘s financial interest in maintaining the status quo.[45]
In 2021, Lofgren opposed a series of bipartisan proposals aiming to “break up” Big Tech companies through antitrust enforcement.[46] Alongside a group of other members of the California congressional delegation, she criticized the “antitrust package” due to concerns about its impact on the U.S. tech industry.[47] Following allegations that Lofgren’s opposition to antitrust measures were potentially influenced by her daughter’s employment as a corporate counsel for Google, Lofgren was defended by colleagues Ro Khanna and Anna Eshoo, who called these criticisms “ad hominem attacks”.[48]
In 2025, Lofgren introduced the Foreign Anti‑Digital Piracy Act (FADPA), which establishes a procedure allowing copyright owners and exclusive licensees to ask U.S. district courts to require internet providers to block access to foreign websites or online services that are alleged to facilitate copyright infringement.[51]
Energy policy
Lofgren has routinely voted for bills that would expand renewable energy investments. She believes that a clean energy infrastructure is required to curb the effects of climate change.[52][53][54] In 2018, Lofgren co-sponsored the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act.[55] In February 2019, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal resolution (H.Res. 109).[56]
Health care
Lofgren is a member of the Medicare for All Caucus and co-sponsored the legislation introduced by Representative John Conyers in 2017. She rescinded her sponsorship of a similar bill introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal in 2019, arguing that the bill’s two-year timeline was not feasible.[36] Lofgren continues to support a public option for health insurance,[57] and 2021 co-sponsored Jayapal’s bill to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60.[58]
Congress hands China another win, The Hill, March 22, 2024[82]
Personal life
In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins, an attorney.[8][83] The couple met at an election party.[84] They have two children and twin grandsons.[85] Lofgren’s daughter, Sheila Collins, is a corporate counsel at Google.[86][87]
In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins.[8] Returning to San Jose, she worked in Don Edwards's district office while earning her J.D. degree. After two years as partner at a San Jose immigration law firm, she was elected to the board of San Jose City College. In 1981, she was elected to the Santa Clara CountyBoard of Supervisors, representing downtown San Jose and nearby communities, where she served for 13 years.[11]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 1994, Lofgren entered a six-way Democratic primary in what was then the 16th district, when Edwards retired after 32 years in Congress. The district, then as now, is a Democratic stronghold, and it was understood that whoever won the Democratic primary would be only the second person to represent this district since its creation in 1963 (it was numbered as the 9th district from 1963 to 1975, as the 10th from 1975 to 1993, the 16th from 1993 to 2013, and has been the 19th since 2013). A decided underdog, she managed to defeat the favorite, former San Jose mayor Tom McEnery, by just over 1,100 votes. She breezed to victory in November, and has been reelected every two years since with no substantive opposition.
During the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections, Lofgren's campaign paid approximately $350,000 to two businesses her husband operates: Collins and Day and John Marshall Collins P.C. over a six-year period to support campaign efforts.[12]
Lofgren chairs the 46-member California Democratic Congressional Delegation. She serves on the Judiciary Committee and chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. In 2007, she co-sponsored[13] the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, which the ACLU characterized as "legislating against thought".[14] In April 2011, she became the first member of Congress to call for federal investigation into the Secure Communities deportation program.[15]
In May 2016, Lofgren was publicly reprimanded during a House Judiciary Committee hearing after calling witness Gail Heriot of the United States Commission on Civil Rights an "ignorant bigot" because Heriot's written testimony before the hearing had suggested that calling oneself a female does not cause one to be a female.[21] Following the oral warning from acting committee chairman Steve King, Lofgren responded, "I cannot allow that kind of bigotry to go into the record unchallenged".[22]
Lofgren is pro-choice[39] and has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America, an organization that advocates for abortion rights and tracks congressional records on the topic.[40] In 2013, she was chosen as the lead House Democrat to argue against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have banned abortions after the mother was 20 weeks pregnant. Lofgren said, "Passage of the bill is wrong. It's the wrong policy for the freedom of American women."[39] She opposed the overturning ofRoe v. Wade, calling it "a bleak day" and vowing to keep abortion safe and accessible in California.[41]
Tech policy
Lofgren, whose district covers much of Silicon Valley, has been noted for her activity in tech industry regulation and privacy policy.[3] In 2012, she was one of two Democrats in Congress to oppose the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) then-ongoing antitrust probe of Google.[42] Lofgren criticized the European Commission's decision to fine Google $2.7 billion in 2017 over alleged anti-competitive behavior, arguing that the fine was "unfair to the U.S. companies participating in European markets".
In 2013, in the wake of the prosecution and subsequent suicide of Internet activist Aaron Swartz (who used a script to download scholarly research articles in excess of what JSTOR terms of service allowed), Lofgren introduced a bill, Aaron's Law (H.R. 2454, S. 1196[43]) to exclude terms of service violations from the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and from the wire fraud statute.[44] By May 2014, Aaron's Law had stalled in committee. Brian Knappenberger, author of a documentary on Swartz, alleges this occurred due to Oracle Corporation's financial interest in maintaining the status quo.[45]
In 2021, Lofgren opposed a series of bipartisan proposals aiming to "break up" Big Tech companies through antitrust enforcement.[46] Alongside a group of other members of the California congressional delegation, she criticized the "antitrust package" due to concerns about its impact on the U.S. tech industry.[47] Following allegations that Lofgren's opposition to antitrust measures were potentially influenced by her daughter's employment as a corporate counsel for Google, Lofgren was defended by colleagues Ro Khanna and Anna Eshoo, who called these criticisms "ad hominem attacks".[48]
In 2025, Lofgren introduced the Foreign Anti‑Digital Piracy Act (FADPA), which establishes a procedure allowing copyright owners and exclusive licensees to ask U.S. district courts to require internet providers to block access to foreign websites or online services that are alleged to facilitate copyright infringement.[51]
Energy policy
Lofgren has routinely voted for bills that would expand renewable energy investments. She believes that a clean energy infrastructure is required to curb the effects of climate change.[52][53][54] In 2018, Lofgren co-sponsored the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act.[55] In February 2019, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal resolution (H.Res. 109).[56]
Health care
Lofgren is a member of the Medicare for All Caucus and co-sponsored the legislation introduced by Representative John Conyers in 2017. She rescinded her sponsorship of a similar bill introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal in 2019, arguing that the bill's two-year timeline was not feasible.[36] Lofgren continues to support a public option for health insurance,[57] and 2021 co-sponsored Jayapal's bill to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60.[58]
Congress hands China another win, The Hill, March 22, 2024[82]
Personal life
In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins, an attorney.[8][83] The couple met at an election party.[84] They have two children and twin grandsons.[85] Lofgren's daughter, Sheila Collins, is a corporate counsel at Google.[86][87]
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Zoe Lofgren has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents the 18th District of California, which serves communities in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.
California’s 18th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren. Since the 2022 election, the district is landlocked and includes all of San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara and Monterey counties, including Salinas, Hollister, Watsonville, Gilroy, Soledad, and downtown and eastern San Jose.
