Toni Atkins

Toni G. Atkins (born August 1, 1962) is an American Democratic politician from San Diego, California. She is the Speaker of the California State Assembly and a member representing the 78th district. In January 2014 she was elected by the Democratic caucus to be the next Speaker of the Assembly, and on March 17, 2014, she was unanimously elected Speaker by the full Assembly. She is the third woman and the first acknowledged lesbian to be elected to that position. She is the first lawmaker from San Diego to be elected Speaker. She formerly served on the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008, including a term as Acting Mayor. She served as the acting governor of California for nine hours on July 30, 2014, making her the first openly gay governor of California.

Early life and education

She was born in poverty in Wythe County in southwest Virginia. Her father was a miner and her mother a seamstress; she grew up in a home with no running water. She earned a BA in political science from Emory and Henry College, focusing on community organizing. She later attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Atkins relocated to San Diego in 1985.