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Zoe Lofgren
Zoe Lofgren Official Portrait 2024.jpeg
Ranking Member of the House Science Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded by Frank Lucas
Chair of the House Administration Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by Gregg Harper
Succeeded by Bryan Steil
Chair of the House Ethics Committee
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by Gene Green (acting)
Succeeded by Jo Bonner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
Assumed office
January 3, 1995
Preceded by Don Edwards
Constituency 16th district (1995–2013)
19th district (2013–2023)
18th district (2023–present)
Personal details
Born
Susan Ellen Lofgren

(1947-12-21) December 21, 1947 (age 77)
San Mateo, California, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse
John Collins
(m. 1978)
Children 2
Education Stanford University (BA)
Santa Clara University (JD)

Susan Ellen "Zoe" Lofgren (/ˈz ˈlɒfɡrɪn/ ZO-_-LOFF-grin; born December 21, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a U.S. representative from California. A member of the Democratic Party, Lofgren is in her 15th term in Congress, having been first elected in 1994. Lofgren has long served on the House Judiciary Committee, and chaired the House Administration Committee in the 116th and 117th Congresses.

Lofgren was the 16th district's first female U.S. representative, before part of the district was redistricted into the 19th congressional district. The district covers much of Santa Clara County, including Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and most of San Jose. Representing a district covering much of Silicon Valley, Lofgren has been noted for her activity in tech-related policy areas such as net neutrality and digital surveillance.

Early life, education and career

Lofgren was born in San Mateo, California, the daughter of Mary Violet, a school cafeteria employee, and Milton R. Lofgren, a beer truck driver. Her grandfather was Swedish. Lofgren attended Gunn High School (1966) in Palo Alto, and while in high school, Lofgren was a member of the Junior State of America, a student-run political debate, activism, and student governance organization. She earned her B.A. degree in political science from Stanford University in 1970 and her Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1975.

After graduating from Stanford, Lofgren worked as a House Judiciary Committee staffer for Congressman Don Edwards when the committee prepared articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon.

In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins. 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 County Board of Supervisors, representing downtown San Jose and nearby communities, where she served for 13 years.

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 since been reelected 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.

Tenure

Zoe Lofgren 109th pictorial
Lofgren during the
109th Congress

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 the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, which the ACLU characterized as "legislating against thought". In April 2011, she became the first member of Congress to call for federal investigation into the Secure Communities deportation program.

Beginning in 2009, Lofgren served as chair of the House Ethics Committee. In doing so, she presided over a rare sanction of censure, against longtime member Charles B. Rangel. In 2009, Lofgren was appointed and served as an impeachment manager in the impeachment trial of Judge Samuel B. Kent. In 2010, Lofgren was appointed and served as an impeachment manager (prosecutor) in the impeachment trial of Judge Thomas Porteous.

In the Stop Online Piracy Act House Judiciary Committee hearings, she defended the current state of the internet in opposition of the bill. .....

In February 2013, Lofgren became one of the sponsors of the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act to expedite open access to taxpayer-funded research.

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. 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".

In January 2020, Lofgren was selected as one of seven impeachment managers who presented the impeachment case against President Donald Trump during his first trial before the United States Senate. This marked her third time serving as an impeachment manager.

As of October 2021, Lofgren had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.

Zoe Lofgren by Gage Skidmore
Lofgren speaking to the California Democratic Party State Convention in June 2019

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:

  • Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Ranking Member)
    • As Ranking Member of the committee, Rep. Lofgren is entitled to sit as an ex officio member in all subcommittee meetings, per the committee's rules.
  • Committee on the Judiciary
    • Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
    • Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
    • Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust

Caucuses

  • Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate member, former)
  • Congressional Progressive Caucus (former)
  • Congressional Arts Caucus
  • Afterschool Caucuses
  • Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
  • Congressional Freethought Caucus
  • Medicare for All Caucus
  • Congressional Coalition on Adoption

Political positions

Tech policy

Lofgren, whose district covers much of Silicon Valley, has been noted for her activity in tech industry regulation and privacy policy. In 2012, she was one of two Democrats in Congress to oppose the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) then-ongoing antitrust probe of Google. 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". ..... 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.

In 2021, Lofgren opposed a series of bipartisan proposals aiming to "break up" Big Tech companies through antitrust enforcement. 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. 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".

In 2022, Lofgren was one of 16 Democrats to vote against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.

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. In 2018, Lofgren co-sponsored the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. In February 2019, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal resolution (H.Res. 109).

Health care

Lofgren is a member of the Medicare for All Caucus and co-sponsored the Medicare for All legislation introduced by Representative John Conyers in 2017. However, 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. Lofgren continues to support a public option for health insurance, and 2021 co-sponsored Jayapal's bill to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60.

Net neutrality

Lofgren is a supporter of net neutrality policies to prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from engaging in data discrimination. In 2018, she signed a discharge petition to force a vote on net neutrality protections in Congress.

Electoral history

California's 16th congressional district

California's 16th congressional district Democratic Primary election, June 7, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren 16,168 45.3
Democratic Tom McEnery 15,037 42.2
Democratic Dick Lane 1,537 4.3
Democratic Cynthia Williamson 1,414 4.0
Democratic Tom Harney 780 2.2
Democratic Edward R. Dykes 721 2.0
Total votes 35,657 100.0
Turnout  
California's 16th congressional district election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren 74,935 65.0
Republican Lyle J. Smith 40,409 35.0
No party Fred Luke Barraza (write-in) 8 0.0
Total votes 115,352 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 94,020 65.7
Republican Chuck Wojslaw 43,197 30.2
Libertarian David Bonino 4,124 2.8
Natural Law Abaan Abu-Shumays 1,866 1.3
Total votes 143,207 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 85,503 72.82
Republican Horace Eugene Thayn 27,494 23.42
Natural Law John H. Black 4,417 3.76
Total votes 117,414 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 115,118 72.1
Republican Horace "Gene" Thayn 37,213 23.3
Libertarian Dennis Michael Umphress 4,742 3.0
Natural Law Edward J. Klein 2,673 1.6
Total votes 159,746 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 72,370 67.1
Republican Douglas Adams McNea 32,182 29.8
Libertarian Dennis Michael Umphress 3,434 3.1
Total votes 104,556 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 129,222 70.9
Republican Douglas Adams McNea 47,992 26.4
Libertarian Markus Welch 5,067 2.7
Total votes 182,281 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 98,929 72.8
Republican Charel Winston 37,130 27.2
Total votes 136,059 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 146,481 71.3
Republican Charel Winston 49,399 24.1
Libertarian Steven Wells 9,447 4.6
Total votes 205,327 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
California's 16th congressional district election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 105,841 67.9
Republican Daniel Sahagun 37,913 24.3
Libertarian Edward M. Gonzalez 12,304 7.8
Total votes 156,058 100.0
Democratic hold

California's 19th congressional district

California's 19th congressional district election, 2012
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 60,726 65.2
Republican Robert Murray 21,421 23.0
Republican Phat Nguyen 7,192 7.7
No party preference Jay Cabrera 3,829 4.1
Total votes 93,168 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 162,300 73.2
Republican Robert Murray 59,313 26.8
Total votes 221,613 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 19th congressional district election, 2014
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 63,845 76.0
Democratic Robert Murray 20,132 24.0
Total votes 83,977 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 85,888 67.2
Democratic Robert Murray 41,900 32.8
Total votes 127,788 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 19th congressional district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 107,773 76.1
Republican G. Burt Lancaster 33,889 23.9
Total votes 194,251 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 181,802 73.9
Republican G. Burt Lancaster 64,061 26.1
Total votes 245,863 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 19th congressional district election, 2018
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 97,096 99.0
Republican Justin James Aguilera (write-in) 792 0.8
Republican Karl Ryan (write-in) 160 0.2
American Independent Robert Ornelas (write-in) 7 0.0
Total votes 98,055 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 162,496 73.8
Republican Justin James Aguilera 57,823 26.2
Total votes 220,319 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 19th congressional district election, 2020
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 104,456 62.7
Republican Justin James Aguilera 20,469 12.3
Republican Ignacio Cruz 19,109 11.5
Democratic Ivan Torres 18,916 11.4
No party preference Jason Mallory 3,516 2.1
Total votes 166,466 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 224,385 71.7
Republican Justin James Aguilera 88,642 28.3
Total votes 313,027 100.0
Democratic hold
California's 18th congressional district, 2022
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 50,104 56.1
Republican Peter Hernandez 27,935 31.3
Democratic Luis Acevedo-Arreguin 11,253 12.6
Total votes 89,292 100.0
General election
Democratic Zoe Lofgren (incumbent) 99,677 65.8
Republican Peter Hernandez 51,704 34.2
Total votes 151,381 100.0

Personal life

In 1978, Lofgren married John Marshall Collins, an attorney. The couple met at an election party. They have two children and twin grandsons. Lofgren's daughter, Sheila Collins, is a corporate counsel at Google.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Zoe Lofgren para niños

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Zoe Lofgren para niños

  • PROTECT IP Act
  • Aaron's Law
  • Women in the United States House of Representatives
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