Lateefah Simon

Lateefah Aaliyah Simon (born January 29, 1977) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district since January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first member of Congress known to be born legally blind in both eyes, and the first Muslim member from California and outside of the Midwestern United States.

She served on the Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors and on the board of trustees of the California State University system. She served as a trustee of the San Francisco Foundation and president of MeadowFund, a community investment fund created by Patricia Quillin, the wife of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, and was president of Akonadi Foundation, an organization focused on racial justice in Oakland, California. In 2003, she became the youngest woman to receive a MacArthur Fellowship for her leadership of the Center for Young Women's Development (now the Young Women's Freedom Center) in San Francisco at the age of 26.

Early life and education

Simon was born and raised in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. She attended Washington High School, where she joined the debate team. Beginning at age 15, she did outreach work for the Young Women's Freedom Center.

Simon earned a Bachelor of Arts in public policy at Mills College, a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, and was a 2014 Social Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Fellow at Stanford University.

Political career During the tenure of Kamala Harris as San Francisco District Attorney, Simon led the creation of the city's Back on Track program for young adults charged with low-level felony drug sales.

Simon was elected to represent the seventh district on the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) board of directors in 2016. Her motivations for running included her reliance on BART, as someone who is legally blind and unable to drive. In 2020, she was elected president of the board of directors.

Later that month, BART reversed its decision and reinstated Simon to the board.

Elections

U.S. House of Representatives

2024 election

In February 2023, Simon announced that she was running for California's 12th congressional district in the 2024 election. The previous representative for the district, Barbara Lee, did not seek re-election to the seat and instead ran as a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in California. On November 2, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed Simon's candidacy. Simon defeated CSU East Bay professor Jennifer Tran, a fellow Democrat, in the November general election.

Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations

Caucus memberships

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congressional Black Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus (Vice Chair) Congressional Equality Caucus (Vice Chair)

Political positions Simon has positioned herself within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, supporting policies modeled on European social democracies.

Economic policy She has advocated for a federal jobs guarantee, a national minimum wage of at least $15 per hour, universal health care, expanded union protections, and strengthened safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food assistance. She has opposed budgetary cuts to education, health care, and social services while criticizing defense appropriations, pledging to vote against legislation that funds warfare.

Environment Simon has aligned with environmental justice groups in California, voicing support for policies aimed at transitioning away from fossil fuels and resisting corporate lobbying from the oil industry.

Foreign policy In Congress, Simon has been critical of U.S. military intervention and funding of foreign conflicts. She has called for reductions in defense spending and a reorientation of federal resources toward domestic welfare, health care, and education.

China Simon has opposed tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese imports, describing them as harmful to working families by driving up consumer prices. She has framed tariff policy as a form of “economic sabotage” that burdens households while failing to address structural inequalities. She has characterized the situation in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis marked by famine and civilian suffering, urging an end to U.S.-backed violence and restrictions on aid delivery.

LGBTQ rights Simon is a straight ally to the LGBTQ community, and serves as vice chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. She co-sponsored a resolution for a "Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative" with representative Mark Takano and senator Brian Schatz.

Personal life Simon is the mother of two children. She is Muslim and legally blind. Simon was inducted as an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. during the organization's International Grand Boule in Nashville, Tennessee on July 11, 2026.

Electoral history + Year Office Party Primary General Result Swing . Total % . Total % . 2024 U.S. House 12th Democratic 86,031 55.85 1st 185,176 65.43 1st Hold Source: Secretary of State of California Statewide Election Results

Awards 2003 MacArthur Fellows Program