Curren Price, Jr.
Curren Price was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 to represent the 51st District, and was re-elected by an overwhelming margin to a second term in 2008. After serving one full term in the California State Assembly, Mr. Price was elected in May 2009 to represent the 26th District in the State Senate, which includes a portion of Los Angeles, Culver City, Beverlywood, Hollywood, Koreatown, Ladera Heights, Larchmont, Leimert Park, View Park, and Vermont Hills.
Senator Price has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective leader. He is a strong advocate for investing in our public schools, empowering parents and challenging all students to meet higher academic standards. He seeks to give all Californians, regardless of income or socioeconomic status, the chance to go to college and develop the skills needed to succeed in today’s highly competitive workplace.
As a leading champion for working families, Senator Price has fought to protect the rights of California workers. He has led efforts to support homecare workers, hotel workers, security guards and other workers that are vital to California’s economy, in order to organize for better wages and benefits.
Senator Price has worked to expand the quality and affordability of health care for all Californians and has authored legislation that would allow parents to add dependent children up to age 27 to their employer-based health plans. He also joined colleagues to pass legislation that would have led to universal health care, and authored legislation that was signed into law requiring hospitals to provide public notification prior to closing its doors or eliminating vital health services.
Senator Price is a state leader who works across party lines to find common ground, who speaks his conscience, and who gets things done for his constituents. His passion to serve his community led him to work towards expanding and improving job training opportunities, particularly for our youth, and investing in our families and their futures.
As a strong and consistent advocate for small business, Senator Price has continued to prove that he is among California’s most influential voices advocating for creating new opportunities for small business enterprises. He believes in policies that spark economic growth, encourage innovation, open the doors of opportunity for all, create jobs and stimulate our state’s economy. He authored legislation that would increase opportunities for small businesses to compete for state contracts and would offer incentives for creating new jobs.
In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Senator Price was chosen by Senate Leadership to serve on a range of important legislative committees that reflect his priorities and interests. Senator Price chairs the Legislative Joint Committee on the Arts as well as the Senate Select Committee on Procurement. Furthermore, Senator Price has been selected to serve on the following committees: Appropriations, Banking Finance and Insurance, Education, Governmental Organization and Local Government. He also serves on Select Committees focusing on California’s Horse Racing Industry, California’s Wine Industry, Constitutional Reform, the Census, Improving State Government and Obesity and Diabetes.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Senator Price attended Morningside High School in Inglewood and received a scholarship to Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He studied law at Santa Clara University and graduated in 1976 with a Juris Doctor degree.
After receiving his degree, Senator Price moved to Washington D.C., where he was active for ten years in the telecommunications industry. As an advocate for minority enterprise, he was a frequent speaker at conferences sponsored by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Senator Price returned to California in 1988, serving as a deputy to two members of the Los Angeles City Council. He later served as the Southern California Coordinator for a statewide association that provided training to assist community-based organizations develop commercial real estate projects. Senator Price has life time teaching credentials for Adult Education and the California Community Colleges.
Prior to serving in the California Legislature, Senator Price was a 2-term member of the Inglewood City Council. He has also been a business owner and consultant.
Throughout his tenure as an elected official, Senator Price has been awarded numerous honors in recognition of his legislation and advocacy on behalf of students, working families, and small businesses. Over the past three years, he has been awarded “Legislator of the Year” by the University of California Student Association, the West Basin Municipal Water District and the Southern California Apartment Owners Association. Additionally, Senator Price received high legislative scores for the 2009 legislative session from two of California’s top consumer groups. He received a score of 100% from the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) and a score of 93% from the Consumer Federation of California.