Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Appoints Chief of Staff and District Director

Evan McLaughlin to serve as New Assemblywoman’s Chief of Staff; Humberto Peraza appointed District Director

SACRAMENTO – (Wednesday, June 5, 2013) – California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) announced today the appointments of Evan McLaughlin as Chief of Staff and Humberto Peraza as District Director for the 80th Assembly District.

McLaughlin was most recently the Political and Legislative Director for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, a federation of 135 local unions representing 200,000 workers in the region. He served the Labor Council from 2008 to 2013 as the chief deputy to Ms. Gonzalez on matters involving public policy, electoral campaigns and community organizing when she headed the Labor Council. McLaughlin also served as Campaign Manager to Ms. Gonzalez’s campaign for State Assembly in 2013. McLaughlin co-founded the San Diego chapter of the New Leaders Council and serves on the boards of directors for the League of Conservation Voters of San Diego, San Diego Leadership Alliance and Empower San Diego. McLaughlin was an award-winning politics and government reporter at Voice of San Diego from the nonprofit news website’s inception in 2005 until 2008. McLaughlin resides in City Heights but will be moving to Sacramento with the new position.

Peraza is an elected member of the Southwestern College District Governing Board and has been a longtime advisor to elected officials in the region. Peraza served as Policy Advisor to San Diego City Council President Ben Hueso; District Chief of Staff to Congressman Bob Filner; San Diego & Imperial Counties Area Director/Statewide Latino Director for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer; and also worked for Congressman Xavier Becerra in both Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Most recently, Peraza was owner of Counter Point Government Relations LLC, where he advised private sector clients on matters of public safety, education and business development. Peraza has also served on the City of Chula Vista’s Charter Review Commission and on the boards of League of Conservation Voters San Diego, MOVE San Diego, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest and its Action Fund. He resides in Chula Vista.

“My goal to rebuild the middle class through the creation of good-paying jobs, expanded educational opportunities and access to affordable health care is going to take a real team effort,” Assemblywoman Gonzalez said. “With the addition of the Evan, Humberto and the staff they will supervise, the residents of the 80th district have the team they need to best represent Southern San Diego County in the State Capitol.”

The 80th District includes Chula Vista, National City and the San Diego neighborhoods of San Ysidro, City Heights, Golden Hill, Sherman Heights, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Paradise Hills and Otay Mesa. More information about 80th Assembly District is available at http://asmdc.org/members/a80/.