Mike Levin | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait,117th Congress | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's49th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Darrell Issa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Ted Levin (1978-10-20)October 20, 1978 (age 47) Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) Duke University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Michael Ted Levin (/ˈlɛvɪn/LEH-vin; born October 20, 1978) is an American politician and attorney who serves as theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 49th congressional district since 2019.[1] He is a member of theDemocratic Party and represents most ofSan Diego'sNorth County, as well as part of southernOrange County.[2]
Levin was born inInglewood,California, and raised inLake Forest,Orange County.[3] His mother isMexican-American and his father isJewish.[4] Levin was raised in both the Jewish andCatholic faiths.[5] His maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States fromMexico as children, arriving with little formal education or money.[5] They eventually established a business distributingWurlitzerjukeboxes inLos Angeles, enabling Levin's mother and her four sisters to attend college.[5]
Levin graduated fromLoyola High School in Los Angeles in 1997.[6] He then attendedStanford University, where he was elected student body president.[7] He graduated in 2001 with aBachelor of Arts degree[6] and went on to earn aJuris Doctor fromDuke University School of Law in 2005,[6] focusing onenvironmental law.[4]
After law school, Levin worked as an attorney specializing in energy and environmental law, focusing onregulatory compliance and government affairs.[3]
In addition to his legal work, Levin co-founded CleanTech OC, atrade group promoting sustainable energy inOrange County,[8] and served as vice president of Better Energy Systems, acleantech startup inBerkeley, California.[9] In 2011, he was featured inOC Metro’s “40 Under 40” for his work at FlexEnergy, a company that developed technology to capture and usemethane from landfills andwastewater treatment facilities.[10] From 2014 to 2017, he was the director of government affairs atFuelCell Energy[11] and served on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy inSan Diego.[12]
Levin was also active in Democratic politics, serving as executive director of theDemocratic Party of Orange County. In 2016, he joinedHillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as a member of the national finance committee.[13][14][15]
On March 8, 2017, Levin announced his candidacy for theUnited States Congress inCalifornia's 49th congressional district to replace incumbent representativeDarrell Issa.[12] The district had historically been one of Southern California's more Republican districts, but redistricting after the 2010 census cut out most of its heavily Republican inland portion, making it significantly more competitive. Issa had nearly been defeated in 2016 asHillary Clinton carried the district.
At a town hall event that Issa held on March 11, 2017, Levin publicly confronted Issa and mentioned a book he had sent Issa in 2016,Climate Change for Beginners. Levin charged that Issa's solution to climate problems "is to build more natural gas plants and to keep the nuclear energy plants online for longer.... I think that's an unfathomable proposal for a progressive and environmentally-friendly place like San Diego."[16][17]
Due to the competitive character of the race as well as the absence of an incumbent, there were 16 candidates on the ballot in the primary.[18] The large number of candidates in thenonpartisan blanket primary led to fears thatDemocrats would be locked out of the general election.[19][20]
In the June 5 primary, Levin came in second to RepublicanState Board of Equalization chairDiane Harkey and advanced to the general election. This assured that the district would be represented by someone from the Orange County portion of the district, though the 49th is a San Diego district by weight of population. Levin is fromSan Juan Capistrano, while Harkey is from nearbyDana Point.
Barack Obama endorsed Levin as well as other candidates.[21]
In the 2020 general election, Levin defeated Republican Brian Maryott with 53.1% of the vote.[22]
In the 2022 general election, Levin again defeated Republican Brian Maryott, this time with 52.6% of the vote.[23]
Levin defeated Republican Matt Gunderson in the 2024 general election.[24] Levin carried 52.2% of the vote.[25]
Levin was sworn into theHouse of Representatives on January 3, 2019, to representCalifornia's49th district. For the116th Congress, he was appointed to theNatural Resources andVeterans' Affairs committees and theSelect Committee on the Climate Crisis.[26] He was sworn in during thegovernment shutdown of 2019.[27]
Levin'scommittee assignments for the119th Congress include:[28]
Levin'scaucus memberships include:[29]
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Levin has emphasized his support for "a woman's right to a safe, legalabortion".[32] Levin has a 100% rating fromNARAL Pro-Choice America and an F grade from theSusan B. Anthony List for his voting record on abortion-related issues.[33][34]
In 2022, Levin voted for theRespect for Marriage Act.[35]
In 2024, Levin voted for theNational Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision that would prohibit insurance coverage of trans health care. Levin stated he supported the bill because of the pay raises for service members and other quality-of-life provisions in the bill.[36]
Levin supports an assault weapons ban, as well as universal and enhanced background checks.[37]
In 2022, Levin voted for H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, aimed at banning the sale and distribution of certain types of firearms.[38][39] He also supported theBipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed and signed into law.[40]
Levin has stated that he supports restricting hedge funds from buying single-family housing stock. Levin has also advocated for investments to increase affordable housing, he supports a tax credit for first-time home buyers and secured federal funding for a homeless shelter.[41]
Levin has expressed his support for a ban on congressional stock trading.[42]
On July 12, 2024, Levin called forJoe Biden to withdraw from the2024 United States presidential election.[43]
Levin supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.[37]
In March 2024, Levin called for a temporary cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to get into Gaza. He also called on the continuation of military funds to Israel. Levin has supported a cease-fire in conjunction with the release of Israeli hostages. In April 2024, Levin stated that "It appears to me that new leaders are needed [in Israel]" adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is not "ultimately leading to a more peaceful outcome" in the region.[44]
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Levin has prioritized addressingclimate change, which has garnered attention from national media outlets covering energy and environmental issues. During the 2022 elections, these outlets considered his reelection bid a high-profile race.[45] Levin voted for theInflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate policy ever passed by Congress.[46]
Levin supported theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bill to address the country's infrastructure needs through investments in rebuilding and modernization.[47] The legislation also funds new initiatives aimed at enhancing the resilience of infrastructure against the effects of climate change and expanding the reach of broadband infrastructure. It passed with bipartisan support.[27]
Levin is a proponent of moving thePacific Surfliner railway line, which runs along the coastal bluffs of Del Mar, to a safer location.[48] He pushed for additionalInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to be allocated for a rail tunnel under Del Mar, with the goal of completing the project by 2035.[49]
Levin lives inSan Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their two children.[3][50]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Levin | 166,453 | 56.4 | ||
| Republican | Diane Harkey | 128,577 | 43.6 | ||
| Total votes | 295,030 | 100.0 | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Levin (incumbent) | 205,349 | 53.1 | |
| Republican | Brian Maryott | 181,157 | 46.9 | |
| Total votes | 386,506 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Levin (incumbent) | 151,276 | 52.6 | |
| Republican | Brian Maryott | 136,493 | 47.4 | |
| Total votes | 287,769 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Levin (incumbent) | 197,397 | 52.2 | |
| Republican | Matt Gunderson | 180,950 | 47.8 | |
| Total votes | 378,347 | 100.0 | ||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 49th congressional district 2019–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 215th | Succeeded by |
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
