Michael Ted Levin ( ; born October 20, 1978) is an American politician and attorney who serves as the U.S. representative for California's 49th congressional district since 2019.
Early life and education
Levin was born in Inglewood,
California, and raised in Lake Forest, Orange County.
His mother is Mexican-American and his father is
American Jews.
Levin was raised in both the Jewish and
Catholic Church faiths.
His maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from
Mexico as children, arriving with little formal education or money.
They eventually established a business distributing
Wurlitzer Jukebox in
Los Angeles, enabling Levin's mother and her four sisters to attend college.
Levin graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1997.
Early career
After law school, Levin worked as an attorney specializing in energy and environmental law, focusing on regulatory compliance and government affairs.
In addition to his legal work, Levin co-founded CleanTech OC, a trade group promoting sustainable energy in Orange County,[ ] and served on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy in San Diego.
Levin was also active in Democratic politics, serving as executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County. In 2016, he joined Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as a member of the national finance committee.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018
On March 8, 2017, Levin announced his candidacy for the United States Congress in California's 49th congressional district to replace incumbent representative
Darrell Issa.
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 as
Hillary 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."
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.
In the June 5 primary, Levin came in second to Republican State Board of Equalization chair Diane 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 from San Juan Capistrano, while Harkey is from nearby Dana Point.
Barack Obama endorsed Levin as well as other candidates.
2020
In the 2020 general election, Levin defeated Republican Brian Maryott with 53.1% of the vote.
2022
In the 2022 general election, Levin again defeated Republican Brian Maryott, this time with 52.6% of the vote.
2024
Levin defeated Republican Matt Gunderson in the 2024 general election.
Levin carried 52.2% of the vote.
Tenure
Levin was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, to represent
California's 49th district. For the 116th Congress, he was appointed to the Natural Resources and Veterans' Affairs committees and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
He was sworn in during the government shutdown of 2019.
Committee assignments
Levin's committee assignments for the 119th Congress include:
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Committee on Appropriations
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Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
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Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Caucus memberships
Levin's caucus memberships include:
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Congressional Equality Caucus
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Congressional Hispanic Caucus
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Congressional Progressive Caucus
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Rare Disease Caucus
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Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (vice chair)
Political positions
Abortion
Levin has emphasized his support for "a woman's right to a safe, legal
abortion".
Levin has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and an F grade from the Susan B. Anthony List for his voting record on abortion-related issues.
LGBTQ rights
In 2022, Levin voted for the Respect for Marriage Act.
In 2024, Levin voted for the National 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.
Gun policy
Levin supports an assault weapons ban, as well as universal and enhanced background checks.
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.
Housing
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.
Congressional stock trading
Levin has expressed his support for a ban on congressional stock trading.
2024 presidential nominee
On July 12, 2024, Levin called for
Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.
Israel
Levin supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
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" adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is not "ultimately leading to a more peaceful outcome" in the region.
Environment
Levin has prioritized addressing
climate 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.
Levin voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate policy ever passed by Congress.
Infrastructure
Levin supported the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bill to address the country's infrastructure needs through investments in rebuilding and modernization.
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.
Levin is a proponent of moving the Pacific Surfliner railway line, which runs along the coastal bluffs of Del Mar, to a safer location.
Personal life
Levin lives in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their two children.
Electoral history
See also
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List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
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List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
External links
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