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Yvonne Brathwaite Burke

Democratic

Picture of Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
County of Los Angeles
Date Party Office Votes Result
11-08-1966 Democratic AD-63 40616 Win
11-05-1968 Democratic AD-63 54491 Win
11-03-1970 Democratic AD-63 52815 Win
11-07-1972 Democratic CD-37 123468 Win
11-05-1974 Democratic CD-28 88655 Win
11-02-1976 Democratic CD-28 114612 Win
11-07-1978 Democratic Attorney General 2923432 Loss
Website: bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B001102
 

Candidate Biography:

Born: October 5, 1932 in Los Angeles, CA
Married: William Arthur 'Bill' Burke*
Children: Autumn and Christine Burke (step-daughter)
University: University of Southern California (JD; 1956)

1972: Vice Chair, Democratic National Convention
1976-1978: Member, United States House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)
1978: Primary Candidate for Attorney General (Lost)
1979: Member, Regents of the University of California
1979-1980: Member, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
1982-1993: Member, Regents of the University of California
1984: Vice Chairman, U.S. Olympics Organizing Committee
1992-2008: Member, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
2010-Present: Member, California Transportation Commission [Term ends 2/2017]
2012-Present: Member, AMTRAK Board of Directors

  • NOTABLE HISTORY: Brathwaite Burke was both the first female African-American California state legislator and the first female African-American Member of Congress from California. Yvonne and Autumn Burke were the first mother-daughter pair to serve in the California Legislature. 
  • William A. Burke has served as Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (1993-Present), the California Coastal Commission (2000-2013), California Fish and Game Commission, and the Wildlife Conservation Board (~2004). William Burke was also a member of the California Air Resources Board (2000-2003) and voted to amend the "California Zero Emission Vehicle Regulation" which the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? described as the death of the electric car.

Source: California Blue Book (1971)
Source: "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present" (U.S. Library of Congress) [http://bioguide.congress.gov/]