Before being elected to the California State Assembly in 2018, Buffy worked as a community organizer, an advocate for kids, and a grassroots activist with experience at the local, state and federal level. She was born in a small town in rural California and grew up in a trailer, raised by working class parents who pushed her to work hard and think big.
Buffy is proud to have been an architect of President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. She is credited with innovating Obama’s grassroots organizing model – from right here in Oakland. In addition to playing a critical role in his momentous electoral victories, Buffy served alongside him in the White House. In her leadership role at the Office of Public Engagement, Buffy brought stakeholders and advocates from across the country together to support and eventually pass the Affordable Care Act, which has provided more than 20 million Americans with health care, including 5 million here in California.
Since arriving in Sacramento, Buffy has been a tireless advocate for working families across California, using her experience as an organizer and leader on policy to fight for and pass bills defending the rights and strengthen the livelihood of all her constituents.
Buffy lives in Oakland with her husband Peter and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Josephine, also known as JoJo.
In recognition of #Pride month, I want to share & celebrate the story of the trailblazing Black woman in these photos: Ernestine Eckstein.
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